Theory and Practice of Therapeutic Massage (THEORY & PRACTICE OF THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE) [Hardcover]

Mark F. Beck (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1401880290 | ISBN-13: 978-1401880293 | Publication Date: December 22, 2005 | Edition: 004

Comprehensive, engaging, and easy to read, this exciting new edition continues to set itself apart as the original and classic introductory massage text. Now in gorgeous full color, filled with hundreds of photos of procedures and techniques Theory and Practice of Therapeutic Massage, Fourth Edition, truly is the book to have. This highly respected, best-seller covers everything from the history of massage to massage modalities to practical information on how to have a successful, fulfilling career in massage. It provides readers with a solid understanding of the body and its functions, including a thorough but uncomplicated chapter on anatomy and physiology. Readers will learn massage techniques and therapeutic skills, including sports massage, prenatal massage, medical massage, hydrotherapy, lymph massage, massage in a spa setting and much more. Thoughtfully revised, this is the foundational book for the study of massage therapy.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1008 pages
• Publisher: Milady; 004 edition (December 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401880290
• ISBN-13: 978-1401880293
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #357,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, February 11, 2009

By 

RTF (Bangor, ME) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Theory and Practice of Therapeutic Massage (THEORY & PRACTICE OF THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE) (Hardcover)

Compared to the other reviews I am very disappointed with this book. It does cover a wide range of information necessary to become a good massage therapist, including anatomy, physiology, microbiology, massage techniques, history, business practices & ethics, etc. However, I am very dissatisfied with the accuracy and organization of information. Despite a 4.0 in college Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Pathophysiology, Allied Health Chemistry, etc., I found the information presented within the text challenging to follow in some sections. The presentation of information lacked clarity. The diagrams and pictures were confusing due to several errors or mislabeling, lack of sufficient explanation within the text, and/or incongruence between instructions in the text and what the pictures presented. I also found it very hard to complete sections of the handbook because the information was not presented in the textbook. I have chosen to look for another book that presents information clearly and accurately.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Massage Textbook!, February 10, 2008

By 

Michael J. Perce "Michael" (Merced, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Theory and Practice of Therapeutic Massage (Paperback)

This is by far the best Massage textbook I have used yet. It is comprehensive and still user friendly. I teach massage therapy at a massage school and we have reviewed many textbooks, this is the one that I recommend.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars SO informative! Yet not for OH LMT, March 25, 2010

By 

Apples2Enjoy (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Theory and Practice of Therapeutic Massage (THEORY & PRACTICE OF THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE) (Hardcover)

I love this book! So happy we needed it for class. Its very informative about the history of massage. Thats as far in as we are, but its written so wonderfully I have started reading chapters ahead because it has so much information I want to know! Several chapters on marketing and having your own practice. A full section on spa services and even a few spa recipes. Descriptions of different modalities plus photos of the moves. I highly recommend this book!

EDIT: I reviewed this book soon after buying it and reading through a good portion of it. Sadly, in Ohio we only need to know about 3-4 chapters from this entire book that are on the State Board Medical Exam. Save your money, split the cost with other students in class. This was unneeded and its so annoying that the school said we needed it, only to find out later we won't even be tested (when it counts) on more than half the book! I no longer highly recommend this book, in fact I would rather suggest you borrow it from the library or another student, or if you must buy it, get it super cheap used, with hi-lights, somewhere else! Sorry