Tappan's Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques: Classic, Holistic and Emerging Methods (3rd Edition) [Paperback]

Frances M. Tappan (Author), Patricia J. Benjamin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 083853676X | ISBN-13: 978-0838536766 | Publication Date: January 15, 1998 | Edition: 3nd

This pioneering text in massage therapy provides basic information on the art and science of effective healing massage techniques in quick-learn, easy-to-understand terms. This leading book contains a thorough description of both Eastern and Western massage skills and explains the effects of massage in physiological as well as holistic perspectives. Also included are self-evaluation sheets and sample health history forms. A functional second color has been added to this edition to help highlight massage techniques. The perfect guide for physical therapists, massage therapists, health related professionals, and anyone interested in massage therapy.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This pioneering text in massage therapy provides basic information on the art and science of effective healing massage techniques in quick-learn, easy-to-understand terms. This leading book contains a thorough description of both Eastern and Western massage skills and explains the effects of massage in physiological as well as holistic perspectives. Also included are self-evaluation sheets and sample health history forms. A functional second color has been added to this edition to help highlight massage techniques. The perfect guide for physical therapists, massage therapists, health related professionals, and anyone interested in massage therapy.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Tappan's Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques has been updated and revised to reflect the changes in massage therapy and its use in the health professions over the past several years. Massage continues to be a mainstay of the spa and salon, health club, and private practice scenes, while being integrated into an increasing number of heath care settings.

The number of states in the United States that license massage therapists has grown from 24 in 1998, when the third edition was published, to 31 in 2004. A massage therapy research database sponsored by the AMTA Foundation is now available on the Internet. The Canadian Touch Research Centre is holding its second International Symposium on the Science of Touch in Montreal in May 2004.

As the massage universe expands, and massage therapy enjoys increasing recognition within the health professions, the expectations for massage therapy education also grow. Massage therapy training programs must educate their students for the future by giving them a firm foundation to build on.

Tappan's Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques has been redesigned, with several learning aids to help students and teachers in their studies. These include a detailed Table of Contents formatted as chapter outlines, and a complete list of figures and tables for easy location. Each chapter contains learning outcomes, key terms and concepts, and references including books, videos and Web sites. Chapter study guides include suggestions for studying key terms and concepts, as well as study questions for information recall, and suggested activities for a deeper understanding of important topics.

A CD-ROM video that demonstrates basic Western and contemporary massage techniques, as well as applications for special populations, is included with the text. Use of this modern technology helps make up for the limited ability of words and still pictures to depict satisfactorily what is essentially a performance-based art and science.

Frances Tappan's original vision for the textbook remains intact. Dr. Tappan wanted students of massage to have descriptions of massage techniques and approaches from all over the globe. The inside front and back covers showing the muscular system from Western anatomy, and energy channels from Traditional Asian Medicine, reflect her interest in the worldwide reach of massage.

Part I: Foundations provides the theoretical underpinning and context for later chapters on massage techniques. Chapter 1, Healing Massage–A Wellness Perspective, discusses massage as a natural healing art found all over the world. The relationship between massage and Western medicine in the context of integrative health care is explored. The concept of wellness is discussed at greater length, and a new paradigm called the Wellness Massage Pyramid offers a fresh image of massage in its broad scope.

The history of massage as an ancient and modern healing practice is told in Chapter 2. The use of massage for health and healing predates current professions, and its universality for humankind is evident. A section on more recent developments in the health professions brings this history up to date.

The science of the effects and benefits of massage is examined in Chapter 3. This chapter has been rearranged to be more compatible with human anatomy texts used in many massage programs. It looks at the effects of massage at the tissue, organ system, and organism levels, as well as its physiological and psychological effects. A holistic view of the effects of massage is also presented.

A new chapter called Clinical Applications of Massage has been added as Chapter 4. It reflects the expanding use of massage in health care and in the treatment of different pathologies. It also points to the increasing number of research studies being done on the efficacy of massage, and to sources of information on massage therapy research.

The important topics of endangerment sites and contraindications are taken up in Chapter 5. With a greater diversity of people seeking massage for a variety of reasons, massage therapists need to be well versed in how to avoid harm. The information on contraindications has been rearranged into principles as a guide to good judgment, and a section on cautions related to medications has been added.

Guidelines for giving massage in Chapter 6 have also been expanded to include more information on how to maintain good therapeutic relationships with clients, some pitfalls to avoid, and ethical issues. The new HIPAA Privacy Rule is discussed. The sections on positioning and draping, and good body mechanics, are enriched by still photos from the CD-ROM video of massage techniques.

Part II is devoted entirely to Western Massage, which forms the basis for most therapeutic massage applications found in physiotherapy, in natural healing, and for wellness in Europe and North America. Chapter 7, Western Massage Techniques, and Chapter 8, Joint Movements, describe basic techniques in detail. Chapter 9, Full-Body Western Massage, offers a massage routine to illustrate a one-hour wellness-focused session and practice sequence. Chapter 10, Regional Applications, looks at massage techniques for each body region and includes the meaning of the region in human terms, its anatomy, and more detailed massage treatment descriptions. Chapter 11, Hydrotherapy/Thermal Therapies is an addition to Tappan's Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques that focuses on applications of water, and hot and cold modalities typically associated with massage therapy. It does not cover the full range of physical agents found in physical therapy texts. It does offer valuable descriptions of modalities to use with massage, and summary tables of useful information.

Part III Contemporary Massage and Bodywork explores five systems of massage and bodywork theory and techniques that can be used in conjunction with basic Western massage. Three are grounded in Western science and are concerned with specific body tissues or systems, i.e., myofascial massage, neuromuscular therapy, and lymphatic drainage massage. Two involve alternative ways of understanding the human body. Foot reflexology is based on the theory of zone therapy and involves compression massage of the feet. Polarity therapy considers the body's theoretical energy fields and methods of balancing that energy for better health and disease prevention.

Asian massage and bodywork traditions based on Chinese medicine are covered in Part IV Chapter 17 is a treatise on the theory of Traditional Asian Medicine (TAM). Just as Western anatomy and physiology forms the theoretical basis of Western massage, TAM underpins Asian Bodywork Therapy (ABT). This new chapter contains a more thorough explanation of the theoretical basis of Asian bodywork including yin/yang, concepts of qi, five elements, energy assessment, and acupoints. Chapters 18-20 look at different forms of ABT including Amma: Traditional Japanese Massage, Zen Shiatsu (a modern Japanese bodywork form), and Jin Shin Do^®, a contemporary derivative.

Applications of massage are covered in Part V Massage for special populations such as athletes, pregnant women, infants, the elderly, and the terminally ill are described. Seated massage is explained in the context of providing massage in the workplace.

These chapters have been updated and enhanced with still photos from the CD-ROM, which has a section on each population treated in the text.

Dr. Tappan's essay on The Art of Healing Touch appears as Chapter 26. It offers her insight into the role of the massage practitioner, the nature of health and disease, and the power of healing touch.

Rounding out the content of the book is reference material, including a Bibliography and listing of useful Web sites mentioned in the text, and an updated glossary. Appendix A is new, and contains concise information on 25 popular massage and bodywork systems. The list of important organizations and publications in Appendix B has been expanded and updated, as has the list of states which license massage therapists in Appendix C. Appendix D provides an evaluation tool for massage therapy students and teachers, and Appendix E contains sample health history forms for planning safe and effective massage sessions.

My hope continues to be that those of you who read and study from this book not only value the basic information presented, but also sense the wonder and potential of hands-on healing for the simplest of intentions—to help fellow human beings in their quest for good health and optimum well-being.

Patricia J. Benjamin, PhD

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 414 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 3nd edition (January 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 083853676X
• ISBN-13: 978-0838536766
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,560,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended book on massage therapy, April 26, 2000

By 

Sabs (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tappan's Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques: Classic, Holistic and Emerging Methods (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

Excellent choice for the student (or practitioner)of massage therapy. Great as a reference guide to follow up on lessons formally learned in school. Very well organized and carefully explained techniques. Good use of illustrations. Very helpful bibliography for further study on every topic covered.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good book, October 27, 2005

By 

Paulo H "pyh" (Concord, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Tappan's Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques: Classic, Holistic and Emerging Methods (4th Edition) (Paperback)

This is a very good book and the companion CD-Rom is really very helpful.

Did not give 5 stars though because the Cd-Rom could have been made more friendly to navigate (maybe including a "play all" option) and should allow us to view the presentations in full screen and not limited to a very small image.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference book and CD-ROM, May 21, 2007

By 

Rich Poley (Boulder, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tappan's Handbook of Healing Massage Techniques: Classic, Holistic and Emerging Methods (4th Edition) (Paperback)

This is a thoroughly user friendly book for the student of massage, and the best general reference book on massage that I've found. The book attempts to cover it all and does a fairly good job. Particularly good is its section on Western Massage Techniques, especially those demonstrated in the video. The chapter and section in the video on trigger points and their release are particularly helpful for athletes.