The bulk of the practical technique takes skills from Thai Massage, which combines stretching, mobilisations and deep pressure techniques to release muscle tension and improve flexibility. We also take influences from other areas such as Tui Na (a branch of Chinese Medicine), Sports Injury Therapy and Osteopathy. Assessment is an important part of the course and we look at how to actively & passively assess joints and use testing for common conditions e.g how to differentiate between different forms of sciatica.
All techniques on a futon with light-weight clothing required to allow for flexible movement. These can be adapted for table-work. By day 12 of the course, the goal is for students to bring these different skills together to treat a range of patients in a built-in student clinic.
Course content includes:
Course materials include a detailed folder containing a step-by-step guide to all practical techniques, notes for all theory lectures and the location of Acupoints. A bibliography for other recommended reading is discussed in the first weekend.