Stress & Shiatsu Massage-A Case Study

March 21, 2009 Kala Viv Williams
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Holistic Health, Shiatsu Bodywork

Daily Walk Photo 3/19/09

I’d like to give a general overview of someone who might come in to my office at this time. This hypothetical person is completely made up and an amalgam of typical symptoms in order to further explore 5 Element Theory and shiatsu massage. I will include emotions and stressors as that is very important for the shiatsu therapist. So lets see:

He is a 38 year old male, a bit overweight around the middle, he is a former competitive athlete. But he has since stopped working out. He’s too busy! He is very goal oriented, successful at this profession, he works for a large corporation. He has coffee for breakfast and maybe a bagel on the run. For lunch which he may put off or skip he’ll grab whatever is handy-chips, soda, a corned beef sandwich delivered. He often works late into the night as he finds it hard to stop once he’s started any project. He can be short tempered with staff and lately his wife and kids. His medical history shows high blood pressure controlled by medication, he often has heartburn and now headaches that are quite intense. In addition just this winter he began to have low back ache. Also recently his cholesterol is up. His doctor has recommended he incorporate some relaxation methods into his lifestyle.
So he comes in as he has heard that massage is helpful for stress. He has tried shiatsu on his travels to Japan so he is vaguely familiar with it.
An assessment begins by listening to him and reading his health history. The therapist needs to observe things such as posture, skin tone, sound of voice, etc. His face is reddish in tone, flushed looking and he seems rushed and speaks in a relatively loud tone. The session begins with him relaxing on his back on a futon, he is encouraged to breath deeply and relax.

Using a chart of the Hara (the abdominal region), for what is referred to as Hara diagnosis. (Please note that a shiatsu/massage therapist is not a medical doctor and is not giving a clinical diagnosis of disease.) We palpate the hara to feel the energy flow of the meridians that correspond to certain organ systems which in Traditional Chinese Medicine is broader in scope than a Western understanding of an organ. It is helpful for the MT to have a health history, but TCM often is concerned with states before any full blown disease would be diagnosed.
….to be continued Part 2 is here.
If you’d like to book an appointment in Ithaca or have questions.

Namaste,
Kala

Massage Ithaca, Massage Therapy. East State Street. Office 5 minutes from downtown, Ithaca Commons, Ithaca, NY. 14850/14853
Anxiety/Stress
Shiatsu Bodywork

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