Anatomy & Physiology

Our integrated A&P course is specifically designed to help you become an effective Massage Therapist and Natural Therapeutics practitioner. Anatomy is the study of structure, in our case, the human structure. An understanding of how bones articulate (kinesiology) and which muscles are attached to them are very important to any massage therapist. Generally when clients come in for a treatment, they will say something like, “It hurts when I do this…”. It’s up to you to trace which muscles are involved and to palpate and affect them.

The Physiology portion of A&P deals with the functions of the structures in a human being. How does the body make bone? What makes our muscles work more optimally? What are the functions of the nervous, circulatory, lymph, and urinary systems and how do they work? Our instructors present the material in way that is easy for students of all education levels to comprehend. They use lecture, accompanied with hands-on palpation, which enables students to fully integrate the material. Emphasis is placed upon the understanding of word parts, muscles, bones, nerves, and the functioning of the human structure.

Pathology is the study of disease. As a professional therapist you will have the opportunity to help people with all sorts of ailments. Many of those ailments require medications that require you to adjust the type of treatment your client receives. It’s our job to give you the tools necessary to reduce fears and appropriately treat your client.

The A&P material that is taught here at the New Mexico School of Natural Therapeutics enables any bodyworker to effectively practice their therapeutic art.

Clinic Internship

After receiving instruction and passing evaluations on basic massage techniques, students begin working in our Student Clinic giving therapeutic treatments to the public under the supervision of a Registered Massage Therapy Instructor. Students must complete 145 clock hours as a part of the requirements for graduation. Time spent in the clinic is an invaluable opportunity for students to exercise creativity while practicing the modalities they have learned in class. Clinic practice also fosters the evolution of skills that will be utilized in future careers.

CPR & First Aid

The New Mexico Massage Therapy Board requires (16.7.4.10) that in order to become a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) the person must complete 4 contact hours of CPR/AED and 4 contact hours of First Aid.

Our curriculum focuses on a lifestyle of healthy living as maintenance. There are times however when someone is in need of emergency type assistance in order to help if they are choking, unconscious, bleeding, and/or to even to help save their life. We offer CPR & First Aid (American Heart Association) training as part of our program, for continuing education requirements, and also open to the public for anyone looking to be of service to someone in need.

Kinesiology

The study of how humans move is the broad definition of Kinesiology. This becomes immensely important to a massage therapist trying to understand how an injury has affected someone. We must be able to listen to our clients and piece together what could be inhibiting their range of motion (ROM), causing pain or discomfort, or not allowing them to make certain movements. The difference between a good massage therapist and an amazing one is their depth of understanding Kinesiology.

Sports Massage & Massage Specifics

The massage therapy school portion of our program includes techniques in Swedish Massage, Myofascial Release, deep tissue massage, sports massage, chair massage, and pregnancy massage. Gliding, kneading, friction, percussion, vibration, and deep tissue massage techniques are employed to help relax and/or tonify the musculature and to increase the blood and lymphatic flow throughout the body. This increased flow helps bring nutrition to the cells, while removing waste and toxins which have accumulated in the stressed or injured parts, prompting deep relaxation on the physical, mental, and emotional levels.

Students will give and receive massages to their fellow students and will be evaluated by the instructors on professional conduct, ethics, body mechanics, and massage techniques. Upon passing the final evaluation students will be afforded the opportunity to give massages and spa type treatments in our massage clinic.

Swedish Massage

The most commonly referred to type of massage is in fact Swedish Massage. These types of massages usually begin with Effleurage strokes where the therapist performs long gliding strokes to spread lubricant and to help assess the body part/parts. Petrissage is another technique used to lift and squeeze muscles to promote the elimination of toxins lodged in the deep tissue. Friction strokes are used to increase heat, which helps bring blood to an area. The heat generated also helps ligaments, muscles, and muscle attachments become more flexible. Tapotement involves gentle pounding on the muscles using cupped hands, fists, or the “karate chop” side of the hands. Vibration can also be used to either help invigorate or further relax the person being worked on.

Students will be evaluated on their proficiency of each of the strokes and will also do a final evaluation. For the final evaluation students must demonstrate their ability to do a complete intake interview, perform proper draping, and administer the 5 stokes of Swedish Massage in one smooth flowing treatment.