Ideal for both students and practitioners, this convenient and portable guide offers valuable information on how to effectively perform seated massage for both relaxation and therapeutic purposes. Providing comprehensive coverage of the technique, this practical resource explains the positional causes of dysfunction to maximize the benefit to the client. Discussions of the essential concepts of chair massage include selecting an appropriate chair, chair adjustments, body mechanics, applying pressure, skill building, intake forms, and hygiene. Content on business helps therapists improve their profits by covering topics like defining the target market, marketing for the table business, and contracts. Plus, specific routines for shoulders, neck/head, arm/hand, and low back regions are provided, along with full-color photographs to clearly demonstrate each technique. Full-color photographs and drawings clearly depict each technique. An Essentials of Practice chapter helps you translate your knowledge into revenue by addressing crucial topics such as determining target markets, job-related conditions, marketing methods, introductory letters, setting fees, drawing up contracts, and getting paid, and includes practical advice from practitioners who offer chair massage. Unique! Coverage of low back techniques includes specific techniques for treating low back pain, its causes, when to perform massage, and when it is contraindicated. Unique! A chapter on additional techniques and adaptations covers body regions such as the iliotibial band, gastrocnemius, pectorals, anterior neck muscles, and serratus anterior, plus situations such as clients in wheelchairs. Unique! A segment on closing the session describes positive ways to finalize a chair massage session, including use of percussion as a finishing technique, closing stretches, a post-treatment discussion, and helping the client off the chair. A Communications and Ethics chapter addresses important topics such as the ethical presentation of self, boundaries, communicating with clients about feedback, pre- and post-treatment interviews, and intake forms. A review of anatomy and kinesiology covers the specific information that you need to know in order make treatment decisions and perform routines. Coverage of traditional Chinese medicine points and channels gives you more techniques to use during chair massage practice. Sample dialogues provide examples of effective communication with clients during their sessions.

Be prepared to answer certification questions about shiatsu, and develop the skills you'll need to become a successful practitioner! This comprehensive, easy-to-use textbook covers foundational information and methods, followed by more complex theory and practice. You'll learn how the channels (meridians) affect clients' health, how to conduct assessments, how to maintain proper body mechanics during practice, how to address imbalances in each of the Five Elements, and much more. The accompanying DVD includes over 90 minutes of video showing specific applications described in the book. Workbook-style exercises and questions at the end of each chapter improve your understanding and retention of the material. A title in the Mosby's Massage Career Development Series. Comprehensive textbook introduces you to all the essentials of shiatsu, offering a complete background on the history of shiatsu, relevant Eastern philosophies and Asian bodywork concepts, the channels (meridians), and proper body mechanics. A separate Theory and Practice section explores various assessment methods and how to evaluate assessment information, techniques and positions to address imbalances in each of the Five Elements, and advanced techniques. Includes all of the helpful learning features you expect from a Mosby's Massage Career Development Series title, such as a vibrant, full-color design, chapter outlines and learning objectives, key terms, workbook sections, and a companion DVD. Authored by a leading expert and certified practitioner with a background in shiatsu education and instruction. DVD packaged with the book contains over 90 minutes of video showing specific applications and techniques performed by the author, such as qigong, basic shiatsu techniques, jitsu and kyo, basic kata, including the hara techniques, and a standard treatment session. Each video clip on the DVD is referenced in the textbook with numbered icons that direct you to particular clips on the DVD. Over 330 full-color illustrations visually represent concepts and techniques. Special quote boxes interspersed throughout each chapter, contain thoughts and proverbs from Buddha, Eleanor Roosevelt, the Dalai Lama, Helen Keller, and many others.