MFRmail Newsletter
August 2015
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Happy end of summer! I have had a great summer and I hope the same has been true for you. After classes in San Diego CA, New York, Kingston Jamaica, Charlotte NC, and Dallas, TX I am just getting started for a busy fall season. There are a number of confirmed classes for 2016, including a Myofascial Release for Head and Neck Disorders in Charlotte, NC. I have some very exciting changes regarding the revamping of the other Foundations Approach classes which will be rolled out over the next month of so. There are a few discount deadlines fast approaching for seminars to be held over the next few months. You can view all of the listings and expiring deadlines below. I am seeking host facilities for a few more classes in 2016, especially locations for the Myofascial Release for Head and Neck Disorders Seminar. Drop me a line if you are interested. ______________________________________________ Easing into a new way of thinking/doing is never easy in life, nor in therapeutic practice and I have written a just released blog addressing this problem. I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to reply directly on the blog site. Rethinking your professional identity
What mental image might a person receive when you introduce yourself to them by saying "I am a physical therapist" (or massage therapist, or speech and language pathologist, or occupational therapist, or etc.)?
This short statement of identity may create a cascade of mental images to your audience (the potential client) which may influence your ability to work with them. However, this image may have a detrimental effect on how you are able to impact others, from both the perspective of them as well as yourself.
This conversation began with a discussion I had with fellow CE provider Robert Gardner, regarding the suggestion that therapists "forget" that they are a massage therapist in order to see themselves as qualified and licensed to work beyond the "expected role", or mental picture, of who they think they are. Changing expectations is a part of what I teach as part of my Foundations in Myofascial Release Seminar series, and have written about this in the past here. (Please note; for the sake of this discussion I refer to massage therapists, but the same holds true for PTs, OTs, and SLPs) Myofascial release (MFR) is within the scope of practice of massage therapists, but is quite different from massage in many respects. My version of MFR is done dry, with no lotions or oils. It is typically performed with the client dressed in shorts and a tank top (or similar). Also, unlike most massage, one can and does spend long periods of time treating a small area of the body, with little need to treat all aspects, front and back. I converted my mental image of myself from a PT, who typically works with exercise and heat/electrical modalities, a few decades ago and have done a good job of altering client expectations even before they set foot in the doorway of my office. I've done this conversion by constructing a website which does most of the work for me. Check out the website for my private PT practice here to see what I am referring to. I speak to the differences between how people may view PT in their minds and how I am different. I have a short "Sample Myofascial Release Session" available for potential clients to view, as well as photos throughout, which begin changing client's expectations even before they contact me. I distribute my New Patient Forms via a link from the website, which further educates the client. In short, my client comes reasonably prepared for the work I do, and my expectations for a session should nearly match their expectation. Very few walk into my office wondering where all of the exercise equipment is hidden. If you have trained with me or other instructors, how has your client education process changed? Are you having difficulty with client conversions? At the time of the first session is not the best time to educate your new client in the benefits of how your therapy is different from other massage therapists. Not that it cannot be done, but why wait? Think of all of the ways you reach your market; how do new clients find you? Use you website, brochures, business cards, and even word-of-mouth referrals to talk up how you are very different from other MTs...and with good reason. Give potential clients a "warning" that you do business different from the norm in massage therapy; but with great results. If the massage therapist is to embrace myofascial release, expectations must change. It is within your scope of practice to use myofascial release (and similar) principles, but is within your allowable expectations of yourself to do so? Can you envision yourself in a different way?
For now, Walt Fritz, PT If you are seeking quality content for your website and educate your clients/potential clients what to expect from a session with you, consider embedding this "Sample Myofascial Release Session" into your website or emails. Just click the video link and using the "share" button, copy the code to embed the video directly onto your website, emails, or electronic newsletter. |
| | Sample Myofascial Release Session |
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Hi Everyone! The Foundations Approach Online Trainings on the Medbridge massage platform have been well received and the 3rd and 4th trainings (of a total of 8) have been released. An annual MedBridge Massage subscription is currently available for $49 using the discount code FRITZmassage. An annual subscription provides unlimited access to all my online courses as well as courses by over a dozen of the best instructors in the massage field. CEs apply.Here is a quick look at the two new trainings: The Anterior Cervical and TMJ Region training speaks to that deep, dark area in the front of the neck, throat, and mouth region, an area which some therapists seem scared to treat while others seem to feel that aggressive therapy is fine. We take you into dealing with issues of neck/arm pain, sensory changes, swallowing/speech disorders, and jaw dysfunctions.
The Shoulder Region Training looks at myofascial release from the Foundations Approach perspective, adding a light, nerve-driven model of evaluation and treatment to an already effective modality.   All of our Medbridge Massage trainings include the concepts inherent in the Foundations Approach, including the Frozen Chicken concept (no, really, it is a very effective means to search out and treat areas in need of intervention).  (Photos/illustration property of Medbridge Massage)
If you haven't taken a Foundations Seminar within the past year or two, the Frozen Chicken concept describes the simple but very effective way to not only help you to locate areas in your client which may benefit from treatment, but allow you a means to assure that what you found is relevant to their pain. The concept is explained well in a new Clinical Pearl, from the Medbridge Series titled The Feedback Loop and the Frozen Chicken. Click the link to read the Pearl and watch a short video clip of the training. MedBridge is a nationally accredited online education provider that empowers rehabilitation specialists to reach new heights in their education and client outcomes. Thousands of therapists turn to MedBridge as their all-in one education solution.
Now through MedBridge Massage access courses on a variety of topics including Business and Practice Management, Population or Condition Specific Treatments, and Specific Massage Techniques. See my courses, as well as courses by other top instructors including Carolyn Tague, Douglas Nelson, Eric Spivack, Felicia Brown, Kelli Wise, Mel Cash, Ruth Werner, Suzi Ko, and Taya Countryman.
With a MedBridge Massage subscription, you have unlimited access to all courses for one year. Courses include live patient demos shot from multiple camera angles to show movement and pressure, captivating graphics of anatomy, downloadable materials, and the ability to pause, rewind, and re-watch courses at any time. Medbridge Massage has made a special offer to my readers. An annual MedBridge Massage subscription is currently available for $49 only by using the discount code FRITZmassage. An annual subscription provides unlimited access to all my online courses as well as courses by over a dozen of the best instructors in the massage field. CEs apply.
Click this link to receive the offer and view all of the available trainings.
For now,
Walt Fritz, PT
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Upcoming Foundations in Myofascial Release Seminars
Please note: Class size is limited, so consider registering early.
Myofascial Release for Voice, Speech and Swallowing Therapists™ (Open to PTs, SLPs, OTs)
Chicago, Illinois area
September 19-20, 2015
Discounted registration ends 8/29/15
Foundations in Myofascial Release Seminars: two Half-Day presentations on the treatment of the neck and back, no prerequisites
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, as part of the Natural Health Practitioners of Canada 2015 Conference
September 26, 2015
Foundations in Myofascial Release II No Prerequisites
Newington, Connecticut
October 2-4, 2015
Discounted registration ends 9/11/15
Foundations in Myofascial Release II No Prerequisites
No Prerequisites
York, Pennsylvania
November 6-8, 2015
Discounted registration ends 9/6/15 and 10/16/15
Foundations in Myofascial Release II No Prerequisites
Nashville, Tennessee
November 15-17, 2015
Discounted registration ends 9/15/15 and 10/26/15
Confirmed locations/dates for 2016 include:
Charlotte, NC: Myofascial Release for Head and Neck Disorders.
Asheville, NC: March 18-20, 2016
Seattle, WA: April 8-10, 2016
King of Prussia (Philadelphia), PA: May 13-15, 2015
Las Vegas, NV: June 2016
Newington, CT: September 23-25, 2016
York, PA: October 2016
Seattle, WA: October 28-30, 2016
Tampa, FL: November 18-20, 2016
Many more classes will be confirmed over the next few months, so watch this newsletter for details.
As I have mentioned to many of you, as well as anyone who has taken a class, please use me as a sounding board for your questions and comments, whether via email, our Facebook Group, or our LinkedIn Group. I will personally respond to each and every question. Also, as many people have contacted me to ask about the tools/products that I mention during the class, I have linked all of them at the bottom of this Newsletter. Lastly, please be sure to check out our free instructional videos. All are linked on the left hand side of this newsletter. They are a good way to review things or to pick up some new ideas.
Cheers,
Walt Fritz, PT
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Massage and Fitness Magazine
Lastly, I want to encourage all of you to subscribe to my friend Nick Ng's online magazine, Massage and Fitness. Nick is leading the good fight for science and reasoning in our shared professions. His quarterly magazine features well written and researched articles of interest for all in the bodywork professions.
You can read about the magazine and subscribe by clicking this link.
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Unless otherwise noted, all images and content copyright Walt Fritz, PT
MFRmail Newsletter/Foundations in Myofascial Release Seminars
Walt Fritz, PT
980 Westfall Rd., Suite 105
Rochester, New York 14618 585.244.6180
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