What type of Massage To Expect

In my time as a massage therapist, I have studied many modalities, including cupping, deep tissue massage, prenatal massage, and Pain Pattern Solutions, but I would say that Precision neuromuscular therapy (or PNMT for short) has influenced me the most. PNMT is not really a “modality” of massage therapy, or one specific technique, but rather it is more of an approach to how to treat people

You may have heard of the more general term “neuromuscular therapy,” which is usually focussed around the treatment of trigger points. Adding the term precision before neuromuscular therapy refers to the bodywork program founded by Douglas Nelson. It is a systems-based approach to bodywork that asks the practitioner to consider all of the factors that might be contributing to a client’s pain, and doing what is possible within our scope as a massage therapist, to assess the cause.

It adds a more reasoned, assessments-based approach to my work, and it also asks me to be specific in my treatment. Rather than having one treatment protocol for each symptom, it is a dynamic way to approach bodywork that allows me to change my approach as I gain more information.

PNMT acknowledges that trigger points exist, but it is much broader than just treating trigger points. It takes into account fascial restrictions, ligament and tendon pathologies, structural issues, referred pain from internal organs, inflammation, and anything else that might be causing pain and restriction in the client’s body. It takes into consideration that pain may be caused by disfunction in the tissue itself, but also by the way information is being processed by the nervous system.

In both PNMT and cranio-sacral therapy, I’m having a conversation with the nervous system, but using different tools, but both types of work are real conversations that involve a lot of listening, and a lot of input.