AHL 301 - Intro to Touch & Joint Movement for Massage Therapy

4.4 Continuing Education Units (CEU). This course is not for Credit(s).

This course is designed to enable the students to explore personal interpretations of touch and to identify how touch influences both personal and professional interactions. Students identify the historical significance of touch application and its relevance to the massage therapy profession. Students explore ethical considerations as it relates to documentation, professional communication, standards of practice, and massage adaptation. Topics to be covered include Joint Pathology, Joint Stability, Movement, Structures, and Kinematic Chains. Students will explore principles of joint design and mechanical forces that act on the human body.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

1. identify why joint movement is important for the massage therapist through assessing joints for normal and abnormal range of movements;
2. recognize principles of biomechanics and kinesiology while applying knowledge to record assessments, documentation, and treatment plan development;
3. explore themes relating to standards of practice, scope of practice as well as informed consent when applying therapeutic massage manipulations;
4. enhance effective communication skills through the recognition of culturally appropriate verbiage and terminology as it relates to the massage therapy professional;
5. recognize biomechanical dysfunctional patterns in Joint movement and mobilization in a therapeutic massage environment; and
6. apply clinical reasoning skills to treatment plan development as it relates to Joint Dysfunction and the massage professional.