Massage Mastery: From Student to Professional is a comprehensive introductory massage text first published in print by Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins (LWW). The digital text is organized to motivate students with progressive topics that build their confidence and sense of accomplishment. Students gain a strong foundation in both the underlying theory and the practice of contemporary massage therapy.

Twenty-four clear, easy-to-follow chapters are broken into manageable reading assignments that explore all the key areas addressed in most massage programs. In addition to traditional massage therapy topics, you’ll find several new and emerging topics that are essential for preparing today’s adult learners for successful massage careers.

This digital text, priced for affordability, boasts an impressive collection of 38 demonstration videos useful for hands-on practice sessions or to help students who missed classes catch up. Adopting schools can also get access to the original ancillary package provided by LWW. This package includes lesson plans, study guides, study guide keys, and PowerPoint slides. Content progress reports and digital topic quiz scores give instructors an easy way to monitor student reading assignments and concept comprehension.

Textbook Introduction & Orientation

Chapter 1: Massage from Past to Present

• The History of Massage
• Overview of Techniques, Systems, and Approaches
• Contemporary American Massage

Chapter 2: Massage Equipment and Environmental Considerations

• Massage Equipment
• Lubricants
• Creating a Comfortable Massage Environment

Chapter 3: Sanitation, Hygiene, and Safety

• Disease
• Preventing Disease Transmission
• Standard Precautions
• The Safety Plan

Chapter 4: The Therapeutic Nature of Massage

• Evidence-Based Massage
• Massage Effects and Benefits
• Massage Indications
• Understanding Stress and Wellness

Chapter 5: Massage Cautions and Contraindications

• Areas of Caution
• Medications and Massage
• Massage Contraindications

Chapter 6: Ethics and the Law

• Ethics
• Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
• Massage Law

Chapter 7: The Therapeutic Relationship

• The Power of Touch
• Psychological Factors in the Therapeutic Relationship
• Boundaries in the Therapeutic Relationship
• Bodymind Factors in the Therapeutic Relationship
• Managing Emotions in the Therapeutic Relationship

Chapter 8: Professional Communication

• Core Concepts in Communication
• Communication Blockers
• Active Communication
• Conflict Resolution

Chapter 9: Your Massage Career

• Your Career Plan
• Work as an Employee
• Starting a Private Practice

Chapter 10: Foundation Skills for Therapeutic Massage

• Overview of Wellness Massage Sessions
• Positioning
• Draping
• Opening and Closing the Massage

Chapter 11: Body Mechanics and Self-Care

• Prepare for the Demands of a Massage Career
• Good Body Mechanics
• Self-Care on the Job

Chapter 12: Assessment, Treatment Planning, and Documentation for Wellness Massage

• Assessment for a Wellness Session
• Palpation
• Session Planning for Wellness Massage
• Introduction to Documentation

Chapter 13: Swedish Massage Techniques

• Effleurage
• Petrissage
• Friction
• Vibration
• Tapotement
• Joint Movements
• Putting it All Together

Chapter 14: Seated Massage

• Introduction to Seated Massage
• Seated Massage Techniques

Chapter 15: Spa Therapies and Other Approaches

• Spa Therapies
• Aromatherapy
• Reflexology
• Stone Massage

Chapter 16: Hydrotherapy

• Introduction to Hydrotherapy
• Hydrotherapy Benefits and Effects
• Hydrotherapy Applications

Chapter 17: Eastern Approaches

• Asian Bodywork Therapies
• Ayurvedic Bodywork

Chapter 18: Energetic Approaches

• Key Concepts in Energy Medicine
• Reiki
• Polarity Therapy
• Therapeutic Touch

Chapter 19: Assessment, Treatment Planning, and Documentation for Health Care Massage

• Healthcare Sessions and the Intake Process
• Pain Assessment
• Posture and Gait Assessment
• Range-of-Motion Assessment
• Treatment Planning for Health Care Sessions

Chapter 20: Myofascial and Deep Tissue Approaches

• Myofascia
• Myofascial Techniques
• Deep Tissue Approaches

Chapter 21: Proprioceptive and Neuromuscular Approaches

• Proprioceptive Techniques
• Neuromuscular Therapy

Chapter 22: Musculoskeletal Injury and Massage

• Factors in Musculoskeletal Injury
• The Inflammatory Response and Massage Treatment
• Understanding Common Musculoskeletal Injuries

Chapter 23: Massage for Chronic Pain Conditions and Selected Pathologies

• Understanding Pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Headaches
• Cancer
• HIV/AIDS

Chapter 24: Massage for Special Populations

• Massage for Athletes
• Massage for Mother and Infant
• Massage for Older Adults
• Massage for Obesity
• Massage for People with Disabilities
• Massage for End-of-Life Care

Appendix A: Health Care Terminology

Appendix B: References

Appendix C: Glossary

• Lesson & Topic Structure: The thoughtful instructional design of this textbook organizes contents into carefully sequenced learning chunks. Students can finish topics in short study sessions (average 20 minutes). This sense of making regular progress improves student motivation.
• Text Translation: So long as they use Chrome as their browser, students with English as a second language can instantly translate the text into their native language so that they never miss a concept.
• Visually Appealing: Concepts come alive with striking imagery and appealing graphic design. Printed textbooks are limited by page number and keep visuals to a minimum. In the digital world, more is more when it comes to visual aids.
• Video Content: Massage Mastery: From Student to Professional boasts 38 technique demonstration videos including videos for Swedish massage, joint movement techniques, myofascial techniques, proprioceptive techniques and more.
• Standard Textbook Features: Standard textbook features like introductions, learning objectives, summaries, references, and resources get a digital upgrade with subtle animations and click-to-view options that invite learners to engage with content they might otherwise skip over.
• Research Informed: Each textbook is written by massage professionals and carefully researched for accuracy and relevance. We make regular updates to content and can address content issues immediately (something printed textbooks can’t do).
• Easy Navigation: Clever web navigation puts an entire textbook a click away and provides an ongoing outline to help students mentally frame the content they are learning.
• Check It Off Progress: Oh, the motivating power of a checkmark! Students get a dose of satisfaction when they mark topics and lessons complete and see the progress bar advance.
• Take Notes App: Students can take notes, organize, save, and print notes from within their textbooks. Students can also use the app to take notes from instructor lectures so that all their class notes for a topic are in one place.
• Quizzes: Each topic concludes with a 5-question multiple-choice quiz to check student content comprehension. Quizzes give instant feedback so that learners never reinforce incorrect information. When students reset quizzes, the program exchanges some questions, and shuffles response options for drill and practice study.
• Story & Scenario: The regular use of stories and client-therapist scenarios place important concepts in a real-world context and improve critical thinking skills.
• Interactive Content: The textbooks at Massage Mastery Online take advantage of design-forward web animations that increase student attention, learning, and engagement.
• On-The-Go Learning: Learning must fit into the margins of adult lives to be practical. This content is designed for on-the-go learning using a computer, tablet, or phone.
• Environmentally Friendly: No trees were harmed in the making of this textbook! Improve student learning outcomes and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.