{"id":1293,"date":"2018-12-19T09:00:38","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T22:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/?p=1293"},"modified":"2018-12-13T16:37:48","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T05:37:48","slug":"the-best-of-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.amt.org.au\/index.php\/2018\/12\/19\/the-best-of-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best of 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Collated by Sharon Livingstone<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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In 2018, AMT\u2019s blog shared some cracking articles, from member experiences to disputing long practised modalities to news, announcements and the occasional rant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The top 2 most read and commented on articles were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 Pregnancy Massage Mythconceptions<\/a> by Sharon Livingstone<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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I\u2019m biased in saying this was my favourite article of the year. I\u2019d wanted to write it for a long time and I\u2019m so pleased it has been shared amongst massage therapists across the globe. My aims are to get more massage therapists confident to treat pregnant people and to reduce the number of massage therapists spreading unsupported myths about treating pregnant people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trigger Points – Myofascial Pathology or Fight Starter?<\/a> by Aran Bright<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Aran\u2019s balanced article did generate a lot of discussion and had all of us questioning our Trigger Point beliefs. Should be read again and again. As should the comments below the article where the conversation continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best of the Rest<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Other articles that got us thinking and talking in 2018 were (in no particular order):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural Safety for Massage Therapists<\/a> by Karen Wyld<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Martu woman and writer, Karen Wyld shared her experience from working and teaching in the Aboriginal\/Indigenous health field to help massage therapists understand the nuances that come with treating and interacting with Aboriginal people. Karen\u2019s article provides excellent resources for further reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Case Against Pathologising<\/a> by Walt Fritz<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Another widely shared article, Walt Fritz tells how his world was upended when he realised that the Myofascial Release techniques he learnt and subsequently adapted for both his clinical practice and to teach other therapists, was not quite what he thought it was. Walt had been used to seeing a symptom and tying it to a disease\/condition but the more he read and learnt, the more he realised that pathologising was flawed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Famous Medibank Winter of 2013<\/a> by Rebecca Barnett<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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AMT CEO, Rebecca Barnett took us on the harrowing journey through the bleak 2013 (and beyond) tale of how Medibank Private waged war on massage therapy and flexed its muscles against the massage therapy associations, and how the associations responded, or didn\u2019t respond, to a call to unite against the health insurance giant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11 Tips for New (and Not-So-New) Massage Therapists<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We all love sharing our favourite tips. It\u2019s the poor massage therapist\u2019s version of the mentoring programme AMT introduced in September. I collated the top 11 tips from a survey I distributed in an international group of massage therapists. I\u2019m still dubious about Tip #4. I think I\u2019d prefer …<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Importance of Self-Awareness<\/a> by Tim Clark<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Ahead of his plenary presentation at the 2018 AMT Conference, Tim Clark, Massage Therapist and Psychologist, reminded us of the need to do some personal investigation on our biases, reactions and prejudices. More importantly, Tim introduced us to heuristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also worthy of a re-read is Tim\u2019s article on The Challenge of Ethics<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dissecting The Evidence Supporting LAST<\/a> by Robert Libbey<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Robert Libbey was possibly the most popular presenter at the 2018 AMT Conference, presenting workshops on Ligamentous Articular Strain Technique (LAST) with simple explanations, gentle encouragement and a desire to share his vast knowledge. In this article, first published in Massage Therapy Canada magazine, Robert sets out the history of LAST and the evidence that underpins it. Robert also contributed a case study on LAST<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychoneuroimmunology \u2013 Linking the Mind and Body<\/a> by Dr Judy Lovas<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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What is the link between depression and long term stress? Should mind-body therapies like Tai Chi and Yoga be included in healthcare plans? Dr Judy Lovas explores the link between what goes on in the mind and how the body responds in this fascinating article that will have you asking more questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does That Feel Tight?<\/a> By Sam McCracken<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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While the term \u201ctight\u201d has become contentious in the bodywork world, the most common question a massage therapist hears is \u201cDoes that feel tight to you?\u201d Sam examines the difference between a client\u2019s sensation of \u201ctight\u201d versus how the therapist interprets what\u2019s going on with the client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dave Moore\u2019s plain language guide on How to Set a Price for Massage<\/a> remains in the Top 5 most read articles over a year after it was published. I\u2019ve received over 100 requests from massage therapists for the spreadsheet Dave prepared to accompany the article. Dave\u2019s article is the first step in massage therapists earning a living wage from massage. If you haven\u2019t read it yet, don\u2019t delay, read it today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If statistics are anything to go by, then it\u2019s clear that this blog is the place to hear about industry and association announcements. We\u2019ve been able to quickly share news on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n