Every modality has its benefits. Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) speeds the healing of muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and joints, and can help clients feel younger and healthier. Clearly, many different types of clients can benefit from the work. But a healthy massage practice considers the benefits of any particluar modality for the therapist, too. When you're happy, your clients are happy. Here's how AIS can be great for YOU.
Easy on the practitioner
There is no question that a massage career can be taxing on a therapist's body. We bend, we reach, we lift (and not just in the treatment room, but as we haul laundry and gear, too!) Taking care of our own bodies and regularly learning techniques that are easy on the practitioner are paramount to longevity in this field.
In Active Isolated Stretching the client is helping to move the specific muscle into a stretch. That's the 'active' part, and it's integral to the process. The therapist assists and guides, but you won't be struggling under the extreme weight of a football player's leg, arms-a-trembling while you're only halfway through the protocol.
Homework and self-care is a component
Few things improve the efficacy of a treatment more than the client taking some responsibility for their care. The AIS techniques are ripe for homework and it's easy to teach clients how to perform stretches on their own. Even better, it only takes the client a few minutes a day to complete the stretches, increasing compliance and results.
Assigning homework, and checking in with your clients between visits, is a great way to show clients you care (because you do!) and that you're invested in their recovery.
Effective treatment for very common issues
Shin splints, knee sprains, hamstring strains, you've probably seen these in your massage practice. No doubt you've pondered the best treatment for the myriad of low back pain complaints that walk through your door.
AIS is an effective treatment and preventive measure for all of these issues. What's more, you’ll leave the course fully prepared to use these techniques with your Monday morning clients. Sure, you can take even more AIS training in the future and get really, really prolific in your practice. But this class is not a teaser. You'll learn to assess and treat the back, hips, and legs, and you'll be ready to WOW your clients with your new knowledge right away.
Bonus: You can take Active Isolated Stretching of the Back, Hips and Legs with Ben Benjamin for the low AMTA-Chapter price of only $50/day for members. ($100/day for non-members.) Don't miss a chance to study with Massachusetts' own Dr. Ben Benjamin!
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