... also known as Compressive Deep Tissue, or Barefoot Sports Massage, is a blend of Eastern barefoot modalities coupled with Western manual medicine techniques. Typically the client is clothed, lying on a floor mat, and no oil is used. John Harris, the Late Olympic Massage Therapist, included the term Barefoot Sports Massage, because he used such techniques on muscular, as well as petite athletes and musicians, professionals who operate at near failure, and truly benefit from deep massage therapy techniques.
While a superficial swedish massage can be very relaxing and therapeutic, to manipulate muscle, fascia, tendons and other tissues more deeply and effectively (and more cost-effectively), massage needs to be applied deeper (with more force, but typically less pressure than that using a pointy elbow or thumb) and with various techniques. The heel, sesamoid, arch or whole plantar surface of foot may be used, depending on the shape or pressure required. The therapist may be standing or sitting, depending on the angles required. Sensitive feet are excellently effective for such compression, tension and shear work, which can send the client into parasympathetic response, while also working toward the goal to "fix pain" and improve function.
Sessions may last 2 minutes concentrating on a specific problem area, or an hour or more for a general full-body treatment. When desired, stretching, repositioning, elbow or hand work is also easy to accomplish. Tools may be as minimal as a floor mat and several pillows.
Barefoot Deep Tissue allows the therapist to apply:"clothes on, no oil, pain gone™"
No oil is used and clients remain loosely clothed- no jeans, please.
This modality has roots in Eastern modalities including Barefoot Shiatsu Massage, Chavutti Thirumal, Karali, TuiNa, LomiLomi; and from Western manual medicine including Deep Tissue, Myofascial Release, Trigger Point Therapy, transverse friction, compression, tension, shear, PNF, stretching and other techniques.
For those clients whose demands are far beyond the limits of 'skin polishing' and 'moisturizing', and desire true Deep Work,
there is...
Barefoot Deep Tissue DVD by John Harris
Our YouTube channel has been demonetized by Google, so we are moving to another provider soon.
1. Fred Kenyon & John Harris,
Fix Pain: Bodywork Protocols for Myofascial Pain Syndromes
© 2002, Press4Health Press
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2.
If a bodyworker claims that barefoot massage on a mat is "uncomfortable, rigorous and rough",
then they are not a good barefoot massage therapist.
If a bodyworker claims to use centrifugal or centripetal forces, ask him or her what will be spinning during your session (besides rhetoric). However Watsu and acro-yoga can employ these forces.
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3. John Harris.
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4. Lauriann Greene, Robert A. Greene.
Save Your Hands! Injury Prevention for Massage Therapists
Gilded Age Press; 1st edition (April 11, 2000), ISBN-10: 0967954908, ISBN-13: 978-0967954905
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5. 2008 AMTA Industry Survey.
2009 Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet.
Viewed 2009-03-09 from http://www.amtamassage.org/news/MTIndustryFactSheet.html
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1.
Photo photo of barefoot therapy on upper trapezius
© Fix Pain, used with permission
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2.
Sample Page from Fix Pain book by John Harris and Fred Kenyon showing back muscles
© Fix Pain, used with permission
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3.
Photo by Rebecca of Paul at
pro bono barefoot deep tissue massage at iMadonnari
public event in 2007
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4.
Screenshot of YouTube video by Trisoma
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