Week 2 - Palpation and Local Adaptation Syndrome

How can I improve my ability to feel what's happening in the body?
How can I make sense of what I'm feeling?

These are the questions we're going to start to answer this week.

Tasks for the week

1. Read Local Adaptation Syndrome
   
   
2. Read the first two sections of Palpation - What is palpation, and Foundations of Palpation.
   The third section of this palpation resource is designed to be a reference for your study through your Intermediate massage course, and for further ongoing study within and without of this programme.
   
   
3. Developing palpatory ability
   Over the next couple of weeks, try this exercise a couple of times a day. Get a phone book and a 10c coin. Try placing the 10c coin under 10 pages of the phone book, then shut your eyes and see if you can feel precisely where the edge of this coin is. Gradually increase the number of pages. As your palpatory ability becomes finer you should be able to feel the coin under more and more pages. Once this becomes too easy, try the same exercise with a hair from your head (you might want to start with 1-2 pages for this)
   
   
4. Mid-block tutorial - 10:00am - 12:00
   In this mid-block tutorial we will discuss local adaptation syndrome further, and how it relates to palpatory findings.
   
   We will also introduce two new palpatory techniques - scanning and drag technique. For those who cannot attend, this tutorial will be fed into elluminate, and you will be able to hear what is being said via this link. We will also video the techniques and will send you a link.
   
   Ruth will be with you from 1 - 2pm. Again this will be made available through elluminate and/or video if that is more appropriate to the content.