There is an important distinction that is vital for Physical Therapists and Massage Therapists to understand regarding Naprapathic Manual Therapists. We do not focus on or work the muscle belly. We do not focus on JUST the muscles. It is a compromise with our state and with marketing to call ourselves medical massage therapists. I was only a medical massage therapist back in 2002-2005. Going forward we are Professional Naprapathic Manual Therapists for those that do the advanced study.

We are expertly trained in tactile assessment and manual treatment of the soft tissue at the joint complex. We focus our treatment there for the whole session; 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or an hour. I can do up to three specific areas that are causing a restriction in an hour and I do that all the time. I only do 20 minutes maximum on an area because with the deep tissue focus I go all the way to the bone.

I don’t need any new-fangled elbows or forced pushing or stretching of the limbs to impress my patients. I already do joint physics and run Reiki in my hands. My treatments are most similar to Shiatsu or P.T. but I’m not just “moving” the joint. I’m usually holding it in a specific position to get to a specific soft tissue area. That combined with the Naprapathic manual therapy technique is highly successful at getting the joint moving. Then the patient must stretch and move as all Physical Therapists know.

In no way, shape, or form am I or my peers traditional massage therapists. We just don’t have a Naprapathic Manually Therapy licensing system in our state yet.