An experienced therapist and massage school instructor provides a broad, yet in-depth examination of the field of massage therapy - from the anatomical sciences to principles and practice. Massage Therapy: Principles and Practice also covers all aspects of professionalism, client interaction, and running a practice, ranging from how to maintain professional boundaries between therapist and client and how to market the business effectively. Over 575 illustrations enhance the descriptions of anatomy and physiology, and demonstrate the direction of hand movement during various massage techniques. Features: * Covers pathophysiology in the anatomy and physiology chapters to help readers understand various health conditions and instruct them on which cautionary measures to take * Separates muscle and skeletal nomenclature into two chapters to break down the extensive subject matter into bite-sized individual lessons * Presents touch and massage research to help readers identify research that effects their profession * Provides chapters on select complimentary and adjunctive forms of massage from sports massage to reflexology * Specifies the origin, insertion, action, nerve supply, and interesting facts for each individually drawn muscle * Features mini-labs that make abstract concepts more concrete, as well as practical routines, interesting asides, and thought-provoking interviews with pioneers in massage therapy * Makes learning and retaining information easy with "learning tips" such as mnemonic phrases * Includes biological prefixes, suffixes, and root words to help readers learn anatomical terminology * Offers student objectives, bold faced key terms, "FYI" topics, discussion questions, pronunciations of select terms in glossary, and self-tests to aid comprehension * Contains tables and charts of key information, checklists, and assessment guides which can be used as study aids for actual practice