Instructor: Matthew Sorlie

Pain is generally recognized to be the main reason people seek medical care. Finding non-pharmacological, and particularly non-opioid interventions, is one of the great challenges for our current medical system. As massage therapists we often attract and treat clients who are in pain, and they want our help to alleviate it. We have seen how powerful a tool massage can be for people who are suffering, and we have the intuitive sense that massage is good for pain relief. But why?

What is the nature of this thing called pain? What is it, how does it work, and can we be more skillful dealing with it? How can we help our clients get relief from pain, and possibly assist them in changing their relationship with pain? In this course, we are going to review the relevant neurology and dive into what modern pain science and research tell us about the nature of pain. We will take a bench-to-bedside approach to translate the research into practical ways to inform your work and help improve client outcomes.

The class will include:

• A survey of different types of nociceptors (pain receptors)
• How other sensory receptors can become pain receptors if overloaded
• Sources of pain-causing stimulation, such as excessive dilation, muscle spasms, and ischemia
• A review of the inflammatory cascade, and some of the pain-causing chemicals and compounds
• Neural gating and updated research
• Pain modulators, such as endorphins, enkephalins, cannabinoids, and substance P
• An understanding of projection and referred pain
• Our current understanding of trigger points
• Ways we can assist our clients with pain relief

The research studying the effects of massage on pain relief is so powerful and convincing that it is beginning to ripple into mainstream medicine, such as the current program providing therapeutic massage at the VA hospitals in Seattle and Tacoma. Considering the current opioid crisis, this shift couldn’t come at a better time.

Being well-versed in basic pain science will help inform your treatment plans and make you a more effective practitioner, and help your clients better understand what’s happening within their own bodies. With down-to-earth, practice-related examples and plenty of time for questions, this course is designed to be engaging, accessible, and applicable.

Matthew Sorlie was an instructor at the Brian Utting School of Massage for 10 years, and was the Director of Education at Cortiva-Seattle for several years. He is currently enrolled in the Physical Therapy (DPT) program at University of Washington.

Class Date: January 6, 2024
Class Time: Saturday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Location: Seattle Location 2 -- Staybridge Suites   (please click on the location link for details)
Cost: $140
Cost/Hour: $20/hr
CE Hours: 7