I met Veronica Selby, LMT, CMMP, in 2017 during a Medical Massage seminar in Riverside, CA, fresh out of massage therapy school. My favorite part of working with therapists is witnessing their professional growth firsthand from seminar to seminar.
Veronica started with very basic training and limited exposure to Medical Massage. With a dedication to the profession, a thirst for knowledge, no fear of making mistakes, and great hands, Veronica grew exponentially and became a skilled Medical Massage Practitioner.
In 2024, our former and current students sent three great clinical cases, and we applaud and enjoy each contribution:
MEDICAL MASSAGE vs MULTI-LAYERED SOMATIC PATHOLOGY
by Jaci Stephens, MT Student
MEDICAL MASSAGE VS. CONSEQUENCES OF SEVERE LEG TRAUMA
by Veronica Selby, LMT, CNMT, CMMP
MEDICAL MASSAGE vs. VERTIGO (BPPV)
by Julia Shackelford, LMT
Our readers choose Veronica’s case as a 2024 Journal of Massage Science’s International Competition Winner.
Dr. Ross Turchaninov, editor-in-chief
Here is our Interview with
Winner of the Best Case of the Month for 2024
JMS: Our congratulations on being the Winner of the 2024 JMS International Case of the Month Competition!
V. Selby: Thanks to everyone who voted for my contribution! Also, I enjoyed the other two cases published in JMS in 2024. It is fascinating to read such complex clinical cases successfully solved by therapists who were students of MT school at the time of the treatment! It proves the importance of educating future therapists correctly using science rather than personal opinions.
JMS: How did you get into massage therapy?
V. Selby: I got into massage therapy seemingly by accident. I cannot explain it without first mentioning that I started studying the same year my whole world had fallen apart. In 2015, I left my faith community voluntarily, with the severe consequence of being shunned by the people there. Shortly after, I dealt with the end of a five-year relationship, thus losing the last thread of support I had. During this dark period of my life, I suffered a nervous breakdown and thought of ending my life on a semi-daily basis.
I mention all this only because it gives context to what led to me calling someone I thought would be a sympathetic listener. She was going to massage school and gave me sound advice: return to school for something that would take my mind off the dreadful emotions I felt every day. I was a school bus driver at the time and had never considered massage therapy as a career before that. My honest response was that I had nothing to lose, so I followed her suggestion.
I signed up for the program on my birthday in 2016. I felt that if I didn’t like it, I could just drop out before the deadline and be done with it. Once I started school, I experienced first-hand the healing benefits of massage. I did not expect to fall in love with massage therapy, but within the first two months, I was convinced of its tremendous power as a healing modality and its potential to earn a decent living.
My professor, Joseph Patti, was a huge proponent of Medical Massage, and it was through my initial education with him that I was introduced to the Science of Massage Institute. To this day, I do not think he or the friend I had called truly understood their impact on my life.
While going through the program, I was very quickly drawn to the clinical side of massage. My first Medical Massage Seminar by SOMI was in October 2017, just a few months after graduating. Coincidentally, this same weekend, I had my first date with Heather, now my wife and partner in our medical massage practice. It seemed that my life was beginning to turn a new leaf for me for some better chapters.
JMS: Please tell our readers about your practice
V. Selby: My practice currently consists of Heather and me. Like many therapists, we began by working out of our homes. Initially, it was strictly word of mouth through the gyms where I trained. This began to grow naturally into more referrals as clients talked about us helping them with their somatic pains and dysfunctions.
After about a year of working out of our home, we expanded to renting a commercial space. At that time, we opened a Medical Massage clinic with two therapy rooms, blending therapeutic massage and Medical Massage. We currently have a range of clients, from those who see us monthly for preventative care to those who visit us weekly or twice a week for Medical Massage therapy. Some recent cases include Tendonitis, Intercostal Nerve Neuralgia, Scar Management, Tension Headaches and Migraines, and Frozen Shoulder.
JMS: What is your opinion of Medical Massage, and how has it helped your practice?
V. Selby: It seems that practicing massage therapy is as diverse as practicing medicine. We are a part of Somatic Medicine, after all. A Doctor can specialize in one area and make a whole practice out of it, such as neurology or orthopedics. I similarly see Medical Massage; we could spend our entire careers practicing only one procedure, such as the Headache Protocol, and make a whole living practice out of that.
Specializing in medical massage, in my opinion, requires more discipline and accountability than practicing therapeutic massage. I say accountability because more is at stake for the patient if you fail in the treatment. They are seeking us out because they are in significant pain or dysfunction and trusting that we can help them when others have not. Although we always need to be realistic about outcomes and understand our scope, when applied correctly, Medical Massage can treat an enormous range of things. The proper application comes from the knowledge gained through seminars and workshops, honest practice, and dedication.
Part of this involves making mistakes. I have treated several patients and failed. Maybe my evaluation was off, and I missed something. Were they doing their part, too? I cannot always say for sure, but these failures have helped me learn to make it better for the next patient. This is what a practice is all about, and that’s why it is called a practice.
In short, Medical Massage has added to my practice and made me a better therapist overall. I am applying MM techniques and concepts in all of my work, even during therapeutic, preventive massage sessions. The response from preventive care clients is that they feel a significant difference from their previous massage experiences. The explanation for that is straightforward: I understand the Phenomenon of Adaptation and how to control it.
As SOMI repeatedly repeats, to make a preventive massage session extraordinary, the therapist must always surprise the client’s central nervous system by constantly alternating techniques and keeping the client’s peripheral receptors guessing. Any therapist can do this, but we must first learn and understand the chain of events in our client’s body!
JMS: What is your favorite type of bodywork?
V. Selby: My favorite type of bodywork is head and neck work. Many abnormalities originate in the neck, especially the posterior cervical and anterior scalene. Many clients have never received detailed layer-by-layer work there before. Decompression of the scalp is also very helpful, as it gives clients a more therapeutic experience and suppresses sympathetic tone.
JMS: Any professional advice for therapists who are new to the field?
V. Selby: My advice to therapists new in the field would be to read and follow Dr. Ross’s Therapeutic Massage. A Scientific Approach textbook first, especially the chapter on the Phenomenon of Adaptation. The professor I mentioned used this textbook in our core curriculum. That is not true for all programs, but it should be.
The principles in Dr. Ross’ book should be the baseline of any modality we practice. You can apply these principles to absolutely anything you learn in massage school. Learn and practice as many techniques as possible, as well as practice blending and diversifying them. Do not get stuck in the same massage routine. Diversifying your techniques is also a great way to avoid injuries from repetitive application of the same routine.
Please learn how to knead correctly! In all the years I’ve worked with other therapists and received work from them, I can count how many practice kneading techniques correctly. This will make you stand out, and clients will notice a big difference in your effectiveness.
Other tips are for longevity. Sadly, most therapists do not make it beyond five years of practice due to burnout and susceptibility to injury. I suggest pacing yourself in the field and trying not to do bodywork more than 30 hours a week. Ensure you also care for your health by getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and staying active. Keeping my body as strong as possible has helped me have more stamina when working and combat chronic fatigue.
Plan for your future as a massage therapist, especially if you intend to do it for decades like I do. That involves planning financially as well as physically. You will need to slow down eventually as you age, which means having some savings and staying health-conscious.
Category: Person of the Month
Tags: 2025 Issue #1