We at SOMI are blessed to work with very intelligent and dedicated therapists. Ben Keyes, LMT, is one of them. Ben proves daily how one therapist can successfully mastermind two approaches to Massage Therapy: Medical Massage and Sports Massage. Working with elite sports teams and athletes, he helps to increase their performance and prevent injuries. Ben can switch his professional skills when injuries happen and use Medical Massage concepts to put athletes back into the game.
In June Ben joined SOMI for another three days of training in Medical Massage protocols. I have always enjoyed Ben’s professional attitude and charming personality. Just before saying our final goodbye in the parking lot, Ben turned to me and said: “You know we all are SOMI’s troops!”
I smiled and replied: “Troops is an overstatement; maybe less than a battalion.” Ben’s reply was priceless: “Yes, maybe a battalion, but it is a battalion of sharpshooters!”
Dr. Ross Turchaninov, Editor-in-Chief
Here is our interview with:
MASSAGE SHARPSHOOTER
JMS: How did you get into massage therapy?
Ben Keyes, LMT: My journey into massage therapy started with a mixture of curiosity, frustration, and the realization that a career as a puppeteer wasn’t a very marketable skill or a way to make a positive change in someone’s life. I’d never had a massage, but people seemed to like massages. Whenever a friend tried to “help” by squeezing my shoulders, it felt more like an attack than relief. So, I wandered into a bookstore and bought myself a manual on massage therapy. I tried it on my girlfriend, and the results were less poetic. It was about that same time when I witnessed a close friend using massage therapy to treat physical and emotional trauma from his past. I sincerely desired to improve people’s lives, even if it was a fraction of how my friend’s life was put back on track with the help of massage therapy.
I realized that puppeteering had its career limits, and the desire to do something meaningful was growing into an active search for fulfillment. One day, another puppeteer spotted me with that massage book and asked, “Wouldn’t it be cool to go to school to learn how to give massages?” Fewer than twelve months later, we were both top graduates of our class.
During my basic massage education, I was diagnosed with bilateral Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), likely the price of my puppeteering and playing volleyball. Despite hearing about the successes of massage therapy for CTS, no one could quite show me the solution. I quizzed my instructors on the industry’s future and its missing pieces. The unanimous consensus was a movement toward medical and myofascial therapies and a glaring lack of assessment skills.
During massage school, I committed to purchasing a book, chart, tool, or video every week. After discussing this with my instructors, the next book I grabbed was “Orthopedic Assessment for Massage Therapists.” To my surprise, the tests for CTS didn’t reproduce my symptoms, but a test for Pronator Teres Syndrome did! Applying the treatment brought almost instant relief. That moment set my path toward the medical side of massage therapy.
JMS: Please tell our readers about your practice.
Ben Keyes, LMT: My solo practice is almost exclusively a Medical Massage (MM) practice built on referrals from other healthcare providers. My referral network includes physical therapists, chiropractors, orthopedic doctors, acupuncturists, general family practice doctors, and other massage therapists. Most of my practice is spent working within the four walls of my office, and an essential part of each appointment is educating the patient on self-care and predictable clinical outcomes.
A significant part of my massage career is spent doing Sports Massage (SM) with my sports massage team. I find events, negotiate contracts, and contract massage therapists. We work with athletes from nearly every sport, from youths and weekend warriors to the top athletes in the world. Experiences and relationships have allowed me opportunities to work with individual athletes, teams, and national and international delegations. Working on-site at events or with teams requires a constant back-and-forth between SM and MM skill sets. When working with athletes, the goal is to help them prepare for competition or recover afterward, which is SM. However, when an athlete has an issue keeping them from competing at their best, or if they’re injured, MM must be employed, starting with clinical evaluation to determine the correct approach. It is gratifying to help athletes reach the peak of their performance and secure victories.
I recently returned from an exhausting nine-day trip working with elite volleyball players during a competition of national significance. I was responsible for the twelve players from each of the six volleyball teams. Five of the six teams competed for a gold medal in their respective divisions, resulting in three gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal. At the end of the competition, there was a visible difference in the performances between the athletes who received sports massage and those who didn’t!
JMS: You have been associated with the Science of Massage Institute for a while. What do you think about the professional validity of Science of Massage Institute’s Medical Massage Certification Program?
Ben Keyes, LMT: My search for massage therapy education backed by science and research, which includes assessment, led me to the Science of Massage Institute. I spent nearly twenty years taking courses from educators teaching advanced clinical massage therapy. I’ve purchased all the books and DVDs I could find while sorting through hundreds of CE courses, myths, and misconceptions in the massage industry. When asked where to get the most comprehensive, science-based education, I always recommend the Science of Massage Institute. It’s a treasure full of evaluation techniques and manual therapy protocols. Dr. Ross Turchaninov’s wisdom, resources, clinical experience, and unwavering support have sharpened my skills more than all other educational experiences combined.
His teachings and hands-on guidance echo in my mind as I tackle what once seemed like complicated cases referred by doctors. This training has honed my clinical reasoning to such a degree that I now confidently aid my family, local community, and athletes worldwide.
To every massage therapist who wants to ease needless suffering from soft tissue ailments, I say this: sign up for a seminar immediately! Your first Medical Massage Theory class will change your thinking and likely your entire career, as it has changed mine. It will show you how to begin shifting to a Medical Massage career and how to thrive as a massage therapist dedicated to alleviating pain and dysfunction.
JMS: What do you think about the differences between Medical Massage and Sports Massage?
Ben Keyes, LMT: The dance between Medical Massage (MM) and Sports Massage (SM) is about how you define each. In my early days as a licensed therapist, I found myself at the finish line of marathons and triathlons, aiding exhausted athletes. We churned through four or five sweaty athletes an hour, focusing on getting their blood back to the heart for recovery. No assessments, no deep or specific work—just pure, rudimentary massage done outdoors.
In my eyes, SM is about preparing athletes for their competition and/or aiding their recovery. It meets MM at the crossroads of injury and overuse. When an athlete presents with specific pain symptoms, like a volleyball player with shoulder pain far beyond the anticipated soreness of three days’ competition, it’s no longer just about flushing the muscles for recovery. It becomes a medical puzzle: When did the pain start? Has it happened before? What movements trigger it? The clinical gears start turning to thoroughly evaluate and treat the issue, marking the actual difference between MM and SM. Without careful and deliberate evaluation of movements, possible nerve compressions, joint dysfunctions, etc., I believe one is not providing Medical Massage and will be left “rubbing where it hurts” which is not a very educated approach.
JMS: what is your favorite type of bodywork?
Ben Keyes, LMT: To me, choosing a favorite type of bodywork is like asking a parent which child they like best. My true joy lies in achieving results. Whether alleviating post-concussion symptoms, preventing unnecessary surgeries, or watching athletes I’ve treated soar to victory, it’s all about making a tangible difference. I view their successes as a testament to the massage therapy that helped them win.
JMS: Do you have any professional advice for therapists new to the field?
Ben Keyes, LMT: My foremost advice for aspiring medical massage therapists is to dive deep into assessments and kinesiology. Assessments guide us to the right approach for each client/patient/athlete. Understanding specific movements and demands of different sports is crucial for those aiming at SM. Each sport, and each position within that sport, places unique stresses on the body. Education is your best ally, and there’s always more to learn as new research unfolds.
Category: Person of the Month
Tags: 2024 Issue #2