NCBTMB Approved Massage Continuing Education
Chronic Pain and Symptom Management, 3 CE
Chronic pain is not only challenging for the person experiencing it, but for family members, physicians, and massage therapists as well. A number of massage treatments and adjunct therapies are available that can help manage chronic pain conditions caused by traumatic injuries, illness, autoimmune conditions, as well as disease processes but for many, there is no cure. However, throughout this massage therapy continuing education course, it is important for the massage or bodywork professional to understand that pain – especially chronic pain – has different implications for different people. You’ll find that signs, symptoms, pain severity, recovery times, etc. will vary due to a number of seemingly endless factors such as injury onset, age, re-injury, overall general health, initial and long-term care, emotional states…specific client issues can go on and on.
Throughout this course, you will not only learn about different types of pain, massage therapies and techniques to help relieve it, you will also learn how pain not only affects the body, but the psyche – the spirit and the soul of the person dealing with it. For many, chronic pain causes severe emotional and social issues.
The massage therapist is also cautioned against making assumptions about a person’s pain complaints. Pain is subjective. Pain sensations, severity, and perceptions of pain are unique to every individual. What triggers pain in your own body may not hurt someone else or vice versa. Pain cannot be measured, tested, photographed, or otherwise documented on film, x-ray, or the latest in digital technology.
For this reason, the massage professional must always listen carefully to the client when it comes to techniques utilized to help relieve pain, stiffness, and discomfort. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has researched and tested patients dealing with chronic pain. They have discovered that those experiencing chronic pain may have decreased endorphin* levels in their spinal fluid. (Endorphins are chemicals produced by the body to relieve stress and pain)
Dealing with a client or patient experiencing chronic pain that can last months or a lifetime can be – and often is – intimidating for physicians, health care team providers, and massage therapists, regardless of training and experience. Chronic pain is serious, as seen by the number of professional associations that attempt to help those experiencing it. These include but are not limited to:
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The American Chronic Pain Association
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Arthritis Foundation
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Migraine Research Foundation
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American Headache Society
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National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Over 5,000 clinical trials are currently underway in the United States – and throughout the world, focusing on chronic pain.
If a massage therapist does not have the experience or training to treat injuries, the therapist can often make the situation worse. The information found in this course will assist you in making informed decisions regarding individual client care and approach when treating injuries.
How To Take The Course
- Below is a list of exam questions for your review. You will take this exam at the end of the course. You can view or print a copy of the exam questions in advance to use as you progress through the course to help you complete the exam at the end of the course.
- Exam answers are highlighted in RED throughout the course material.
- At the end of each lesson, you must click the MARK COMPLETE button to move ahead to the next section.
- Once you’ve completed each section, complete the COURSE EVALUATION to move ahead to the EXAM QUESTIONS.
- Once you’ve passed the exam with a 70%, you should download and save your certificate.
- You will have 5 opportunities to take each exam.
- Courses are pass/fail. No scores appear on your certification or are reported to any Boards
- It is your responsibility to download and save your certificate for 5 years which is required by state regulations.
- Once you’ve completed the course, return to MY ACCOUNT to take your next course.
Read The Following Very Important Course Information
- If there are Green Checks Marks by the course material or the exam, the course has been previously taken. Completed courses remain in your account for 1 year until they expire. If you have not completed these chapters or the exam with this new purchase, please STOP and contact me. Your course will need to be reset.
- If this course is part of a bundle that you’ve purchased, you may only complete only 12 Continuing Education hours in the bundle in one calendar day. Do not complete more than 12 CE’S in one calendar day. This is a STATE LAW requirement. Each course has the number of CE’S next to the course title. You are required to follow the state laws when completing online/distance courses!
- Courses are available immediately in your account after purchase.
The exam questions below will be found at the completion of the course. You will not answer them until you complete all lessons. Scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the first lesson to enter the course. Click MARK COMPLETE at the end of each lesson to progress through the course to the exam.
Chronic Pain and Symptom Management Exam Questions
- Acute pain is defined in length as _______________________
- Biofeedback information is gathered by:
- Tinnitus can be described as:
- Repetitive Use Syndrome is also known as Over-Use Syndrome and:
- Nerve impingement can be defined as:
- What does the term “Idiopathic”mean?
- When referring to the R.I.C.E. protocol or treatment when addressing an acute injury, the “E” refers to:
- Heat is always contraindicated in which state or stage of the healing process?
- When massage around varicose veins, it is always important to:
- Acupressure is a methodology that also strives to restore health by restoring
- What makes Thai massage unique is that it also provides a variety of
- For the most part, Lomi Lomi is done mostly with ______________________
- One of the “founders” of Neuromuscular or Trigger Point Therapies is:
- Two primary categories of myofascial techniques are commonly known as:
- One of the most common therapies used to treat common pain is:
- The inventor of Watsu was:
- _______________________is just the opposite of heat therapy, utilizing ice or cool or cold water temperatures to treat injured body parts.
- Pain is ________________ to the individual experiencing it.