May I 'M' you?

I recently took a certification course in the ‘M’ Technique and just about keeled over I was so happy to be able to be a part of such a wonderful experience. This course has given me the tools to take my ability to communicate with patients while also relive pain, anxiety and stress in their lives to the next level. In our certification we not only had the opportunity to give full body 'm' treatments but also receive full body 'm' treatments.... oh so heavenly!!

What is the 'm' technique?

Touch is one of the basic forms of communications, yet many of us are afraid to touch those who need it most. The ‘m’ technique is different from massage and can be learned by anyone! The 'm' stands for manual to separate it from massage which needs many more hours of study

Dr Jane Buckle created the 'm' technique® as a communication tool for nurses. Her patients were critically ill: many had breathing tubes and were unable to talk. She wanted to find a way of communicating with her patients and felt that touch was the way. She trained in massage, but found that much of what she learned was inappropriate in a critical care setting. So, she started experimenting with slow stroking movements. Gradually a pattern emerged and the 'm' technique® was born! After Dr Buckle moved to the USA, the 'm' technique® became an integral part of her certification program, Aromatherapy for Health Professionals. This program has been taught in almost every State in the USA since 1994 and is one of the most respected trainings in clinical aromatherapy. 

Student found the ‘m’ to be a valuable tool. It was particularly helpful to nurses as it enabled them to ‘be’ with their patients. Nurses in critical and palliative care appreciated being able to do something pleasurable for their patients, or to do something when there was nothing that conventional medicine could do. Massage Therapists enjoyed being confident to touch very fragile clients. The word spread and a separate certification course was created for those wanting to learn the ‘m’ technique® without doing the Aromatherapy for Health Professionals course. The word spread to England and in 2004, the first courses were held in Colchester and Oxford, UK.

Non-health professionals wanted to learn the 'm' technique® too, and in 2006 the 'm' technique® course was opened up (in the UK) to anyone wanting to touch a sick loved one to relieve pain, anxiety or distress. The 'm' technique® is suitable for all health professionals, but also caregivers, family members, or volunteers.

The 'm' technique® is a method of structured stroking. Each movement and sequence is done a set number of times, in a set pattern, at a set pressure and set speed that never changes. This makes it extremely easy to learn. And because the technique is structured in terms of order, number and pressure, the technique is almost completely reproducible and therefore useful in touch research. The 'm' technique® works on skin receptors that send signals to the brain. The technique has been described as physical hypnotherapy and a 'spiritual dance'. The ‘m’ is also effective through thin clothing.

In 2005, research was carried out at University of Pennsylvania using SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) analysis. A radiopharmaceutical was injected intravenously into subjects who were SPECTed then ‘m’ed and then SPECTed again. The scans before and after the 'm' technique® were compared (65 areas of the brain). This research is being presented at The American Massage Therapy Conference in Cincinnati September 2007.

(www.mtechnique.co.uk)