The Jing Method & How it Can Help You

When I talk about The Jing Method with my clients, I describe it as the bringing together of a specific set of modalities and massage techniques which the directors of The Jing Institute of Massage, Meghan Mari and Rachel Fairweather, have found to be effective in treating chronic musculoskeletal pain and helping people to get back to fully enjoying their lives.

They developed the HFMAST protocol which comprises:

• H for Heat or Cold - Heat feels so delicious during a massage treatment, and it helps the body and mind to relax while preparing the muscles for the deeper work to come. I use hot stones to imbue folks with a sense of safety and comfort, which helps me to vibe nicely with the central nervous system and create an environment where repair and healing can take place. On the flip side, there are some occasions when a dose of cold can be beneficial, but this tends to be for acute injuries as a means of reducing pain.

• F for Fascial Techniques - In an incredibly small and brief nutshell, ‘fascia is the soft tissue component of the connective tissue system that permeates the human body’ (FasciaCongress.org). It is also deeply entwined with the nervous system and is thought to hold emotions and memories, including grief and trauma. The indirect and direct fascial techniques used in The Jing Method seek to connect with fascia with the intention of softening, while creating space and a sense of lightness. I love these techniques. They’re slow and subtle, and require a gentle tuning in to the body which can be deeply restorative and transformative.

• M for Muscles - This one’s all about the trigger points. Trigger point theory defines a trigger point as a ‘hyper irritable spot in skeletal muscle that is associated with a hypersensitive palpable nodule in a taut band. The spot is painful on compression and can give rise to characteristic referred pain, referred tenderness and autonomic phenomena’ (Simons et al, 1999). I treat trigger points with compression via supported thumbs, fingers or a listening elbow, but always with clear communication between myself and my client, and the understanding that if a point feels too painful or uncomfortable, the pressure can be immediately reduced or released entirely. There’s no benefit to causing intense pain to a body that’s already in pain - that ain’t gonna solve anything. 

• A for Acupressure - Bringing in Eastern philosophies and Traditional Chinese Medicine to work with the meridians and energy in the body. Acupressure points are used to support the treatment of pain conditions in different areas of the body, and to support the body and mind as a whole. I use acupressure throughout all of my treatments and often teach specific points to clients so they can use them as part of their daily self-care routine.

• S for Stretching - The use of techniques such as static stretching, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and active isolated stretching to stretch and strengthen muscles, improve range of movement, and because it can just feel so nice to have a good stretch. I’m always aiming for the feel-good stretch, there’s no need to go beyond that and ‘no pain’ is absolutely a full sentence.

• T for Teaching - The integration of self-care activities into your daily routine is essential when it comes to staying pain-free or keeping pain to a minimum. The best outcomes I’ve seen have been for clients who commit to making those small but crucial additions to their daily lives, whether that’s stretching and gentle mobilisations, making time to listen to guided meditations, utilising supportive acupressure points, self-treating trigger points, or more often than not, a variety of these. I work with my clients to put together a selection of self-care activities which resonate with them and which fit in well with their daily lives.

All of the treatment-based elements of the HFMAST protocol are wrapped up in a deeply relaxing massage, flowing from beautiful soothing strokes through to specific techniques to treat the individual muscles surrounding the joints, and then returning to those long and slow movements.

Which conditions can The Jing Method treat?

The Jing Method can be beneficial for a multitude of chronic musculoskeletal conditions, from plantar fasciitis, frozen shoulder and rotator cuff injury, to carpal tunnel syndrome, ankle sprains and repetitive strain injury. 

Conditions that I've treated using The Jing Method include whiplash, herniated cervical disc, muscle strains, tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, dystonia, chronic shoulder and neck pain, chronic low back pain, shoulder impingement syndrome and sciatica, although this last one is a symptom of a condition, rather than a condition itself.

I never make promises about 'fixing' people or alleviating someone's pain entirely. People aren’t broken and everyone is different. Our minds and bodies are infinitely complex and can be affected by any number of different factors, so my consultations always seek to dive into the physical, biological and social factors which may be contributing to a person’s pain, using the aptly named biopsychosocial model. 

I am also not a doctor and therefore not in the practice of diagnosing conditions. I can only assess what I find through consultation and palpation and treat accordingly, utilising the HFMAST protocol in the combination that is best for each individual client. For example, for someone with a very high level of pain, it may be best to start with gentle indirect myofascial treatment, soothing acupressure points and plenty of hot stones, with a focus on calming their nervous system and encouraging a shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic functioning - that golden place where relaxation, rest, repair and healing can happen.

How many sessions are recommended?

To make a long-term reduction in musculoskeletal pain, the official recommendation is to come for three or four weekly massage sessions, then move to fortnightly for a couple of sessions, and then you should be able to just come for maintenance sessions every month or so, but I fully understand that there can be financial and / or time constraints to consider, so you're welcome to come at the frequency that's best for you.

It's important to note that some conditions can take longer to resolve, frozen shoulder is an example of this, and if the condition has been present for a sustained period of time or there are multiple conditions present, these factors can also have an impact on the length of time needed to achieve a reduction in pain.

How do I book a session?

If you'd like to try The Jing Method, please book a Massage Fusion for Chronic Pain session on my website. Each session is 90 minutes in duration and costs £65. If you have any questions about this form of massage treatment, you're welcome to get in touch via the Contact page, also on my website.

The first session includes a thorough in-person consultation and range of movement assessment, massage treatment and aftercare plan. From the second session onwards, the consultation and range of movement assessment tend to be shorter, meaning the massage treatment is longer, and more massage is always nice.

Testimonials from my clients

“I've been seeing Felicity monthly for a couple of years now and it's always a lovely experience. She's such a kind, warm presence - and she's great at massages too!

I first came to see her with a condition called dystonia, which causes painful muscle spasms. It's meant to be incurable, but her chronic pain treatment really helped and I'm actually now in remission.

It may not be permanent - it could even be a total coincidence - but I'm definitely going to keep going. I'd recommend Felicity to anyone.”

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“I've been seeing Flick for a while now and my monthly massages have become a natural part of my wellbeing routine.

I often have tight shoulders from a history of long hours doing a desk-based job and her clinical knowledge and healing touch always help to release tension.

I sometimes struggle with anxiety too and find her relaxation massages incredibly helpful to reconnect and still the mind.

Flick is a wonderful therapist, with a ton of knowledge and a lovely, kind demeanour. Would highly recommend.”