Dissection is the Ultimate Learning Experience

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Dissection Seminar    August 4-8, 2010    Register Now Save $100:

Dissection is the Ultimate Learning Experience

By: David Kent, LMT, NCTMB

There is nothing like a full-body dissection seminar to alter and improve one’s understanding and appreciation of the human body. A dissection seminar offers a unique opportunity to learn about the intricacies of the human body and its various structural relationships in a three-dimensional way. During the seminar, students become familiar with a range of pathologies; they also observe how the normal aging process affects the body. I will forever be grateful to my mentor, Dr. Julian Dwornik, for teaching me and for encouraging me to take this amazing journey into the depths of the human body. This article will discuss just some of the benefits of participating in a dissection seminar. I encourage all massage students and veteran therapists to take part in this life changing experience.

Seeing is Believing

A dissection seminar allows you to go under the hood (the skin) of the human body and visually observe the structures that you are affecting during your therapy sessions. It also provides the opportunity for you to compare identical structures for size, shape and density in multiple cadavers at the same time.

We use bony landmarks and textbooks to identify structures like muscles, tendons, ligaments, veins, arteries and myofascial tissues. But it’s a whole different world under the skin. And though you might think you have a working knowledge about what everything looks like and how the tissues function as a whole, nothing compares to seeing the real deal. It is fascinating to see how the tissues intertwine with one another to form the body. I am always awed by how thin and strong the structures are. Many structures, like the scapulae of the shoulder or the falx and tenturium of the cranium, are so thin, we can easily shine a light on them see the illumination passing through.

Sherry “Cher” Hunter of Westminster, MD said with excitement and amazement in her voice “This experience will change what you do in the treatment room… I have a clear and exact understanding of where the muscles are and the best way to affect them…a book or video can not allow you to appreciate how thick or thin various muscles are or feel the difference in shape between a nerve verses an artery…It was fascinating to see the abdominal region, how the oblique muscles (internal, transverse and external) attach and merge with the fascia of the rectus abdominus muscle.”

Over the years, we have seen numerous anomalies in the dissection lab. This has taught me that I cannot take anything for granted, nor should I make any assumptions when evaluating or treating a client. I have seen a cadaver with an upper trapezius missing on one side. I’ve observed levator scapula muscles with fibers that continued from the superior angle of the scapula to attach onto the ribs. Recently, we found a sternoclidomastoid with two clavicular heads. It is interesting to hypothesize how an anomaly may have helped or hindered an individual, if it affected them at all. Seeing diseased lungs, livers, kidneys, lymph vessels and associated scar tissue provides an entirely new perspective and serves as a reminder that there is a lot going on inside the bodies of your clients.

Observing the effects of surgery is another interesting aspect of the dissection seminar: knee, hip and shoulder replacements; coronary bypass; spinal fusions and laminectomies; bowel reconstructions; gallbladder removal; hernia repairs; hysterectomies and many more. And it also gives way to an interesting thought: If I don’t know what’s going on inside, I don’t know for sure what I’m working on. This is another important point to keep in mind when you are working on your clients.

Terry Herd of Youngsville, LA was surprised at the amount of plaque that can build up in the arterial walls. He removed sections of the arterial wall of the carotid and femoral arteries of a 91 year old cadaver to reveal how the plaque formed a tube or “straw” inside of the arteries. This helped everyone in the lab understand the importance of palpating our clients with precision to avoid the potential endangerment sites in the body. Plaque could cause a stroke if it brakes free and travels to the brain.

But while seeing the inside of the body is one thing, touching the inside of the body is another.

The Power of Touch

A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Edgar Moon, a blind certified massage therapist from Philadelphia, when he attended one of my full-body dissection seminars at the University of South Florida, College of Medicine, in Tampa.

In addition to touching with his hands, Edgar “sees” with his hands. Edgar worked with a team of therapists who performed a dissection that required the use of a scalpel. He then palpated the structures layer by layer, separating the fascial planes and feeling the muscles, nerves and organs of 11 different cadavers. It was inspiring to watch Edgar move from table to table within the lab. His face and voice would light up as he palpated the structures with his hands, while often remarking, “yes, I see it.” Following the seminar, Edgar expressed appreciation and excitement for his newfound knowledge: “Now I understand exactly what I am addressing during a therapy session while working on my clients. This experience has been so enlightening and a dream come true.”

The sensation of touch is vital to all massage therapists. Having the ability to go under the skin and actually palpate each structure individually is an invaluable experience. And, of all the students that have come through the course, the kinesthetic experience was probably most important for Edgar.

The sounds of learning

There are various sounds that fill the air in an anatomy lab: students talking amongst themselves with excitement as they are identifying structures, the occasional sound of a surgical glove “popping” as a student puts it on their hand, stainless steel instruments clinking against one another. The sound of students readjusting the height of their dissection stools.  Students asking for guidance or an instructor explaining a concept to students table side. The occasionally hum of the electric reciprocal saw that is used to open the cranium, rib cage and spinal canal. The unforgettable sound fascia makes as we separate the tissues and water running in sinks as students wash their instruments.

Air quality:

A common question pertains air quality in the anatomy lab. I utilize the facilities at the University of South Florida, College of Medicine that have a total air exchange system.  This means that multiple times per hour all the air in the lab is removed and exchanged for fresh cooled air. This type of system definitely controls odors and air quality in the lab.

If you walked into a bakery, you would notice the odors of the breads and pastries baking However, if you stayed in the area for short time, your senses would become accustomed to the odor.  The same concept applies when we walk into the anatomy lab. Initially you notice a scent when you enter the lab, however, you quickly become accustomed.

Diversity

The experience and knowledge level of the attendees in a dissection seminar is very diverse and varies from students still in school massage school to instructors teaching on the international level. Amber Schwalls is an instructor from Norman Park, Ga. She has attended numerous times saying “there are many experts from different fields her so you are exposed to many new ideas and concepts.”

Tina Sorensen lives and teaches in Omaha, Nebraska. she usually attends with a group of students currently in massage school. She shares “massage therapists are very visual and kinesthetic learners so this seminar really brings it all together for them…the instructors make everyone feel comfortable and never teach over anyone’s head…they are experts at simplifying complicated concepts.”

Purdi Gadkri of Sugar Land, TX teaches collage level anatomy and physiology. She said  “I now have a much better understanding of the subject I have been teaching for years…the opportunity, to learn on human cadavers provides a level of knowledge and understanding you cant get looking at anatomical models or text books.”

Our Silent Teachers

Ultimately, this very special and unique learning opportunity is only available because of our silent teachers, who had the foresight to bequeath (leave by will) their bodies to science. It would be remiss not to acknowledge their unselfish act of allowing others learn from examining their physical body. Performing an outstanding dissection and using that knowledge to benefit our clients is the most respectful way we can honor these exquisite souls.

Former attendees will tell you that taking a dissection seminar is an experience that will change your entire understanding of the human body. Your palpation skills increase with the new perspective and insights you gain, and your confidence in the treatment room increases, as well.

I hope this article was enlightening and I look forward to dissecting with you in the anatomy lab.

Reasons to Attend a Dissection Seminar:

  1. Increase your knowlege of the body
  2. Enhance your palpation skills
  3. A unique learning experience
  4. See surgeries like bipass and joint replacements
  5. See the pathologies of various cancers

Ways to benifits during a Dissection Seminar:

  1. List structures you want to see during the seminar.
  2. Prior to the seminar review some anataomy daily
  3. Attend with a freind to offset hotel room costs.
  4. Be well rested so you stay healthy and focused.
  5. Enjoy the process.

David Kent, LMT, NCTMB, is an international presenter, product innovator and writer. His clinic, Muscular Pain Relief Center, is in Deltona, Florida, where he receives referrals from various healthcare providers. David is President and Founder of Kent Health Systems which teaches Human Dissection, Deep Tissue Medical Massage and Practice Building seminars, and has developed a line of products, including the Postural Analysis Grid Chart™, Trigger Point Charts, Personalized Essential Office Forms™, and DVD programs. Visit www.KentHealth.com or call (888) 574-5600 for more information.

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Dissection Seminar    August 4-8, 2010    Register Now Save $100:

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