As massage therapists we are always wanting to help others to relieve their pain oftentimes new massage therapists fall into the trap of working to the point of near injury. This was the case with Nathalie Cecilia as well when she first started her Thai massage practice she was seeing a fair amount of deep tissue clients every day and soon found she was experiencing pain and fatigue from this problem and her desire to continue to treat her patience is the birthplace of Bamboo-fusion.
Bamboo fusion therapy was created by Nathalie Cecilia in 2004 It is a style of massage that can be used in all the massage modalities but is mainly used as an aid to deep tissue massage. Nathalie was inspired to use bamboo poles she had on site for Thai massage after seeing that her clients liked the feeling and pressure it was able to exert. She decided to explore this avenue and in doing so made a variety of bamboo tools as seen below.
 Nathalie then used her knowledge of deep tissue, heat, and Swedish techniques to develop the style as it is known today taking that she went on to create her company Bamboo-Fusion to teach and continue to develop the practice.
Bamboo massage can be performed in several ways, sometimes by rolling in long strokes or by using the poles to apply deeper and more consistent pressure than would be possible by hand. Bamboo therapy can be performed in a hot variety by heating the poles as you would hot stones before the procedure. Many patients reported finding the effects of the Bamboo therapy lasting several days longer than the typical massage.
I believe this therapy is a fantastic addition to the world of massage, the versatility and utility the therapy provides enhance both the client experience and the safety of the therapist.
I will be learning more about this style so to add it to my skill set. There are a variety of ways I may do this but I was always told from a young age when learning something always learn from the master. Fortunately, the master still loves to teach her brainchild Nathalie Cecilia will be teaching a class at Clary Sage on October 29th and 30th 2022 and I hope you come out to learn what this great style can add to your repertoire. You can find classes taught by Nathalie and her team on www.bamboo-fusion.com.
I think there is a lot to learn from this style and the way it was developed. We must continue to grow as therapists learning new things and striving to solve the problems that arise in new and inventive ways. Who knows your solution to an everyday problem that you come up with maybe the future of massage and could be taught to the next generation of therapists as Nathalie did when she picked up her poles to help her.
A. (2018, August 10). What is Bamboo Fusion Massage. Academy of Massage Therapy and Bodyworks. https://massage-training.net/bamboo-fusion/what-is-bamboo-fusion-massage/
The poles that started it all. (2004). [Photograph]. https://www.bamboo-fusion.com/history-of-bamboo-fusion-massage
Bamboo Table massage set. (n.d.). [Photograph]. https://www.bamboo-fusion.com/product-page/bamboo-table-stick-set
Bamboo on the leg. (n.d.). [Photograph]. https://themassagementorinstitute.com/p/nathaliebambootable
