Superbly illustrated and innovative in its approach, Clay & Pounds Basic Clinical Massage Therapy, 3e, helps readers build a solid foundation in palpatory and muscle anatomy as they master clinical massage therapy techniques.

This stunningly realistic text brings the basic techniques of clinical massage therapy to life by embedding illustrations of internal structures directly into photographs of live models, allowing readers to see exactly what muscle is being worked on, where it is, where it is attached, how it can be accessed manually, what problems it can cause, and one or more techniques for effectively treating it. The result is a vivid representation of the individual muscles that are essential to understanding basic clinical massage therapy techniques.

The updated and expanded Third Edition enhances an already impressive art program with striking new photographs and adds a range of new pedagogical features, including learning objectives, case studies, and icons, to provide students with more help in mastering key concepts and skills.

Hallmark Features Include:

Additional basic/Swedish massage instructions have been added to ensure mastery of key techniques.
More than 550 full-color illustrations show each muscle or muscle group, surrounding structures, surface landmarks, and the therapist's hands.
Clear, pedagogically sound illustrations are drawn by co-author David M. Pounds, an educator and certified medical illustrator.
Technique illustrations include arrows to show the direction of the moving strokes
Muscle sections broken down by Name, Pronunciation, Etymology, Overview, Comments, Attachments, Actions, Caution, Pain Referral Zone, Other Muscles to Examine, and Description of one or more basic treatment techniques prepare readers to provide their clients safe and effective treatment.
New lead author , Laura Allen is a practicing massage therapist, author of multiple books, educator, blogger and clinic owner. For more information about Laura go to
New online Lesson Plans are linked to the Learning Objectives, enhancing the book's effectiveness as a teaching and learning tool.