Belly Flop

From time to time I am asked to do abdominal massage.  This can be a great treatment for a multitude of reasons, but most times this work is associated with abdominal cramps and moving things along the (using medical terminology here) poopus chuteus.  My first request for this kind of bodywork came when I was still a student working on my clinical hours.  A nice man came in one evening and during the intake interview he told me that he was recently diagnosed with acid reflux and  he wondered if there was any kind of massage for the stomach that might help him.  I explained to him that since I was a student, I was not skilled enough to give him a truly specific abdominal massage but that I was willing to give him a tummy massage with some of the basic massage strokes.  The client decided he wanted me to include the abdominal work in his massage.  The silence was deafening until after I completed the abdominal massage, then the client looked up at me and said "Well, I can see why my dog likes it."  I left that massage not knowing whether I should be flattered or worried!