Massage therapy is one of the most effective, widely used integrative therapies for reducing pain and relieving stress. This information helps illustrate why self-care regimens that can help massage therapists prevent injury are crucial to career longevity.
Following are some great tips for helping you take better care of yourself while still taking great care of your clients. Awareness of potential risks provides the vital first step to maximizing your health and safety because being able to reduce risk factors with effective ergonomics and good body mechanics, for example, is a great place to start.
Make sure your work space is set up to ensure the best ergonomics possible. Lightweight equipment you can easily maneuver around and lift and adjust is key to preventing injuries and also helps you avoid awkward body positions during massage. You might also want to think about using handheld tools that give you the option of applying sustained pressure while maintaining optimal wrist positioning. Consider alternating between standing and sitting during a massage therapy session, and book your appointments so you give yourself enough time between sessions to stretch or do a short self-care exercise.
You can also think about varying the massage therapy techniques you use during a session when possible to build recovery time into the session. Deep, regular diaphragmatic breathing is an essential component of proper body mechanics and aligned posture, with the additional benefits of enhanced focus, presence, relaxation, and release of stress and tension. Working from a centered balance point, too, emphasizes neutral posture and promotes ease of body movements.
Related: Using Mindfulness for Massage Therapists. From a biomechanical engineering perspective, key concepts for injury prevention include:. To avoid hand and wrist injuries specifically, keeping wrists neutral is an absolute mustβwhile performing massage therapy and all throughout other daily activities, such as computer and phone use, for example. To help keep wrists straight when applying pressure with your hands during a massage therapy session, try using the forearm or elbow, the back of a loose fist proximal phalanges , ulnar stylus, ulnar edge of palm or hand tools.
