Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/694071
Good Ergonomics = Good Economics In massage school, most of us were trained to embrace ergonomically sound stances, postures, and techniques that minimize strain and allow us to leverage our body weight to apply pressure to our clients' muscles. Breathing techniques, mindfulness exercises, and proper table height were likely also covered. While most of us probably started our massage careers with portable massage tables that require manual height adjustment, graduating to an electric hydraulic table, for me, has been revolutionary. The ability to adjust the height of the table mid-treatment has helped me ensure that I never have to stand on my tiptoes or stoop to address various areas of my client's body. While an electric table represents a significant investment, and may not be something you can afford to add to your practice right away, saving for this piece of equipment can help you continue to happily and painlessly provide massage. Other lower-tech (and less expensive) equipment that can help you reinforce proper body mechanics include step stools, shock-absorbing rubber floor mats, and rolling stools. Despite requiring minimal investment, these pieces can help significantly decrease detrimental, career-shortening effects on your body. Rise of the Machines In addition to my hydraulic table, there are a good many other electric gizmos and gadgets in my treatment room that help me work smarter rather than harder. Not only do I have machines that can assist me in providing the manual therapies I offer (such as a device that allows me to target and alleviate trigger points mechanically rather than manually), I have also incorporated a variety of other therapies into my practice that are provided exclusively by mechanical means. This allows me to offer my clients a wider variety of techniques, and the fact that these services are administered mechanically means less physical exertion on my part. Of course, using these electronic tools properly and safely requires a particular level of mindfulness as you apply pressure and ensure you're in tune with your client's body. Tools Rule Effective tools need not be electrical in order to help prolong your career. Rigid supports for your thumbs, handheld molded massagers, and cupping tools can all assist you in providing a great massage without putting your joints in jeopardy. Cupping is one tool-based modality I have embraced wholeheartedly. I frequently reach for a set of vacuum cups while providing bodywork, and I also offer an entire service centered on facial cupping. I even produced a training video to help other MTs learn how to provide this great treatment. Not only does this modality require much less physical exertion and hand strength than providing traditional bodywork, it can even be provided while the practitioner is seated, making it a wonderful way to incorporate a bit of a break into one's otherwise physically demanding day. Yet another low-tech tool I have embraced is therapeutic tape. There are several brands, such as Kinesio Tape, Kinesiology Tape, RockTape, and more. While there is minimal investment required to purchase the tape, the real expense comes in the form of the extensive training required to use it effectively. I attended a 32-hour continuing education program many years ago and invested in a variety of manuals, and now I can deliver dramatic results by simply and quickly providing a customized tape application. Face Facts Even if your massage program didn't spend much time focusing on facial massage, don't discount this modality as a potentially lucrative specialty that can minimize the toll on your body. Facial massage treatments can command significant fees (potentially as much or more than bodywork sessions), and can be provided from a seated position. Proper ergonomics must still be observed, of course, but the ability to incorporate a few lower-impact sessions into your schedule can mean the difference between striding past the finish line and losing steam just shy of the work day's end. Another way to add value to facial treatments is to design your own signature service by using specialty brands of facial massage lubricants and other skin- supporting products. By delivering added value in the form of effective products, we can reduce the need to deliver results exclusively by way of manual therapies. 88 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k j u l y / a u g u s t 2 0 1 6 Exploring the use of one's elbows, forearms, or even feet can open a trove of professional tools that can make an MT's job easier.