Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1488451
Other Contacts Knuckles and Fists—There are a few other contacts that can be used with clients. Two of these are knuckles and fists. Albeit very stable contacts, knuckles and fists are hard and bony and, if used, they should only be used in areas of the client's body that are fleshy. Using a bony contact over a bony area of the client's body can be uncomfortable for the client. Speaking as a regular client of massage therapy, one of my pet peeves is when a therapist uses a bony contact over a bony area. Ouch! Feet—Feet are another contact used, especially in Asian massage practice. The feet are strong contacts, especially given that body weight is usually used when working with the feet. And the feet are broad and cushioned, and therefore very comfortable contacts for the client. Tools—When massage therapy tools are considered, although they may be employed to decrease stress to the practitioner's thumb and finger joints, the trade-off is that they, like bony contacts, tend to be hard, so the choice of where to use them should be strategically integrated into our work. And because we are not directly contacting the client's body when we use tools, they decrease practitioners' ability to sense the response of the client's tissues to our work.