Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1492048
52 m a s s a g e & b o d y wo r k m a rc h /a p r i l 2 0 2 3 glycerin, and arnica extracts to get lotion and cream that worked with the body's own sebaceous waxes, so my massage work would start on the surface but be able to move the fascia at a more profound level. The super-slippery lotions and creams I purchased at the start were OK for long eff leurage strokes, but most commercial massage products are designed to give what I call "hyperglide." It may seem like a good idea to have no friction for your hands, but in practice, the bodyworker ends up working too hard to control each stroke because the oil, lotion, or cream they are using is too slippery. The less slick, "drier" lotion I created slowed each stroke and gave me 100 percent contact with Sebastian's musculature. I In the early days of my practice, I was sure that unscented grape-seed oil was all I would ever want to use, apart from a little lotion for less greasy residue on the neck and soles of the feet. That all changed for the better the day I started working with an amateur bodybuilder, we'll call him "Sebastian," who had torn his pectoralis major at the clavicular head. There would be no slipping and sliding through this massage. I had training in trigger point massage and cross- fiber friction and incorporated arnica lotion to help ease tenderness post-massage. I instructed Sebastian on specific stretching protocols, how best to ice the area, and how to use ice as a post-workout recovery tool. But in the process of working on him twice a week for over two months, I had let my own body mechanics really slide. I was feeling a lot of strain in my neck, shoulders, and wrists after each session. Once I realized this, I began paying close attention to the level of contact my hands had on his tissue. I realized the slower I worked, the better my body mechanics were, but it was hard to do because grape-seed oil was too slippery. I tried using much less oil, but it didn't make that much of a difference. I tried several lotions and creams. I was not able to easily push each stroke from my feet through my lower body because I was shutting down my pecs and tensing my fingers just to keep controlled contact on him. It was like I was driving with my feet on the gas and the brake at the same time! In turn, I developed a poor habit of using my arm and hand muscles to do all the work. This was particularly straining to my hands because this was a very large, muscular client. I started experimenting with different lubricants. Unscented coconut oil worked well if I used only a few drops on my hands, but it was thin and tended to disappear into the tissue too quickly. It was then that I created a sort of laboratory in my kitchen and set about making lotions and creams that would give me enough "grip" but still allowed for "slide" where required by the strokes. What I learned was that less is always the way to go— less of the heavy waxes and additives that make massage lotions and creams greasy and sticky. I spent countless hours working with natural oils, natural waxes, vegetable