Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68013
the dog. But whatever it is, if you stay with that rule of thumb, then you can stay healthy within yourself." And leave some time between clients—at least 15 minutes, says Lauriann Greene, author of Save Your Hands, a guide to injury prevention and ergonomics for manual therapists. "You need enough time to stretch, breathe, take a drink of water, relax," she says. "If you have just enough time to change the sheets and get your next client in, that's not healthy for you long-term." 4. DON'T STOP EDUCATING YOURSELF Your life as a student ought not end just because you've graduated from massage school. School feels exhilarating because you're being constantly encouraged. Such encouragement is rare in the workaday world, however. "You name it, you get it in school," Frye says. "But the minute you get out of that environment, that really falls away. Soon after that initial honeymoon period, people get pretty isolated. That's when the whole phenomenon of burnout kicks in." So, join professional organizations. Go to meetings with fellow therapists. Attend conferences. Take continuing education classes. Learn new techniques. Talk to the up- and-comers in the profession. Form a network and draw on it to keep expanding and refreshing your skills. 5. THINK "POSTURE" Lots of massage therapists develop back and neck pain because so much of their day is spent bending forward. That's a tough posture in which to maintain good body alignment, but it's hard to avoid while working. Therefore, pay special attention to your posture when you're not giving a massage. "Watch your alignment when you're in other high-risk situations—at your computer or in your car," says Dennis Zacharkow, a physical therapist in Rochester, Minnesota, and owner of YogaBack company, which sells posture supports. "When you're not working on a client, try to elongate your posture as much as possible, maybe with a few minutes of exercise and a few stretches," he says. Time and money invested in appropriate self-care can greatly extend a career that otherwise might be needlessly shortened. visit massageandbodywork.com to access your digital magazine 91