Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68175
REFINE YOUR TOUCH The Pain Threshold Notice the signs that may indicate you are nearing your client's pain threshold. • Changes in breath—either stopped breathing or deeper, more frequent breaths. • Changes in facial expression, especially with tightening lips or eyes. • Curling fingers, toes, or other areas of the body. • Resistance or tightening of the tissue you are working on. Whenever possible, I try to position my body so that I can have eye contact. You will quickly develop a rapport and awareness of how your work is being accepted and a connection that will allow your client to relax. Most importantly, notice the cooperation of the tissue you are addressing and distinguish between tight tissue and tissue that is tightening against you. When you feel the tissue is beginning to resist your pressure rather than cooperating, it is time to ease up. relax is variable between individuals and also between different areas on a single client. The key to providing effective but pleasant work is to hone your awareness of the subtle preliminary signs of resistance to your pressure that precede crossing the threshold into pain. Even if you feel less effective in your strategies, it is much better to hover at a level safely below the pain threshold rather than risking overstimulation and the disruption that stopping a stroke causes in the smooth flow of your session. Of course, it is an option to have clients inform you when you are working too hard, but then it is usually too late and they aren't able to relax with confidence if they need to be vigilant. It helps to have some tools to gauge EQUAL TIME People hold tension in very different spots of their bodies, often with vast differences from one side to the other. Each session should be a bit of a treasure hunt looking for the gold of hidden tension. Relaxed tissue can receive great benefit from quick work that enables you to concentrate on other areas. So that clients understand why I may be spending less time on an area, when I encounter an area that needs minimal work, I often explain, "This leg feels relaxed and fluid … I won't need to spend as much time here, allowing more time for the shoulder that bothers you." FORCED RESULTS We massage therapists are a generous lot when it comes to wanting to give our clients the best and most helpful work possible, sometimes emphasizing our objectives at the expense of comfort. Attempting to give too much benefit or offer miracles can make us work too hard and actually overstimulate our clients. Even with the best mechanics, we also can try too hard, which will give our touch an abrasive nature as well as create unnecessary strain in our own bodies. If you find yourself shaking or feel stress or pain in the joints of your hands, shoulders, back, or legs, then you are working too hard. It is important to choose realistic goals and work within yourself, even with those clients who crave intense work. CULTIVATE SENSITIVITY The threshold where your work becomes too intense for your client to client reactions to your work. A one- to-10 scale is a safe way to begin until you hone your nonverbal sensitivities, but has the drawback of some clients becoming too involved in controlling the session rather than relaxing. Trust that you will know their limits. Some people are afraid of being wimps and it is important they feel perfectly relaxed about communicating their limits. When I occasionally use this technique, I explain that I never want to cause pain, which I arbitrarily define as "around an eight." Of course, one person's five might be another's eight, but the number is high enough for people to feel like they aren't being overly sensitive. Most important is to have them tell you when they are at a seven, so that they are comfortable, but don't have to worry about your applying more pressure. connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 41