Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72093
BODY AWARENESS If you find yourself locking or hyperextending the fingers or thumbs, chances are you are using too much force and effort. yes no yes GENTLE PRESSURE For work on small, thin, delicate muscles and in areas where sensitive and skilled touch is required, including the face, neck, axillae, ribs, abdomen, and groin area, there are no better tools than the fi ngers and thumbs. When using the fi ngers to apply gentle pressure, do not lock or hyperextend them. If you fi nd yourself locking or hyperextending the fi ngers or thumbs, chances are you are using too much force and effort. As you can imagine, this kind of stress is also transmitted to your client. Instead, the best strategy is to keep them softly aligned. This allows your entire hand to transmit a sense of ease to your arms and shoulders, as well as to your client. There are times when you will use only two or three of the fi ngers in specifi c areas. Again, use the above strategy. When using one hand, reinforce your fi ngers with the other hand. If your fi ngers and/or thumbs are hypermobile (double-jointed), then you should exercise extra caution when using them for even light work. AVOID DEEP PRESSURE WITH THE THUMBS Applying force, especially in an abducted position, is the most common mistake when using the thumbs and the reason for most thumb injuries. Although fl exible, the joints and muscles of the thumb are vulnerable to injury when used under pressure and in sustained abducted positions. Refl ect on how you've been using your thumbs. If you have the tendency to overuse them, now is the time to stop. Use them gently and in close proximity to the hand. Barb Frye has been a massage educator and therapist since 1990. She coordinated IBM's body mechanics program and authored Body Mechanics for Manual Therapists: A Functional Approach to Self-Care (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2010), now in its third edition. She has a massage and Feldenkrais practice at the Pluspunkt Center for Therapy and Advanced Studies near Zurich, Switzerland. Contact her at barbfrye@hotmail.com. Celebrate ABMP's 25th anniversary and you may win a refund on your membership. ABMP.com. 43