Advice on protecting my hands

[William T]

fozzyo uses a specific "No Hands Massage" technique you may be interested in.

 

[Angela M]

Advice on protecting my hands

You can switch off using the following body parts to provide a quality/relaxing/therapeutic massage:knucklesforearmselbows (only use these in certain areas and maintain extreme contact/communication with client at all times to ensure moderate amount of pressure is being used)Heels of the handsfists (tapotement)outside edge of hands (friction)hot packs (use these as often as possible to loosen tight muscles so you don't have to work as hard)Be well,Jen

 

[MoToCroSSS -30]

Stretching and massaging your own hands and arms will help you a great deal.  Also using the different body parts as Jen suggested will help greatly.  

 

[blaquebb]

Advice on protecting my hands

Hi spidey,As texas-gal said I do use "No Hands Massage", however unfortunately there are only currently courses running here in the UK.All of the comments above should be used, there is no single right answer for this. Injury is a real problem with our profession, there aren't many where you choose to do something that has upward of 80% chance of injurying you the longer you practice.One of the methods I use when massaging using my traditional swedish strokes is to use supported hands. For example when using a effleurage stroke around the scapula I always place my 2nd hand on top of the working hand. Then apply equal pressure through both hands. That doesn't mean double the pressure, that means half the pressure in each to give the same pressure as if doing it single handed.For deeper work, say pettrisage of the erector spinare, working pushing them away from the spine with the heel of the hand I employ a similar technique.This time I place the 2nd hand at 90 degrees across the top of the hand, partly on the wrist joint. Then again split the pressure between the two.Hope this helpsMat xx

 

[neale]

Advice on protecting my hands

Schedule an hour between each massage and spend that hour in between massages "working/doing research" in places like Bodyworkonline.com forum. Alternate clicking the mouse between hands every five minutes to avoid mouse disease. ;D===================================On a more serious note, while I don't do massage full time (still a student), I have given 7 hours of massages in a row, then come home to have my husband ask me for a massage and I've been fine. I alternate my movements and 'tools' (hands, forearms, then fngers with petrissage, compression, etc), enough during a massage that it doesn't usually hurt me. However, every once in a while I get some big guy who wants specific, deep, deep, deep work the whole time and his fascia is so thick that I'm having to give my all to work on him. Just one of those massages can wipe me out for the day! My instructor told me to get some wooden hand tools that most massage stores carry, so that I can apply more pressure with less effort and save my hands and arms.It's either that, or I'll just have to refer some people out, because I can't risk injuring my hands & arms and losing my livelihood.

 

[Dotbo1978]

I think the magic is using a number of different attacks to preserve your hands.....proper scheduling, exercising and stretching your own hands, modifying techniques, using tools, hot stones, etc.  I learned Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy so that I can do massage with my feet......definitely gives the hands a break.  I would be the perfect person for Samantha to refer those big guys to!  Check out http://www.deepfeet.com if you want to learn more about it.

 

[onenationhere]

If you're worried about your hands, check out the book "Save Your Hands!  Injury Prevention for Massage Therapists" by Lauriann Greene.She talks about the the reasons and ways therapists get injured, what injuries they sustain, and techniques  and excercises to prevent injury.Katykangaroo

 

[jaro]

Advice on protecting my hands

Here are a few more massage by "feet" links:http://www.chavutti-thai.com/http://www.deeperwork.com/http://fijianmassage.com/courses/http://www.my2feet.com/

 

[3sa]

Ice, ice, baby . . .do do do du-do do do* ping ping *(PS   If you're going to read that Laurianne Greene book, check it out from the school library.  It's so basic it's a waste of money to buy it, and she does not work as an MT so does not speak from long career experience.)

 

[LabradorLover17]

After my first lengthy chair event, I went home and went to bed.  The next day my hands and wrists madly ached.  Common sense is: stretch after exercise, but how many people consider giving massage exercise? (yes, we all do now)  Also, there is a principle in yoga: when you stretch one way, balance it out with a move the other way.I developed this excercise based on a move a Tai Chi master showed us.To preface, while massaging, my hands are at basically the same position as if I placed my palms together (like praying). To balance, from this position, open the hands (like a book), keeping the pinkie fingers together.  Keep "rolling" back until your hands and arms are back-to-back.  Draw the hands into fists, thumbs inside.  While holding this position, raise the elbows up to shoulder height and enjoy the stretch for 90 seconds or so... slowly release and shake your arms out at your sides.The pain of that "morning after" has never returned.A client found wonderful results for arthritis with a salt-glow massage I did of her hands (epsom, revitalizing oil and lavender essential oil); she thought it was "amazing!"I personally am a huge fan of the paraffin bath.  I recently purchased the TherabathPro ($135 complete with first paraffin fill) on a visit to the Massage Warehouse in Atlanta, but I am awaiting the missing grill ;-( (o, I guess that means it wasn't complete, hmn? lol)hope these ideas help ~