Body Mechanics

[Vote Repubs Nov 2010!]

Hi everyone. I'm currently just about half way through my first year in massage and we're currently taking Kinesiology. We have to do an assignment on good body mechanics and ergonomics for RMTs as well as their importance in giving a client the most appropriate and beneficial massage. I'm aiming to get info from several different sources and from practicing RMTs would be the perfect spice for this assignment. If anyone's experienced problems while massaging from bad body mechanics or if anyone has basic knowledge of side affects that can be the result this would be very helpful and appreciated. I'm sure I will receive quite a bit of feedback with this one as I know just from being a student practicing massage in class that body mechanics are very important for RMT's. Forewarning I will be quoting for my assignment and would like to know whether you are a registered massage therapist or a student. If you would be uncomfortable with this then please just attach a note to your reply. Aside from student or RMT no personal information is needed. Thanks everyone for your help. It's greatly appreciated

Sincerely
Misty

 

[Gilb]

Hi Misty!
I am licensed massage therapist. When I was in school, I made sure from the beginning I had proper body mechanics. We had a student clinic where I would do 4 massages back to back twice a week. About 4 months into it my hands began to hurt badly. I complained to my teachers for pain was rather disturbing. They watched me and couldn’t understand what the problem was for my mechanics were good and the table was a proper height. Finally someone suggested lowing the table height even more. Bingo, it changes everything, my hands were fine, no pain. Hope it helps. Best of luck!

 

[neoplop]

I am a student also about half way through my first year.

I can tell you that for me, table height is a big issue. My instructor had repeatedly told me that I was placing my table to high. I felt that it was the right height for me but I listened to the instructor instead. I was consistantly having low back pain after my massage sessions.

I'm now confident enough to raise the table to where I feel it is comfortable and I have no more pain.

 

[crayzblonde]

I am a registered MT, and I will chime in on the table height. I was getting chronic daily headaches with a few migraines thrown in for good measure. I lowered my table a notch, and the headaches went away, mostly.

Be wary of using your thumbs, they are not very strong, and can burn out quite quickly. Think about using your pisiform, ulnar border of your forearm, elbow and knuckles instead of your thumb. If you practice, you will still be able to feel the difference in tissue texture when using different body parts.

Myrrha

 

[Delacy]

I'm a LMBT. Body mechanics can make you or break you. We were taught early on the inportance of a strong stable footstance,striaght posture and breathing thru the strokes. Just remember to stretch and warmup before the session,hydrate very well,and check your table height . I agree with Myrrha,take care of those thumbs and use supported hands or elbows to do spot work. Also icing your wrists after a long workday can help reduce any soreness if you have not stuck to your mechanics. Just hang in there,we are here for you

Namaste,
Johnny

 

[Pompal 09.]

I'm new here, first post I am a student and loving it
My teacher is very ridgid about stressing good posture. She also states that its best to have the table too low than too high because you can always lunge into movements while still maintaining good body mechanics. She stresses bending from the hips rather than the waist, and not stressing our wrists and thumbs. Last week I took a 1 hour clinical exam then went home and worked on 2 family members for an hour each and didn't feel a twinge. Both my practice people said 'aren't your hands getting tired?' and I was like uh, no I'm not really using my hands much. They're just there and being driven by my arms and upper body with some additional help from the lower body. I wasn't exhausted at all, it was like say...loading the dishwasher for an hour.

I found that maintaining posture came pretty easy for me which I attribute to years of studying yoga and bellydance. In dance posture is the first thing we teach new dancers as if that becomes second nature your good to go. Most important is the pelvis, it must be 'tucked' (like if your back is to a wall pull your pelvis forward so your low back flattens against the wall) low back long, chest lifted with a slight bend in the knees. Number one consequesce of failing to do this is sciatica. The sciatic nerves integrate thru the tail bone on their way down the leg and an excessive arch in the back causes the tailbone to pull on them like puppet strings. If your dancing(or after dancing) and experiencing low back pain and a shooting sensation down the upper legs, guess what. Work on that posture. Long term effects are chronic back pain and nerve damage.
Sorry if you were just wanting examples from a massage perspective but I have more of a dance background than I do a massage one, and the dance training has really helped me not start out with any bad habits in massage.

 

[chris c]

I've been a teaching assistant for several Bob King seminars. Getting into a great lunge position can make or break the technique. I am constantly checking myself stance wise if I feel I'm working too hard. The above advice bares not repeating. Use it!

 

[Icy]

body mechanics and table height

Just on table height. If I'm getting front of neck or head aches or calf cramps I check that the table height isn't too high. Bk and post. Nk pain and I check that its not too low.

With the thumbs, if I keep everything in a straight line I'm fine - if the thumbs go out to the side the trouble begins. I use them sparingly but they're great tools.

Fingers I have problems because I'm badly double-jointed. Because of this I get quite a lot of pain in the middle knuckle of my middle finger (the longest one!) if I'm not careful. Being careful means making sure it isn't bent back for prolonged periods.

The only other issue I have is tension through my own gluteal region - I think I stabilize with these muscles too much, and if I don't concentrate on relaxing this area the tension can spread to my lower back.

I hope this helps,
Luke.

 

[Bobber Geldkraft]

body mechanics

I agree with the posts above. Alot of my experience has been trial and error.
I am a LMT in SC, and have been licensed since 2003.
As far as the table height, it depends on the client I am working on. If I am going to be doing more ROM or Stretching, I have the table at a lower height, and if I am doing more work on the back, neck or general swedish massage, I have it at a higher notch. I am 5'7", and have been experimenting with table height recently. One practioner I traded with worked at a very low height and he said that worked for him. Another worked at a higher height, and that worked for him. You just have to be comfortable.
I am also loose jointed, and I am seriously considering buying a thumb saver in order to keep my joints properly stacked in my hands. I find that using tools is a great way to save your hands. I use the accuforce 2.5 on clients who desire a deeper pressure than I can give with my hands alone.
Body Mechanics..... Another tip I can offer is to experiment with different ways to work the limbs. There are many ways to work the anterior and posterior of the clients arm, you just need find the way that is the most comfortable for you, and them. And don't be affraid to switch it up every once and a while.
I traded with a MT from this site recently, and in her space, she has a wall of mirrors. I would LOVE to have that in my room! It makes it sooo much easier to keep yourself in check with how you are standing and holding!
hope that helps!

 

[max jerry horowits]

The two mistakes in body alignment that seem to be the most common in my experience is shrugging up the shoulders instead of keeping the down and connected with the back AND breaking at the wrists.

If you can't get done what you need to do at the angel you're currently at lower the table, use a stool (I have a friend who has a step-a-cizer under her table she can just pull out with her foot if she needs it for ROM, stretching, etc.), or switch from finger work to elbow, fist, forearm, knuckles, etc. There are many parts of your hand/arm that is useable during massage other than your poor overworked thumbs. :-D

Angela

 

[shootscuz23]

best way for body mechanics training is to learn tai chi. that's where I get my posture skills from.

 

[Trinity]

Just going to throw this in. If you want to build your leg muscles for body work, a really nice way of doing it is by this method (wall skiing / wall sitting -- with a few quoted examples below):

The Wall Sit – Sit with your back firmly against a wall. Beginners should bend their knees at a 45-degree angle, keeping their lower leg perpendicular to the floor. You should feel some pull in your quadriceps, but none in your kneecap. If you don’t feel any pull, increase your knee angle up to 90 degrees. Hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat three times. As you progress, increase time by 5 seconds per position.

Wall Sit
This is an isometric strengthening exercise for the quadriceps. Bend knees to 90 degrees placing back flat against wall. Lower leg should be perpendicular to floor. Hold 30 seconds, repeat three times following 30 seconds rest between sets. Progress by increasing five seconds per session. To decrease difficulty, decrease knee angle to 45 degrees but keep back flat against wall and lower leg perpendicular to the floor. Discomfort should be felt in quadriceps and not in the knee cap.

Exercise of the Week - Wall Sits

Squats and lunges aren't for everyone, especially if you have knee problems. But one way to work the lower body without the up and down motion of squats is with the Wall Sit. A Wall Sit is almost like a supported squat, but it's a static move. That means, you're holding an isometric contraction rather than moving through a full range of motion. The benefit of this is that you can strengthen the quad muscles and build endurance and, in some cases, avoid pain in the knees (although that always depends on your positioning and knee issues).
Wall Sits are great for pre-exhausting the muscles before moving on to other lower body moves and it's also a great exercise for travelers because you don't need much space or any equipment. Obviously, if this move hurts your knees, you should skip it. If you're new to the exercise, only slide down a few inches until you get a feel for the exercise and know how your body will respond.

Do it right: Stand in front of a wall (about 2 feet in front of it) and lean against it. Slide down until your knees are at about 90-degree angles (or an angle that is comfortable for you) and hold, keeping the abs contracted, for 10-60 seconds. Come back to start and repeat.

I started out (way back when) at three times a week and eventually worked up to twice daily, for about one year (I diminshed in time after that). Our instructor worked us up to a few minutes of this if I recall correctly. Forgive me, but it was about 18 years ago, and I can't say my legs are in that good of shape anymore, but it was by far the best way to build up stability in them.

 

[Chastity]

Thanks guys!

Thank you all for your advice. We've recently discovered after doing this kinesiology assignment that our teacher hasn't been watching our posture at all and we've all been developing bad habits. I've already developed tenosynovitis in my wrist and I'm starting to get brachial tendinitis one shoulder worse then the other. Any suggestions to cure this? I think I aggravate it by carting both my kids around at the same time. lol

 

[Casm]

Hello Everyone!!!

I am also a student and had also some problems when first starting out. I am blessed to be in a school where body mechanics is important. I had a hard time with table height when first starting out. and down table always in locked position which was causing fatique.

I also ice my wrist and do parafin treatment on hands as a treat to myself after a long day in clinic.

Happy Holidays!!!

 

[Favre Fan]

Thanks guys!

Thank you all for your advice. We've recently discovered after doing this kinesiology assignment that our teacher hasn't been watching our posture at all and we've all been developing bad habits. I've already developed tenosynovitis in my wrist and I'm starting to get brachial tendinitis one shoulder worse then the other. Any suggestions to cure this? I think I aggravate it by carting both my kids around at the same time. lol

Wow. Maybe start by finding a new school? :

Seriously, your body mechanics are CRITICAL. If your teacher is sloppy about them, you've got to take responsibility to build them yourself. Get a few classmates to keep an eye on you, and you do the same for them. :shock: Practicing tai chi and similar stuff can help, but right now there are few things specifically suited to bodywork preparation.

As a trainer and a bodyworker, one of my pet hobbies is studying various approaches to self-care that are well-designed for bodyworkers. In the last two years, I haven't seen anything that really covers all the bases. The most promising thing I've found so far is this book: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9781556436550&itm=1

In my first 10 minutes with this text, I was impressed. The author seems to know what he's about and it is very professionally presented. I can't say more since I am still studying it, but overall it's probably your best bet.

 

[JessikuhTOXIC]

Jason, Hows the book going? I'm seriously thinking about buying it..

 

[itchybubbles]

I've had to put it down because I'm seriously investigating the possible purchase of a large established massage business. It's a part-time job in itself, on top of the two jobs I have... but I still took time to observe the holidays!

That said, I've been really paying attention to my mechanics during massage sessions over the last year, and it's been paying off. I rarely feel tired, even after 5 sessions back-to-back, and I basically never break sweat, even in a two-hour deep-tissue session with a large client.

My mainstay for self-care is Circular Strength Training (CST), which includes Intu-Flow, a joint mobility program, plus practicing and teaching Prasara yoga. I do other types of exercise too, but those two are the primary keys to me staying pain-free. Since I teach them, you can find info and relevant links on my web site.

Active Isolated Stretching is also very helpful, and occasionally I use it in conjunction with CST. AIS has some EXCELLENT stretches specifically for the arms, wrists, and each finger of the hand, not to mention the rest of the body.

 

[Selly]

Thanks guys!

The most promising thing I've found so far is this book: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9781556436550&itm=1[/b]

In my first 10 minutes with this text, I was impressed. The author seems to know what he's about and it is very professionally presented. I can't say more since I am still studying it, but overall it's probably your best bet.

Jason, thanks for mentioning Pritchard's book on body mechanics. After reading your post I ordered a copy for myself and just got it yesterday. It looks really good. At first glance it seems like a review of what I allready learned in school. As I dig in further I see it's actually MUCH more than what I was able to absorb in class. I am focusing on improving my body mechanics and I am going to study this book and use it as a reference aid as I make corrections to the way I do things.