"seeing" with my hands/fingers

[Rebekah05]

I feel stupid for admitting this and asking this question..... But here goes: How do I learn to "see" with my hands. To feel the knots, tender spots and that sort of thing? Unless the knots are huge I can't seem to find them. Is there something out there that can help make me more sensitive to this sort of thing? How can I be a good therapist if I can't "see" these kinds of things? I know it comes in time, but I'm getting frustrated. And beginning to question if it'll ever come! Help!

 

[Shaggster]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

I feel stupid for admitting this and asking this question..... But here goes: How do I learn to "see" with my hands. To feel the knots, tender spots and that sort of thing? Unless the knots are huge I can't seem to find them. Is there something out there that can help make me more sensitive to this sort of thing? How can I be a good therapist if I can't "see" these kinds of things? I know it comes in time, but I'm getting frustrated. And beginning to question if it'll ever come! Help!

I remember feeling this way. It comes with time, patience, practice, experience and intention. All the practice we did in school to feel the fiber direction over and over and over and over... well you get the idea

Then having my hands on lots of different people. I'm still 'new' and learning everyday. I can feel a lot now and I never take it for granted because I remember not feeling and wondering how anyone could feel things under all that skin and fascia.

Try not to get too discouraged. You can practice on yourself too. I used to palpate my forearm all the time while glancing at the Trail Guide to the Body. Flexing and extending and getting the feel for the fibers, tendons, retinaculum and muscle groups.

 

[ukfan14]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

I just wish that there was something like ..... you know those fake boobs they have for women that teaches how to do self exams? I know...odd. But I wish there was something like that out there that can be used to teach palpation skills.

I keep hearing my instructor say to just calm your mind and just feel. Let their body talk to you. I just can't seem to feel things like come of my classmates do already.

GreenDragonfly I notice that you are in the Chicagoland area. Me too!!

Are there any books/DVD's that you think would be helpful?

 

[coopchic]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

I just wish that there was something like ..... you know those fake boobs they have for women that teaches how to do self exams? I know...odd. But I wish there was something like that out there that can be used to teach palpation skills.

I keep hearing my instructor say to just calm your mind and just feel. Let their body talk to you. I just can't seem to feel things like come of my classmates do already.

GreenDragonfly I notice that you are in the Chicagoland area. Me too!!

Are there any books/DVD's that you think would be helpful?

Listen to your instructors. You can't rush this sort of thing. You DO have to quiet your mind and just feel. Don't use too much pressure. Lighter pressure is better.

I really like the Trail Guide to the Body. Well, you know you can feel up your chest if you like : but I found the forearm to be much less embarrassing to palpate in mixed company. t005

Really though, it would make no sense to feel something fake when you have real body parts at your disposal. Palpate your arms, legs, abdomen. Try to visualize the structures, bony landmarks and direction of the muscle fibers. You'll get it!!

 

[Shaggster]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

GreenDragonfly is absolutely right: Learn on yourself! You will not only learn how the tissue feels from the therapist's point of view, but also how your touch feels from the client's point of view-- win-win! I also find that closing my eyes while "exploring" helps tremendously. That way I'm not distracted with what I'm seeing with my eyes, and I can focus on what I'm seeing with my fingers/forearms/elbows. Hah! That reminds me of the time when my Husband was in massage school, and he asked me to work on him at home, and he asked "Can you feel with your elbows yet?" I thought he was crazy, but he was dead serious. Now that I've been through school and had more time to practice, I, too, can "see" with my elbows. It's amazing....

A neat exercise is to take a hair from your head and put it under a phone book page (gotta put those big bulky things to use somehow, eh?). Close your eyes and see if you can find the hair. Then keep adding pages until you can't find the hair anymore. I can't remember how many pages it's supposed to be, but at some point along the way, your sense of perception-through-touch will increase to the point where you won't *need* exercises like that anymore.

But again, the absolute best way for me, personally, to learn is on myself. Hands-down.

 

[Hershey]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

An example that I give in my seminars, when it comes to feeling restrictions within the fascia/soft tissue is this:

Imagine a boneless chicken breast that is only partially thawed. Applying pressure into the chicken will allow you to move freely through the more flexible thawed portion. It is quite easy to feel when you encounter the barrier of the frozen center. This is one way that restriction/tightness can manifest.

Like much of what was said, take the pressure off of yourself to get in immediately. Touch, feel, see, repeat. Soon you will be able to see and feel so much inside that you may feel overwhelmed.

 

[Ace]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

An example that I give in my seminars, when it comes to feeling restrictions within the fascia/soft tissue is this:

Imagine a boneless chicken breast that is only partially thawed. Applying pressure into the chicken will allow you to move freely through the more flexible thawed portion. It is quite easy to feel when you encounter the barrier of the frozen center. This is one way that restriction/tightness can manifest.

Like much of what was said, take the pressure off of yourself to get in immediately. Touch, feel, see, repeat. Soon you will be able to see and feel so much inside that you may feel overwhelmed.

I was actually going to mention that I did this a lot with beef roasts! I started trying to massage them to get them to be more tender (dorky, I know, and it didn't really even matter because they only way I cooked them was in a crock pot :roll: ) But I do think it helped me to really get the feel of muscle and connective tissue. It's probably even closer to the "real" thing than cadaver muscles.

 

[Freedom]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

Half thawed silken tofu may be an acceptable alternative for the meat averse t001

 

[Ron]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

Hmmmm..... Never thought to palpate "meat" before cooking it. I like the partially frozen chicken breast idea to feel restrictions. I will never look at dinner the same way again!

 

[iTz moleman!]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

Haha, this is totally me, too! I'm a pretty cerebral person; too much in my brain, not enough in my body. I was definitely slower than a lot of my classmates at picking up palpation skills. Just like everyone else said, it just takes time and practice. I feel like I'm pretty good for where I'm at right now (entry level), but I'll always be getting better. Relax, and trust the process. Your teachers have made massage therapists out of people just like you before.

Kat

 

[Buddhist Objectivist]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

Thank you katamay. Feel a little better hearing that it'll come in time from a "newbie".

 

[Natasha]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

I explain it to clients this way - think of eating Jello or trifle with your eyes closed - you would still know when you had got to a piece of pear or a piece of sponge cake in the dessert. It is just different.

Run your hands lightly over the area you are checking out. Close your eyes. What do you feel - does it feel the same as that area on other people you have worked on?

Good luck - it will come with practice.

 

[ssssss]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

The more people you get your hands on the better, as there is no substitute for experience. Work on yourself, friends & family members to gain a better sense of what you are seeking to learn. That said the ideas of feeling the textures of meat products, frozen, semi frozen is a good place to practice too. In addition, take the time to really observe people in general, whether you sit on a park bench, or are hanging out at the hair salon, spending time at an office building, etc. Really look at how people are holding their bodies while at work & play. With time you'll begin to notice how people's posture & activities tell you a story about them.

Our bodies portray who we are, & what we do, as well as what we have done during the entire course of our lives. We are literally living history books!

Take the time to look at an older person's body, from the swollen finger joints to the lack of mobility in the neck, shoulders, arms & hands to the stiff gait as they move, or a person who is to sedentary. Take note of stiffness in the hips, the hamstrings the knees, etc. Then watch children at play, and note the freedom & grace with which their bodies move, do the same with animals, especially cats. The entire body of a healthy child, young adult or an animal, generally moves with fluid motions, free from the restrictions that so many others must deal with.

Another avenue is to become more conscious & aware of your own body's messages, look in the mirror & really evaluate what you see. Take a moment to move slowly, raising one arm at a time in various positions. Take note of where you may feel any aches & pains, less mobility, etc. Do the same with your neck & shoulders. You may want to try out a yoga or Tai Chi DVD, or take a class & really focus in on your own awareness through the movements & postures you'll be doing. Once you get that experience, and consciously observe those around you, it will translate even more so into your hands as you touch & feel the textures of the body you are in contact with.

When I was first starting out, I loved the experience of getting to work on someone after watching them at work. As an example hairdressers commonly have their arms & hands extended out in front of them, as they comb, cut & style hair. This line of work means they are likely to have to stand for long periods of time, so it will in turn mean they'll not only benefit from a good deal of attention to the upper body, but also to the lower back, hips, legs & their feet.

Those who sit at a desk & computer all day long will have their fair share of stiffness from the posture they are using, with tightness in the quads, hips & lower back, not to mention all the tension in the upper half of their body! Others who do more frequent manual labor, will have their work related issues all depending on what they doing and may suffer from repetitive strain injuries, (which you'll also see in factory workers, and those doing any number of small motor functions such as cutting hair, etc.) Of course there will also be those who are sports oriented or the weekend warriors who have strains & sprains, and various signs of overuse.

Always pay attention to the differences of one side vs the other as you work as well. There will likely be more tension, tightness & restriction to take note of based on the daily activities of the person on your table. While one person may be a golfer, or a tennis buff, another will be a mother with a young child, or perhaps a musician. Whatever they do, if you can picture the body movements involved in their activities it will all affect the muscles & their attachments, as will their overall state of mind & stress levels.

There are a few books on the body in motion, to show the muscles involved, and a number of others that are great general reference books. I especially like the book - Informed Touch, as it has sections that are highlighted in red for where pain is showing up & explanations as to the cause, where to work with bodywork plus the related meridians, exercises that will help, etc.

Best of luck on the journey you are making in the field of bodywork. Keep coming back to us all with other questions & we'll try to help provide answers for you!

 

[Final Dexter]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

Good on you for having the courage to post a question you felt embarrassed by. You are not alone... I felt constantly "stupid" in school for not being able to feel what it seemed like "everybody else" could feel. I can share some of what's helped me.

Three things come to mind: thinking patterns, modalities, and practice... which involves patience.

The thinking patterns model consists of 6 ways that brains make sense of incoming sensory information by mapping sense data (auditory, visual, kinesthetic) to brainwaves (beta, alpha, theta). Everyone uses just one of the six patterns. The different brainwaves have different speeds—beta is the fastest, theta is the slowest. People are quickest with the sense that their brain maps to beta waves... slowest with the sense mapped to theta... and in the middle with the sense mapped to alpha.

Most massage therapists are very facile with their kinesthetic sense, their ability to feel and make sense of that incoming sensory information, because their brain maps kinesthetic to beta or alpha. MY brain seems to map kinesthetic to theta, and hence I felt as "slow and stupid" in massage school as some other people feel in an accounting class. The upside is that theta is where intuition happens. I learned this long AFTER massage school unfortunately!

Depending on your thinking pattern, the metaphors of "seeing with your hands", "listening to the body", or "feeling what's under your hands" will mean different things to you. One of them will be the most intuitive (theta), and another of them will be the way you bring that intuition up (alpha) into conscious clarity (beta).

You don't have to know all the details about that to take this away: you have your own personal way of touching and feeling a body, it may in fact be different than most of your classmates, and it is not a weakness—it just means you have different strengths, and may take longer to learn what they are and how to use them.

If you want to read more about Thinking Patterns, there's a book and this guy can help you figure out what yours is via Skype: http://www.guidedmindtour.com/

Ok modalities... my palpation skills didn't really take off until I learned a little bit about myofascial release and craniosacral. These use ways of touching that are very different than what I learned in massage school, but have been able to apply to what I do. For another therapist who used to be on here, it was shiatsu. You may just need a different style of work than what you're currently learning to really make it click for you.

Finally, practice and patience... know that your palpation skills will increase as you practice. My own experience is that it comes in leaps and plateaus. I'll be cruising along over a period of months or however long, and then one day sessions are just noticeably different: I can feel more. And that becomes the new level that I cruise at until the next leap. So don't give up if you don't see steady increases!

 

[white gravy]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

I can't say thank you enough for your posts. They actually brought tears to my eyes! Seriously. I have been wondering if I made a mistake choosing this career. Thinking If I can't see with my hands what kind of therapist am I going to be?? It is such a relief to hear that it will come in time. And will continue to do so. I feel so much better. Thank you for taking the time to put my mind at ease!

 

[Mr. Ed]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

Glad to hear you're feeling better! Good luck!

 

[Falling Star]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

No problem, that's all part of why we're here, to help & support where we can! We've all been there, done that, experienced times when we questioned our choices in career, in life, etc. Learning curves are a part of life, it's when you stop learning or say you can't do it that one misses the opportunity to grow and become more confident. One day soon you'll be on the other side of this challenge & hopefully pay it forward, just as many of us with years of experience are here to do.

Enjoy the journey

 

[Pompal 09.]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

Just think: there are plenty of other students who have great palpation skills, but fear they may have chosen the wrong field because they can't memorize muscle insertions easily, or have trouble communicating what they know to clients, or find it difficult to do SOAP notes, or a host of other things. We've all got strengths and weaknesses!

Kat

 

[SourSkittles:)]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

For a greater dose of palpatory humility, go try a free jujitsu class and grapple with the advanced students. It is humbling to realize that many of these people have advanced palpatory sensitivity with nearly any part of their body, and a much better grasp of movement, balance, and leverage than you do. The benefit of practicing is that you develop a much greater sense of your own body, then eventually of your partner's body, and (hopefully) eventually of the potentials of each possible (combative)combination of your body with another's.

I had little trouble with developing palpation skills in massage school, and I chalk that up to the lessons learned in years of grappling training and competition. Being able to sense subtle shifts in muscle tone often spelled the difference between winning and losing, and now it helps me help my clients.

 

[Pompal 09.]

"seeing" with my hands/fingers

All wonderful responses. I can honestly say, practice, practice, practice. With intent. With your eyes closed. Get your hands on every person you can find who will let you... and just palpate them. 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes. Whatever they will allow. Don't massage, as much as palpate. It will take about 4 years to really start to see your palapation skills hone, although you can know what your feeling quite well within a year.