Want to be able to do more massages and not be in pain?
Then ask: Why am I doing this?
Wait, not: Why am I doing massage?
I’m talking about these “why(s)”:
Why am I doing a particular technique every massage?
Why am I using my palms to effleurage?
Why do I use my thumbs to do focus work all the time?
The “why am I doing this?” doesn’t always have a straightforward answer, and sometimes you may have to do some sleuthing in the recesses of your brain to find the whole answer.
But once you start investigating “why”, how you do massage will forever change. And your body will thank you for that.
Let’s start with thumbs.
Why do you use your thumbs for detail work and trigger point therapy?
One reason is that a thumb is the perfect size tool for precise work.
But there’s a problem when you have a human tool that’s perfect for a job.
It wears out.
Okay, so I have the perfect tool for the job but it’s wearing out, is there anything else I could use to replace my thumbs? Why yes there is.
A middle knuckle.
In this picture the middle knuckle of my left hand is the thumb replacement.
The companion knuckles support the middle knuckle and the fist of the other hand act as a stabilizer.
I want to point out that I’m not directing my body weight into my thumb. My thumb is acting as my sensing device and telling me where to press.
If you’re using a knuckle as a thumb replacer, drop your table lower than you normally would so that you have enough distance to lean and use your body weight to generate pressure. More about that here.
So that’s one way you can save your thumbs so that you can do more massages. Here’s another good replacement for a thumb.
A massage tool, like this T-bar.
But I can’t feel anything with a piece of wood or plastic, Mark!
I hear ya.
That’s another reason why a thumb is the perfect tool for detail work because it has a lot of nerve endings and is great for palpating.
Here’s the thing, that hunk of wood that’s replacing your thumb can be “sensitized” by simply putting a finger or thumb next to the tip.
More about that here.
That’s great, Mark, but I tried a massage tool as a thumb replacement and it didn’t work for me.
I experienced the same thing when I first tried massage tools. Using a massage tool to massage was like using boxing gloves as oven mitts to take my vegan mac and cheese out of the oven.
Remember when I said we have to dig deep when we ask why?
This is the time to do that.
Here’s what I think we’re stuck on using thumbs: We’re taught to rely on our thumbs, and our experience in the massage room (thumbs work great) conditions us to never stop using them.
Breaking away from something that works (even at a cost) is scary.
I’m going to lose clients.
I’m going to hurt someone.
Someone is going to complain.
But like anything you want to change, you simply have to keep working through the hard times.
This video will help you get reps in with a massage tool to get you through the hard times.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBYhV9tDaBM[/embedyt]
Okay, that’s thumbs. But there’s a lot more we can do to save our bodies so that we can AND want to do more massages.
Just take the “why” question and apply it to everything you do in massage.
How the Why Helped Me Do More Massages
I’m certified in neuromuscular massage therapy.
A core belief of the NMT program that I went through was that if you worked the totality of the muscle (origin, insertion and body), you’d get a better “release”.
Unfortunately, working into the attachments of muscles is tough on your hands and upper body.
But I continued to do it with each massage.
Then many years later when I was teaching a back class an MT participant challenged me: Why should I do origin/insertion massage?
Huh…there was no research to support it.
And clinically, I didn’t see a difference between those I treated with static pressure on tight and pain spots and those I treated with origin and insertion massage.
To be honest, I was only doing origin and insertion massage because that’s what I was taught to do and I was comfortable doing it.
That’s when I decided to change how I did massage.
Though I still work attachments at times I don’t do origin and insertion massage as part of my regular pain relief massage.
The results are that my clients are still happy, and my upper-body is very happy!
Do More Massage By Asking Why
Stand up for your body.
Don’t unnecessarily sacrifice your body parts to the cause.
Ask “why” all the time when doing massage.
When a specific technique is killing you, I’m positive you can find a way to get the job done without hurting your body.
It’s time to stand up for your website, too.
Because you can do more massages now doesn’t mean you have more massages to do.
You need to bring in clients.
A good website can do that for you.
And a good website is not hard to do.
Here’s how: How to Build a Good Website Fast.
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