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Back and strengthening exercises for Massage Therapists
In school we were cautioned about the way we use our hands and fingers, but I never remember any specific exercises or ways to help with the development of our own low back problems as we move along in our massage careers. I now have been massaging for 10 years. I try to exchange massages with my co-workers for massage and regularly see a chiropractor for low back adjustments. I also see Egoscue clinic therapists to correct and strengthen my lumbar area. But there seems to be a dirth of specific strengthening excersises from the massagers themselves.
But alas, the same problems I see in my clients, like mild scoliosis and other spinal problems, have become my companion too.
I am always eager to try modalities that might help me such as rolfing (too painful) and deep tissue and other new therapies, but what I help people with, I can't do for myself unless it is a strengthening regimen that helps correct the body imbalances that were there before I became a MT.
Does anyone have a program?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by lee kalpin on
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I attended massage therapy school in 1983-84 and we focussed strongly on good body mechanics!!! This was over 26 years ago. I taught for 15 years and always taught my students good body mechanics. We also had a warm-up exercise session before we did any massage.
So if your school missed this essential piece of your learning, it is important that you find a CEU course to pick up that knowledge now, and practice it!!!
Clients sometimes comment "your hands must get sore" and I tell them that hands are the least of it. It's much more about back, shoulders and arms. I started with a disadvantage since I have a moderate-severe scoliosis (one 50 degree curve and one 42 degree curve) and yet I have practiced massage for 26 years with no ill affect. I also exercise and keep in good shape.
You should be able to practice massage forever!!!
Laura K Dylla said:Does this missing piece of body mechanics need to be more stressed at school? I also had the back problem when at massage school and did not hear of any interventions I could take or which modalities could help me. I have had many massages and none have ever addressed the hip imbalance or the uneveness of the lumbar area vs the back! In the 10 years since going to Massage School, I learned and sought out help, first with a chiropractor and now with a core strengthening regimen. The illium/hip imbalance is mostly corrected but the deep core muscles got rather lax and do not support the changes made by the chiro until now. I am trying Super Slo Zone to help my core shape up much faster. Unbelievable results and thanks to an LMT for suggesting one type of therapy that led me to this. I don't want to stop massaging ever so all your replies are very important to me and to other LMTS.
Are there any CEUS that help LMTs with body mechanics if you didn't have this in school?
lee kalpin said:I see lots of good and helpful replies.
The only piece that seems to be missing is ---- BODY MECHANICS while you are working! It is extremely important to understand and observe good body mechanics while you are doing massage. I agree, you do have to be in good shape in order to maintain good positioning, but you also have to understand correct positioning of your whole body, not just hands and arms. Strength in doing massage should not come primarily from the hands, but from the ground up, using legs to provide the strength.br /> I have been doing massage for 26 years now without any injuries or down-time (well, I've had occasional down-time from other causes but not as a result of doing massage). I used to do 7 massages per day, for years. Now I am down to 3 - 4 per day on most days, but still working!
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Permalink Reply by SC on
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Jason- Great input! Thank you for sharing about that Intu-Flow. Just what I was looking for!
Jason Erickson said:
Massage schools are horribly remiss in not requiring student MTs to engage in guided strength and conditioning training. In the early 1800s, Per Henrik Ling wouldn't even accept a student if they were not in decent physical condition. Now we hear a little talk about body mechanics and some stretching, and hope that the student will eventually "find a way" to not become injured.
As a personal trainer prior to becoming a massage therapist, I was distressed to see so many classmates suffering needlessly. I even started a free student club and conducted group training sessions in preventative and corrective exercises to help them. A secondary goal of the club was to help them understand movement in a meaningful way that would help them better grasp the functional aspects of A&P. This knowledge is critical to efficiently evaluating a client's health history, particularly when musculoskeletal injuries are involved.
For basic maintenance, I recomment the Intu-Flow program from RMAX International. It helps improve pain-free ROM, balance, coordination, breathing, and overall body awareness, and is ideal for a quick warmup before strenuous exercise, and for active recovery on your off days. Info here: http://cstminnesota.com/4.html#IntuFlow
For strengthening, I like dynamic free weights like clubbells and kettlebells, though barbells and dumbells can be fun too. Bodyweight calisthenics, yoga, pilates, etc. can also be great overall strength conditioning. IMO, the key is using a moderate variety of compound movements that require efficient coordination of many areas at once. Some movements should be strenuous, others quick, some light and easy, etc. Exercises that require extension of the body are critical, and should not be overlooked.
Cardio is okay for general health and conditioning, but of limited use in bodywork. Do it after your strength work. 10-20 minutes of intervals is plenty unless you are training for a long endurance event.
Active stretching such as AIS, PNF, yoga, CRAC, should be part of your cooldown and recovery strategy. Passive static stretching is pretty much a waste of time, so pick an active approach and become skilled with it. Active stretching has the added benefit of being very useful in therapeutic applications, and clients can learn how to perform it if you are competent to teach it (self-practice is a prerequisite).
These are very general recommendations, but they will give you a place to start. Hope that helps!
Jason
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on
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One of my favorite sayings is...IF YOU CANT FIX YOUR OWN ACHES AND PAINS. HOW CAN YOU FIX OTHER PEOPLES ACHES AND PAINS. The average career span for massage therapists is only six years...A lot of that short span can be attributed to repetitive stress injuries. I personally think people think too much...The secret for me has been to stop thinking...Every day, in the morning, and after work.. I STRETCH ...I dont call it yoga..Because then its easy to get into the realm of "Am I doing it right?"....Cats dont think when they stretch...They feel... In my minds eye(no thinking) I can feel where its sore,where it hurts...and I stretch in and out of that position...Hurt Good is the secret for me...And if Im not particularly sore..I make sure that I go though all my joints( jaw, neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, chest, back, low back, hips, knees, ankles, and toes). I move them through full range of motions...Usually circular or figure eights...Thats just what I do...Its kept me going for 25 years now...I hope what I said makes sense? Ive learned a lot fixing myself...For me...its not thinking.
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Good advice! But I take issue with your statement that the average length of career is 6 years. I don't know where people get these figures! I know dozens of therapist who have been practicing 10 - 15 - 20 years! I believe that the reason many of the therapists who "drop out early" is because they never get a proper start and are not making enough money to continue on in the profession.
Some indeed may be because of repetitive strain injury, but proper exericse (as you recommend) and good body mechanics should prevent that.
By giving the professional"life expectancy " figures, some therapists are set up to fail. They only expect to practice for 5 years and that's what they do
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Permalink Reply by Alexei Levine on
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I would recommend pilates mat classes 3 times a week. Please don't do squats or lunges if you're experiencing lumbar pain, I've seen too many people make their condition worse with these.
As a massage school director, I can tell you that we've tried to integrate yoga and strengthening classes several times in the past, and too many of the students were extremely vocally resistant to them. We've never had as many complaints about anything, as we did with that. Of course, some students loved it, but I was amazed at the pushback we experienced from the student body as a whole.
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I find it quite surprising that students would object to exercise! I know of one community college here in Ontario that is making exercise/ yoga/ pilates a mandatory part of the course. I guess the only way to incorporate it successfully would be to include it int he course outline and contract when the students sign up for the course.
It seems obvious to me that what you offered was in the best interests of the students - to make sure they are fit to do the work they are taking on. It's also important that they know what the muscles feel like - on themselves! - before they try to palpate them on others.
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Those are the Stats from the AMERICAN MASSAGE THERAPY ASSOCIATION..You can check with them.. Career span is seven years for injury, like I said..and two years for burnout, or not enough money.
lee kalpin said:
Good advice! But I take issue with your statement that the average length of career is 6 years. I don't know where people get these figures! I know dozens of therapist who have been practicing 10 - 15 - 20 years! I believe that the reason many of the therapists who "drop out early" is because they never get a proper start and are not making enough money to continue on in the profession.
Some indeed may be because of repetitive strain injury, but proper exericse (as you recommend) and good body mechanics should prevent that.
By giving the professional"life expectancy " figures, some therapists are set up to fail. They only expect to practice for 5 years and that's what they do
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Wow, thats really interesting? hmm Thats weird about the objections from the students? G..???
Alexei Levine said:
I would recommend pilates mat classes 3 times a week. Please don't do squats or lunges if you're experiencing lumbar pain, I've seen too many people make their condition worse with these.
As a massage school director, I can tell you that we've tried to integrate yoga and strengthening classes several times in the past, and too many of the students were extremely vocally resistant to them. We've never had as many complaints about anything, as we did with that. Of course, some students loved it, but I was amazed at the pushback we experienced from the student body as a whole.
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Regarding the students objections to execising, we heard a lot of comments along the line of "I didn't come here to learn yoga, I came to learn massage." We were very surprised also, and as I mentioned before some students loved exercising but they were the minority.
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Thats sad....I dont even know what to say? From my perspective its essential to know ones own body if you want to reach the highest levels in this field. I mean you can look at muscle charts and diagrams all you want...You can even palpate them on other people..All that stuff is good, and necessary. But once you realize G..I am that muscle. It gets you out of that third person perspective... Its like I might confuse or not know the meaning of the word abduction .. But if I lift my arm, its easy to feel which muscles are relaxing and which ones are contracting...I think body consciousness is important . Indeed, I think thats where Ive learned the most about massage.
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Permalink Reply by Michelle Wald PT, LMT on
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Aston-Patterning may be for you. This work has helped me immensely to figure out how to use my body most accurately for me. The work includes movement, sequencing, stretching strengthening and optimal body mechanics for you. Some " stabilization exercises are helpful but often cause compression. Get the to an Aston practitioner! go to www.astonkinetics.com and find a practitioner near you. Best, Michelle Wald PT LMT
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