Help! My hands and arms are in pain!

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Permalink Reply by Mike Hinkle on March 9, 2011 at 2:55pm

1. Had a therapist with similar problems. She soaked in ice between treatments.

2/3. Contact Karina Braun on site here or her Vegas site. She can hep. Also there is a book, Save Your Hands by Lauriann Greene.

Take care of yourself!

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Permalink Reply by Carly James on March 9, 2011 at 3:39pm

I would recommend seeing a PT for this, especially if it is debilitating and they would be able to show you some good stretching techniques. 

 

Have you ever heard of Michael Young's Muscle Release Technique?  If you have a practitioner in your area trained in this, it is an EXCELLENT stretching/compression technique which is great for forearms (well pretty much the entire arm and shoulder area).

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Permalink Reply by Lisa on March 9, 2011 at 6:49pm

I would definitely start with uping the amount of sessions you GET.

 

I would also recommend icing between clients for your hands.

 

I personally LOVE the ThermaCare lower back heating pads. (http://www.thermacare.com). If I'm having a bad back day, I can put one of these bad boys on and it will work like a charm for the entire day.

 

You may not want to write off the MDs either. It could be something like arthritis in your spine that could be causing you back pain. And though they may not be able to cure that, they can certainly help alleviate the pain.

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Permalink Reply by Lee Edelberg on March 10, 2011 at 12:38pm

Hi Jill,

 

I'm wondering about your body mechanics when you give a massage.

 

Good posture, proper table height, and knowledge of how to generate strength from your legs rather than your arms can make a huge difference to the therapist.

 

Lee

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Marilyn St.John on March 10, 2011 at 6:48pm

I've experienced this from time to time myself--until I started really paying attention to my own body mechanics.  Developing a good forearm technique helps, too.  As well, since I work with a chiropractor, an occasional adjustment of my elbows helped enormously ~ so if that's within the scope of things you want to consider, at least have them checked-out.  I actually think that helped more than anything else, but don't forget the ice as well.  Good luck!

 

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Permalink Reply by Landon Wiedenman on March 11, 2011 at 12:41am

  You definitely need to work on your body mechanics.  It takes a lot of work to develop that well.  Essentially, you need to stand up straight 100% of the time without ever leaning over your client.  Keep your fingers straight (no grasping and kneading with the hands), wrists straight, elbows straight.  Ideally you wouldn't even move your shoulders or twist at the waist.  Instead, do all of the movement from your legs. You can still do petrissage without moving your fingers, hard to believe but it's true. It takes a lot of practice to be able to give a good massage without moving your arms and hands.  I used to do 35-40 hours a week with no pain and little fatigue this way. Body Mind College used to teach a curriculum with extensive training in this, but they have recently folded.  Barry Green is going to start a new school in the near future in San Diego, it might be worth a visit.

   Otherwise, you need to start a regimen of self-care. Look into Tai Chi and Yoga classes.  The fundamentals of good body mechanics are embodied in them and can be adapted to your practice with some thought.  You have to take care of yourself before you take care of your clients. I would guess you're giving to much to them with too little regard for your own needs, energetically and physically. While this is altruistic and noble, it will ultimately lead to you being able to help fewer people than if you had put yourself first.  Once your joints are worn out and your spirit is broken you won't be able to help anybody.  So, start making your own needs priority.

 

Good luck!

Landon Wiedenman

 

ENSO Spa | Profile Massage

(307) 413-8949

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Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on March 11, 2011 at 9:15pm

Jill the best thing I have found for any pain is Tei-Fu Massage Lotion from Nature Sunshine. It has essentials oils in it and is just wonderful.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Jakubowski on March 12, 2011 at 6:22pm

I've been a therapist for almost 22 years and fortunately I have had no problems associated with working nearly 6 days every week and up to 5 clients a day. First and foremost, I believe one has to be built for the demands of massage therapy. If it were me, I would not do push ups! Too much strain to already strained muscles and hands. Reduce the workouts for a bit and focus on getting deep tissue massage, ice when necessary, and rest. Slowly add back in stretching and if you lift weights, be sure to get the appropriate muscle balance because we overuse some muscles and under use others. As we all know, muscles can only absorb so much tension. It doesn't make much sense to add to an already full load. They have no choice but to seize up. Working on your own arms daily can help too.

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Permalink Reply by Kay Warren on March 12, 2011 at 10:29pm

If you're hurting that much, I'd check with a DC who does extremities work, and make sure your shoulders, elbows & wrists are in proper alignment.  1/16 of an inch can make your life an absolute misery, yet won't show up on an X-Ray. second, very specifically release the muscles throughout your forearms, and have a god look at your body mechanics.

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Permalink Reply by Samantha Kirk on March 13, 2011 at 8:59pm

Hi Jill,

I sometimes have pain too, but I know it's from poor body mechanics and long hours. I wouldn't do push ups though, I use strengthening exercises for my back and my upper back specifically, focusing on squeezing the scapulas together in towards the spine. I also do Yoga- there are many chest opening stretches and back strengthening poses to help counteract working with your hands in front of your body all day. For my self care/pain relief : 1)It is helpful to soak the hands in ice water for 2 minutes after work, 2)get a hand towel and warm up some water on the stove with epsom salts and then wrap the hot towels around my forearms until warm(take off towels) and then I roll the flexors out with a lacrosse ball on the floor, it feels amazing! 3)biofreeze during work days if pain is effecting my work and 4)Get regular Thai massage .  Listen to your body, take care of yourself :)

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Permalink Reply by Rajam K Roose on March 13, 2011 at 11:49pm

#2 question states that you haven't "exercised properly or weight-lifted in years." Why worry about proper body mechanics when you haven't had a good exercise? You may find it helpful to employ or trade out with a good personal trainer to develop the stamina for massage work. Or, a Feldenkrais class may be helpful as there you would learn to use your body and good body awareness through very simple exercises and their classes are usually cost effective as well.

 

You may also find it helpful to see a nutritionist since your arms and hands are so tender to the touch and it sounds like you're not even working that much. Nutritional deficiency can create those symptoms, I would also get checked out by your physician to make sure there aren't any underlying health issues.

 

A book you may find really helpful is Explain Pain by David Butler. You mention previous back and arm pain, did you know that the brain will get into a pain information loop and kinda get stuck that way? By understanding pain, you can alleviate it! The book is a little pricey but written in laymens' terms. Research has shown that when people understand why they are in pain, that pain diminishes greatly. Muscles are tight and sore because the nerves are restricted. You can use a skin pulling technique which is only similar in technique to the Barnes method of MFR but you don't need to "sink in" to the tissues.

 

Basically, find a tender point (which is where the nerve is restricted) and then just lateral to that put place your hand, let your fingers stick to the skin and then pull gently. Almost like pulling a tissue over a balloon. At the end of tension wait and hold for a minimum of 90 seconds, sometimes it takes five minutes before you'll feel a release in the skin allowing you to pull further and then slowly release. When you retest the tender point it will either be gone or greatly diminished. If still the same tenderness, then just pull again in a different direction. It also helps to know neuroanatomy and have an idea of the branches of the nerves, but it's not absolutely necessary. Just start with the tender points. Go slowly and don't pull too hard. You will find within a few hours to days, you will find relief from your pain. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email at info@rajamroose.com. For more information on dermoneuromodulation (the skin pulling technique) you can visit www.somasimple.com but you will need to register to read many of the postings.

 

Otherwise, it's unfortunate you don't live here in San Diego!

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