Effective, Holistic Injury Prevention for Massage Therapists

I'm really pleased to see that the subject of self-care and injury prevention has already been raised on this great new site. That confirms the importance of the subject to all students and professionals, particularly during these tough economic times when being able to protect your investment in your training and your career are more important than ever.

It's always gratifying to see people talking about the principles I introduced in Save Your Hands! in 1995: thinking of yourself as a "massage athlete", developing awareness so you pay as much attention to your own body and emotions as you do the client's, thinking as much about the intent of your work as the actual techniques. The additional training and research I've done since 1995 on ergonomics and occupational health and safety has taught me that the most effective, proven approach to preventing injury is one that is multifaceted and holistic. There are many reasons that workers get injured, so there is no one tactic (awareness, body mechanics, etc.) that is "the key" to preventing injury. There are five primary steps to effective, holistic injury prevention:

1. Maintain awareness of the risk of injury in their work;
2. Understand how risk factors cause injury;
3. Reduce risk factors through ergnomics;
4. Develop good body mechanics and work practices;
5. Take care of your general physical and emotional health.

I'll be talking more about these strategies, and providing tips, in the weeks and months to come.