massage and bodywork professionals

a community of practitioners

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? 

Views: 6075

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Laura K Dylla on April 19, 2011 at 1:50pm
Thanks Michelle.  The closest place is in Austin Texas about 90 minutes from where I live.  What should I look for in a therapist who does Aston-Patterning? 
Permalink Reply by Michelle Wald PT, LMT on April 19, 2011 at 2:31pm
Well, Laura, that would be me! I am in Central Austin I can take you through some strengthening exercises and it sounds like you could use a session too.   Austin is a great place to visit.  Where do you live?  check out my website for further info: www.michellewald.com
Permalink Reply by Jeff Shearer on April 22, 2011 at 2:21am

Agreed Jody

I have had shoulder and back problems from massage for years. I focus very little on forward flexion exercises and use shoulder strengthening for rotator cuff, rhomboid and lower traps as well as daily stretching. Since I incorporated these into my life my body pain is virtually non existent. I have also found that these techniques can be helpful for many people considering most people have forward flexion as they work regardless of their field.

Regards

Jeff

Jody C. Hutchinson said:

I'm wondering why nobody has suggested any extension exercises. It seems to me that we spend a lot of time in forward flexion-right Eric? The idea of strengthening the shortened front body line with crunches; stretching with forward bending, etc. seems unproductive. Why strengthen tight postural muscles?
I haven't heard anyone mention the multifidus or any other back line muscles. WHY?
my 2c
JH
Permalink Reply by Laura K Dylla on April 22, 2011 at 10:41am

Thanks everyone.  That all makes sense.  I am very inflexible in flexion so I will work on those areas and also look into getting with Michelle for some of the Ashton Patterning. 

Thanks, Laura

Permalink Reply by Michelle Wald PT, LMT on April 22, 2011 at 1:29pm

 Jeff was looking for some Extension exercises you can find some here:

http://www.michellewald.com/blog/back-injury-prevention/ 

It is true, Robin MacKenzie studies suggest most people flex or bend over 2000 times per day.

 

Permalink Reply by Jeff Shearer on April 22, 2011 at 8:05pm
Thanks Michelle :)

Michelle Wald PT, LMT said:

 Jeff was looking for some Extension exercises you can find some here:

http://www.michellewald.com/blog/back-injury-prevention/ 

It is true, Robin MacKenzie studies suggest most people flex or bend over 2000 times per day.

 

Permalink Reply by Sasha Amorado on June 6, 2013 at 1:46pm

I know this is an old thread but I thought i would add my two cents.

So much of Being a professional in this field is knowing how to take care of your body so you can work on others without transferring your pain into them...

wether you believe in this stuff or not I have found that starting My massage sessions with a buffer ( a tool) between the client and I has really allowed me to work longer, save my body and happily be able to take more clients.

This will be the  third time I have found myself talking about this thing in the last week but the massage stone I bought years ago called a Sattva Stone has helped tremendously in accomplishing the same work I would do with my upper body, elbows and palms with only a tiny amount of physical exertion. 

I guess im not a purist, but as a tool using monkey I have found that if I save my body I am able to do more for my clients and make a better living for myself because im not so damn worn out.

The massage stone I use is from a company called Oro Vidri.. dont be shocked, they also sell sex toys but their massage stone was well worth the investment at 85 dollars.

WWW.OROVIDRI.COM ( sattva stones)

Permalink Reply by Victoria Jenkins on August 7, 2013 at 3:54am

Hi everyone,

I agree completely Jody! I do Supermans! This exercise helps to stretch the upper back as well as strengthen the low back and upper shoulders. I hold the superman (with arms out in front of me, head down) for 5 secs and repeat as many times as I want. It usually depends on how much time I have but 20 or 30 at a time usually. Great for getting the rhomboids firing again!  I have a client who does this when his low back is in spasm, it helps to reset everything for him and stretch the front enough so it is no longer effecting the back. If you really want to kick it up, lift opposite arm and leg and alternate. This is really great for balancing.

Jody C. Hutchinson said:

I'm wondering why nobody has suggested any extension exercises. It seems to me that we spend a lot of time in forward flexion-right Eric? The idea of strengthening the shortened front body line with crunches; stretching with forward bending, etc. seems unproductive. Why strengthen tight postural muscles?
I haven't heard anyone mention the multifidus or any other back line muscles. WHY?
my 2c
JH
Permalink Reply by Tumana Scott on August 7, 2013 at 2:34pm

I have read all of these post's and I agree with most of them. I actually go a completely different routine than pilates or yoga. I do exercise on a regular basis but I do a lot of combat training. It keeps my muscle loose and warm all of the time. Very much pliable, stretchy, and strong. I also stretch thru out the day, at least 3-5 times a day, to keep my back, hip and leg muscles from tightening up, which could cause low back pain. Just my 2 cents. May not be much. It's a little extreme but it works for me.

Permalink Reply by Laura K Dylla on August 9, 2013 at 9:47pm
Wow, it is encouraging to see that my question about back strengthening for therapists is still alive and answers are still coming up. The suggestion to strengthen the extensor had never occurred to me and I am grateful,for that insight. And yes that is where my focus has been these two years. I don't do much physical exercise other than my massage work but I work on the core esp the back muscles. I am also working on a modified kegel exercise where I purposefully do the kegel exercise pulling all the interior muscles up toward my abdomen and diaphragm. It ends up lifting my spine and assists in my standing correctly upright with a feeling of the interior core being tightened. I have done many kegel exercises to tighten my lower abdomen after the birth of my last child who was quite large at age 34. It stopped me having a leaky bladder and uplift the interior structure from a prolapse uterus. The problem of the weakened ilium core has been greatly reduced by a specific exercise or cross hip resistance to pop the ilium a back into place. But years of visits to a chiropractor who uses muscle testing has brought me to where it is rare to have low back problems unless i sit a long time. And I raised my table and use my bended knees and straight back (with a pushed out butt) to keep my back in extension while doing the work of sparing the spine. Thanks again Jason and all of the input you all have maintained on this post. And I still maintain that massage schools should do a better job of screening students for problems with the back that they see on the tables in classes. I have several LMTs who are working with significant back pain from years of abuse as children in sports and falls from horses. They are looking for help with their problems as much as their clients .
Permalink Reply by Michelle Wald on August 9, 2013 at 11:07pm

I totally agree with this, as a PT and an LMT I know  this to be true. Many massage therapists rely on trades and other practitioners to keep them going. There is so much you can do for yourself. Traditional body mechanics is a good start but limited, Aston® Mechanics teaches you how to approach the body in a neutral alignment, adjusting the force vectors as you move, decreasing effort and increasing mechanical advantage = decreased pain. I am developing a fitness class for massage therapists right now-what do you think? Would people take it?

Laura K Dylla said:

Seems like exercise for massage therapists was a good question to ask. Thanks for all the input. My problem stems from a mild scolotic curve of the lumbar that cork-screwed my spine and skewed my hips. Thanks to adjustments by a chiro who does muscle testing, I am stronger than before but found that any exercises seemed to exacerbate the back problems. The erector spinae and lats and traps on my left side engage in warfare against my body. So finding exercises that stopped the corkscrew and strengthened my back at the same time seemed impossible. I viewed the turkish get ups and if I can find some good hand weights, also the farmers walk seems like a good exercise. I also viewed some extension exercises that will help my erectors.
But maybe, massage schools should introduce exercise as a way for LMTs to extend their life of massage. If there are anymore ideas, please give them to me. Thanks a bunch.
Permalink Reply by Laura K Dylla on August 10, 2013 at 4:53pm
I think an exercise program for LMTs would be awesome, ESP if you included an assessment of structure that can point a therapist toward modalities or function that can improve and correct the torso. Misaligned ilium or hip displacement uncorrected is the source of much lumbar pain and sciatica...also causing lose of height and compression of discs and torquing of the entire structure. I would love to corroborate with you Michelle especially on the problems I encountered previous to attending massage school and what I experienced in the years since as an LMT working a full schedule. I am in much better posture since I started asan LMT and I try to use that knowledge and the tidbits of knowledge passed on by other LMTs I have encountered.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

© 2024   Created by ABMP.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

Sign in to chat!