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Stools? A resounding YEA! I've been practicing massage for 20 years in clinical settings - hospital, pt, & chiropractic clinics. Much of my work consists of 15 minute area specific work. I use a stool much of the time. In fact, all foot work, neck work, arm work, and rotator cuff work, I perform while sitting. I stand when I need my weight and leverage to address the major muscles - quads, hamstrings, glutes, and back. Some might say that I've gotten lazier as I've aged; I prefer to think that I've gotten smarter.
As for the sidelying position - I'd say "Absolutely". I like to sit on my stool and traction the ilium with my bottom (lower end of the table) hand, while the other hand presses forward into the client and glides up the paraspinals. This works very well. The opposing forces stabilize the client's body on the table and I can exert more pressure than I can standing up. I will note that it works best with a stool whose wheels can be locked or unlocked when needed.
I use an exercise ball whenever I choose to be seated, for bodywork usually head, neck, and shoulders (prone and supine), feet and hands (supine), and for reflexology with client in reclining chair. I keep the ball slightly soft to sink into it and roll on the ball as body mechanics suggest.
Someone gave me some really good advice once - when sitting on the stool- keep your abdominal muscles pulled in...a little reminder about body mechanics. For side-lying work I have sat on the stool, I've been down on one knee or I am standing. For the face I am usually sitting and for the feet it varies. I have sat on the table, put my knee up on the table, put my foot up on the table and even climbed up on the table for a modified style of Thai Massage (that last one is always with full agreement from the client). The point of all this - I am always aware of how my body feels comfortable and how the pressure is coming through my hands. So try a lot of position varieties with or without the stool and see what feels right to you.
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