Massage helps ease muscle pain and tension. It is a great way to get rid of muscle soreness, gain flexibility and flush toxins out of the body. Massage therapists know this well and tell it to their clients everyday. But do they also know that, in order to take care of their own bodies, they must make sure to maintain good posture and body mechanics during a massage?Doing massages can be rough on the body. Many therapists suffer from hand, arm and upper-back pain. Besides getting massaged on a regular basis themselves, therapists must use proper posture while giving massages so they can continue to practice their art for years to come.
Instructions
1. First check your everyday standing posture. Stand as you do normally. Don’t be too self-conscious about it; just position yourself as you would if you were waiting in line somewhere.
2. Now check your posture. How are you standing? How are your feet positioned? Are you slouching? Do you put more weight on one foot than the other?
3. Try to straighten and align your posture. Square your feet and move them so they’re hip-width apart. Straighten your back. Pretend there is a string coming from the crown of your head that is being used to pull you up. Let your arms hang loosely at your sides. Feel your joints align.
4. Remember this stance and how it feels. As you massage, you will be moving, but you should try to maintain an alignment of your joints while you do it. You need to keep a straight back.
5. Check the height of the table you use to give massages. Everyone likes their table at a different height, but ideally, it should come up to just above your hip. A massage table that is adjusted for your needs will help you maintain proper alignment while working. If you need to, adjust the table.
6. Don’t bend with your back while massaging. To lower your body, bend from the knees. If you are facing the table, bend both knees, with your legs far apart. Don’t let the knees go over your toes. If you have the table to your side, stand in a lunge position. The leg closest to the table should be straight, while the one farthest from the table is bent. This will help save your back and give you strong thighs.
7. Don’t look down. Try to keep your neck and head straight during the massage. Constantly looking down puts strain on the back of your neck and your upper back.
8. When you need to apply more pressure to a client, lean into him. You can use your body weight, instead of your muscle strength, to apply pressure. Imagine the force you need coming up from your feet and out through your hands. This will help you use less energy during massaging.
Tags: will help, your back, your feet, check your, coming from