Therapist Self-Care

For Effective Self-Care, Think Holistically

In a physically demanding profession like massage, paying attention to self-care is essential.  Repetitive movement, hand force, awkward postures and other risk factors in your work can lead to injury.  You can also be exposed to injury risk factors outside of work, as you practice hobbies or do housework.

Since multiple factors are involved in causing injury, a successful prevention strategy must be holistic and multifaceted, combining a number of tactics to address all of the potential causes.  Here are some of the most important areas to pay attention to in your holistic approach to self-care: 

• Set up a safe workplace: Design your massage space to fit your body characteristics and the type of work you do. You need enough space to move freely around your table to avoid static positioning and awkward postures.  Use an adjustable table (power-adjustable if possible) so you can work comfortably and efficiently as you change techniques and move from one client to another.  Leave sufficient break time between massages, and try to maintain a consistent, manageable workload from day to day and week to week.
• Use good body mechanics:  Learn to use your body in a natural and efficient way, while maximizing your strength and avoiding overloading the most vulnerable parts of your body (hands, neck, lower back).  Modify or eliminate any technique that causes you pain or discomfort; plainly speaking, if it hurts, don’t do it.
• Stay in shape: Lack of physical condition is a risk factor for injury.  To stay healthy in your career, you must have the necessary physical condition to keep up with the physical demands of your work.
• Take care of your general health: Getting enough sleep, eating well and avoiding unhealthy habits like smoking can affect your ability to withstand the rigors of your work and heal tissue damage before it progresses to the point of injury.
• Pay attention to your emotions: difficulty setting limits with clients, unreasonable expectations of yourself, or inflexibility about treatment methods can increase your risk of injury.  Learn to be good to yourself, and a long, healthy career will be within your grasp.

Save Your Hands! The Complete Guide to Injury Prevention and Ergonomics for Manual Therapists, 2nd Edition offers massage therapists a truly comprehensive, holistic approach to self-care with the proven methods you need to avoid injury, preserve your health and prolong your career. You’ll also find lots of great information you can use to more effectively treat your clients and enhance your practice.  With 352 pages and over 80 photos and illustrations (book size 8” x 10”). By Lauriann Greene, CEAS and Richard W. Goggins, LMP, CPE.

Visit www.saveyourhands.com for more information.