Self-care for massage therapists, part 1

I’ve been doing 16-20 hours of massage per week lately, mostly Swedish but also a little deep tissue work. (I’m still getting up to speed on ashiatsu.)

The up side? I burn a lot of calories so I can really dig in at the table (one of life’s sweet pleasures), and I sleep well, being physically fatigued, another sweet by-product. And of course I’m the richer for it, in money, skill, connections, and making a difference.

The down side is that such physical work can take a toll on my body. I understand why a lot of massage therapists get burned out and leave the profession. From my fingers to my spine, I have felt achiness, inflammation, swelling, tenderness, stiffness.

Luckily, I belong to a group on LinkedIn, the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP). I joined to keep up with discussions about the profession. One person not long ago asked the following question:

What do you do for your hands when they ache after giving a series of massages? I am using proper body mechanics. My hands ache. I appreciate your feedback.

There were 55 responses that I’m going to summarize, because I feel so grateful to have this resource. Thanks to all the MTs who responded.

Please note that many of these are new to me; I am just summarizing what people posted. Later I will post what’s worked for me (that I’ve tried so far) along with a few of my own discoveries.

Recovery time

scheduling days off to recover
taking a 30 minute break after 3 hours (or however long works for you)
taking adequate time between clients to recover
not scheduling deep tissue sessions back to back

Body mechanics, stretching, strengthening, and recovery

paying attention to how you use your hands on your days off
doing hand stretching and strengthening exercises
resting in semi-supine position to open the brachial plexus (on your back, knees up, feet flat, book under head for 15-20 minutes)
paying even more attention to body mechanics as you work
getting a colleague to observe you work and give feedback
stretching after each client
lifting weights to strengthen arms and hands
punching a punching bag (with training)

Therapeutic devices

using the Thera Band Hand and Wrist Rehab Kit
using Theraputty
using a spiky reflex ball
squeezing a dog toy ball for larger hands
using a thumb protector
applying a mini-thumper to your forearms
doing Graston or gua sha (Chinese Graston) on the forearm tendons (with The Edge tool, Fibroblaster, back of a comb, fingernails, jade tool, butter knife, or a Chinese soup spoon)
massaging sore places on hands with the eraser end of a pencil
massaging hands by rolling a tennis ball
sleeping in wrist splints
using WARMitts
using hand therapy balls

Heat and cold

dipping hands into hot wax/paraffin bath
applying hot and cold hydrotherapy
dipping hands into ice water

Self-massage

getting regular massage yourself
stripping your own forearm muscles
getting Reflexology on your hands or doing it yourself
learning Trager self-care movements for the hands
getting myofascial release work done on your arms
this page describes how to release wrist trigger points
this page describes how to release tennis elbow
cupping with suction cups

Delivering massage

working within your limitations (i.e., telling clients you don’t do full body deep tissue work)
reading the book Save Your Hands!
switching to Trager
learning Reiki so the energy goes only one way
learning Bamboossage, Ashiatsu Oriental bar therapy, or floor Ashiatsu to deliver deep tissue work
use alternating areas of the hand/forearm/elbow in moderation
having a box of tools available (balls, bamboo sticks, knobbers) to use on clients’ tough spots
using Art Riggs’ techniques for deep tissue work
using your forearms instead of hands whenever possible
using cupping
applying hot towels to client
holding thumbs tight against hand and using body to push for static pressure point work
using the edge of your hand or base of palm area instead of thumbs for sweeping or kneading motions

Oils, herbs, creams, gels, minerals

applying essential oil of rosemary for warming or peppermint for cooling (add to jojoba oil)
applying oils that are anti-inflammatory: helichrysum, frankincense, German chamomile, Cape chamomile, katrafay, and ginger
applying oils that are analgesic: lemongrass, clove, litsea cubeba, peppermint, wintergreen, and eucalyptus citriodora
combining anti-inflammatory and analgesic oils; applying them to neck, shoulders, forearms, hands, and feet to relieve hands
applying St. John’s wort oil, white willow tincture, fresh turmeric tincture, comfrey fomentation, raw apple cider vinegar fomentation
using arnica cream
applying Biofreeze
applying magnesium oil or gel
soaking in an Epsom salt bath
soaking your hand in lukewarm or cold water with a minimum amount of salt