Lately, several clients have come in with pain issues that might be avoided with a review of their environmental influences. Usually these influencers are related to the work environment but home and family also play a role in ergonomics. Here's an article I wrote several years ago to address some of these issues.



Ergonomics is the science of making improvements to your work space and daily tasks to more efficiently fit your body and routine.  Its goal is to prevent pain and…

Continue

Summer has arrived, and with the season comes the onslaught of weekend warriors. Warm weather and sunshine can be enough to get even the most obstinate couch potatoes up and running. Orthopedic injuries come in second only to the common cold on the list of most common reasons for doctor visits. So, whether you are soaking up the precious summer weekends on the mountain, on the lake, or breaking in your new pair…

Continue

maui face plant 2009

this month has been an awakening of sorts...two weeks ago, i was going to a

massage appointment with a 50 pound bag of seasalt...as you may know,

seasalt baths are a great way to detoxify the body and to mineralize the body.

i was putting the bag down onto the dolly, onto the loading platform when the…

Continue

As a professional massage therapist you want to have a long, healthy and comfortable massage career!



Doing massage is extremely hard on your hands and upper extremities. Most massage practitioners will, at one time or another, experience injury or pain syndrome while in practice. It is more than likely to happen... Preventing these injuries is your number one self-care objective!



FANTASTIC NEWS!

Introducing an innovative massage treatment and technique that delivers… Continue

Continue

Andrew Wolfe, LMP is the owner and massage therapist of Harmony Licensed Massage Therapy located in Arlington's health care district at Smokey Point, Washington. He has a private practice in the Cumulus Park Health Care Center serving patients in the north Snohomish County region since 1987. In his profession as a licensed massage practitioner, he has focused on the rehabilitation…

Continue

Health care is on the minds of most people, whether they have it, need it, or don't have the right policy due to financial infeasibility, to acquire or maintain it. Unfortunately when it comes to health, if you don't invest in it now, you pay for it later, as the investment of our bodies seem to yield higher rates of health issue returns to our lives as we age. As it stands now, preventative health is not recognized under most health insurance policies unless it comes… Continue

Harvest is upon us again. It is a time to gather and take in the bounty of our labors. It is also a time of reflection, a time to look within and assess our needs; to take inventory and appreciate what we have. In the medical community and with the reminders in the media, we realize it is also cold and flu season, a time when we can deplete our immune system. When this happens not just the individual suffers but all those around them do also.

As a society we have been informed of… Continue

Have you ever been told by your massage therapist after receiving a massage to drink plenty of water? You may ask yourself, ''Why is this"?

The body is mostly composed of fluids. The skin holds the fluids in as well as holding other structures together - like a body suit. Fluids in the body consist of lymph, blood, cerebrospinal fluid as well as other fluids as carriers to help in the transportation, distribution and elimination process. It thereby supports the ability to heal, restore,… Continue

It has come to my attention the need for more education about massage therapy benefits and the coverage under insurance.

First, providership is essential for the practitioner, whom is qualified by credentialing and training.



Second, is the need to look at the individual (patient’s) plan, provision and policy of the insured, whether it be an individual or group plan. Just because a provider is listed as preferred on your insurance plan does not mean you have… Continue

Good Morning World!

Approximately two weeks ago, my brother-in-law wrecked his motorcycle and ended up in the ICU with a serious brain injury known as Diffuse Axonal Injury. Now battling a case of menningitis thought to have been contracted from the catheter in his head to drain the excess cerebro-spinal fluid (CFS) his prognosis is unknown.

I just had a few tips I want to share with anyone who has to go through this with one of your loved…

Continue

An interesting subject came up in a recent interview for a Dutch massage magazine. After speaking for a while, the interviewer said to me "so it sounds like you expect therapists to rearrange their home life and work life. That sounds like a lot of effort - do you think they'll be willing to do that?" I found that to be a surprising question, but I realized that a lot of therapists probably are thinking the same thing: wow, it takes a lot of effort and thought to prevent injury.



Well,… Continue

In my years as a Massage Therapist, I have learned more about myself by helping other people. I have also learned that I have to care for my own body to give to others. I have been in the field for 11 years and have owned my own spa, been a massage instructor, and worked at a spa on the strip in Las Vegas.



The physical part of my job is what drove me but it also led to burnout and injury. I was working full time at the spa and writing the… Continue

To think of massage as something you only do with your hands is incorrect. A therapist who uses the hands for a palpation tool and the whole body for most of the pressure is working correctly. Massage is very physical and the muscles of the arms should not be used for long periods of time without taking a break. The arm muscles are not generally as aerobic and fatigue easily; however, the large muscles of the legs and hips can function efficiently for many hours at a time. Generate your power… Continue

In 2006, Rick Goggins and I collaborated with ABMP/Massage & Bodywork Magazine on a survey designed to produce the first reliable statistics on the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders (injuries) among massage therapists and bodyworkers. We sent the survey by email to 1000 therapists nationwide - 601 responded. With a 60% response rate, we could consider that the results we got were representative of massage therapists and bodyworkers in general nationwide.



Here's… Continue

I'm really pleased to see that the subject of self-care and injury prevention has already been raised on this great new site. That confirms the importance of the subject to all students and professionals, particularly during these tough economic times when being able to protect your investment in your training and your career are more important than ever.



It's always gratifying to see people talking about the principles I introduced in Save Your Hands! in 1995: thinking of yourself… Continue