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All Blog Posts Tagged 'prevention' (8)

The Ergonomics of Parenting

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…

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Added by Robin Byler Thomas on August 21, 2012 at 3:52pm — 2 Comments

The Weekend Warrior's Toolkit: Tips for Injury Prevention & Treatment

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…

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Added by Sean Vierra on August 6, 2012 at 6:50pm — 2 Comments

Self-care takes effort - but it's worth it!

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

Added by Lauriann Greene, CEAS on March 30, 2010 at 8:51am — 8 Comments

Care for your own body first

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

Added by Karina Braun on August 5, 2009 at 1:16pm — No Comments

How to use your body...

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

Added by Karina Braun on August 4, 2009 at 3:30pm — 13 Comments

Statistics on symptoms and injury among massage therapists and bodyworkers

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

Added by Lauriann Greene, CEAS on August 2, 2009 at 3:37pm — No Comments

Effective, Holistic Injury Prevention for Massage Therapists

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

Added by Lauriann Greene, CEAS on July 27, 2009 at 4:23pm — No Comments

Creating Peace with Your Hands

Think of yourself as a massage athlete. Manual therapy demands skill, strength, and endurance, just like a track and field runner or baseball player. The symptoms of overtraining are just like an athlete and include fatigue, lack of energy, pain, insomnia, and depression. Rest is essential for the treatment of overtraining. You can take your resting heart rate in the morning and if it is higher than the previous day, you may not have recovered from the previous day.

Insightful strategies… Continue

Added by Karina Braun on July 10, 2009 at 4:35pm — No Comments