QuestionHi Michael,
I am a qualified massage therapist who has recently started and am doing quite a bit of massage now. I have found that my thumb is giving some trouble, it feels a bit bruised, not while I am massaging but in between. I have tried to ice it and it does feel a bit better. Is this common - am I to expect this to happen? Any tips or advice?
Thanks.
AnswerThank you for your question, Mandi.
Obviously as massage therapists, we use our hands in the majority of our work, so yes it is common. Our thumbs can carry the brunt of that work if we lose our focus on the technique(s) we are employing to achieve the client-desired results. As a result, in relatively short time, the thumb begins to "complain" thru the discomfort you are currently experiencing.
Two things I would recommend:
1) If you were taught in massage school about Body-Mechanics, review it and practice them fervently.
2) If you haven't got this in your office library, buy "Save Your Hands, Injury Protection for Massage Therapists" by Lauriann Greene, the "accepted" Bible for injury prevention in the industry.
3) If you are doing Reflexology, buy a massage tool that will replace the work your thumbs are doing all the time. I decided to stop doing Reflexology altogether because of the excessive wear-and-tear and to save my thumbs for later years.
IMHO, female therapist are more vulnerable and susceptible to physical injuries than men are and if you continue doing massage the ways you are doing it causing this discomfort, you may end up with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This condition is known for prematurely ending female therapists careers.
Hope that helps you,
Michael, LMT
