The major cause of wrist problems is standing too close to the person being massaged creating an increased angle at the wrist joint whilst applying pressure. This is easily rectified by standing back, flattening out your wrist and using your body correctly to create the pressure.

Some suggest having a break between clients but I believe this is wrong teaching and can also contribute to the problem. I say this because once your muscles & joints are warmed up you are better to continue, you even see footballers now on exercise bikes keeping their legs moving on the side of the field, so they are ready to go as soon as they enter the playing field again. It is the same for massage therapists; we must be warmed and ready to go. At the peak of my business I was doing up to 16 massages a day, mostly remedial which worked best for my arms by doing back to backs in 2-3hour stints with half hour breaks in between. By massaging in this way, not only are your muscles and joints warmed, but you are also switched on, in the zone, ready to perform at your best.

It is beneficial to massage your arms first thing in the morning, it also helps to rub in some heat rub before you start, for our advanced massage students CTR brings great relief and can be done daily during busy periods; If sore at the end of the day, finish by rubbing in some arnica cream to help prevent or relieve any inflammation; you must also have a therapeutic massage yourself at least once a month.

REMEMBER!! If how you are massaging is causing discomfort, you need to stop, re-assess and make the changes needed to take the stress off your arms & wrist, as well as correcting your posture and making sure it is good all throughout the day.

One again proper massage training through thorough practical massage tuition, as is taught at Discover Massage Australia plays a vital role in being successful and injury free as a massage therapist.

The post Why Massage Therapists suffer from Wrist Problems appeared first on Discover Massage Australia.

Most are caused by therapists trying to massage deeply or in a specific spot by applying deep thumb pressure.

First and most importantly you must spend the time warming the area where deeper work is needed, too many massage therapists try going too deep too soon, resulting in undue pressure on the joints of the thumb, as well as discomfort for the client.

The area must be thoroughly loosened, then and only then can you begin to apply more pressure with your thumb, take your time, and try not force the issue.

There are also different types of thumbs, some long and skinny, others short and thick like mine, with many shapes and sizes in between, you must adapt according to your thumb shape to avoid inflammation.

Also make sure not to fully extend your thumb, as often just by closing your thumb a little, the discomfort goes away, others may need to support their thumb with their other hand to get the required pressure, or if it is an ongoing problem ease back and instead of trying to release the problem in one go, bring the person back for another massage therapy treatment.

You can also begin the day by massaging the joints of your thumbs with heat rub, then at the end of the day with arnica to help ease any inflammation.

Remember! If you are injured you cannot help anyone, so please do take care.

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