The writer Beau Taplin compares the body to a forest with “thick canopies of maple trees and sweet scented wildflowers,” a forest able to grow back again and again after devastation. It is interesting to apply this concept to massage therapy and body mechanics: taking care of oneself and practicing good body mechanics is of the utmost importance for MTs, but it’s also possible to correct bad habits before, and even after, poor mechanics become detrimental.
With such physical demands from the movements and schedule associated with providing bodywork, massage therapists must take care of themselves in order to cultivate a sustainable career. This realization strikes in various moments—perhaps in school, maybe through making mistakes, or it could be an ongoing awareness you embody through your practice.
Ongoing Awareness
Amber Risner-Moots of Ohio crossed paths with an instructor during her schooling who was extremely focused on proper body mechanics, and those lessons never left her. “I concentrated for many years on making sure when I worked I kept my shoulders pulled back, my back aligned with my hips, and my knees bent properly,” she says. “I can say now that I very rarely have the back pain that I used to have on a constant basis. The only time I have any issue is if I let my mechanics slack, and I am sure to get my act together immediately.”
Ida Williams, a massage therapist in Connecticut, learned an alternative method to maintain awareness of her movements and fluidity. “One of my instructors would have us exercise with t’ai chi, and I could definitely feel the difference when I did it regularly,” Williams recalls. “It really helped with balance, strength, and my stance as well.” Other massage therapists agree, also citing yoga and qigong as helpful.
Warning Signs
Even if you are perfectly aware of the necessity of proper body mechanics, it is still possible to get into the massage zone and only realize your mistakes when your body signals pain. Rain Tabraham-Winter, a Florida-based LMT, came to grips with the fact that she needed to change her movement and stance if she wanted to continue the work she loved: “I changed body mechanics, got an electric table, and vowed I wouldn’t do any technique that hurt. Because of that, I am still going strong and not slowing down.”
The Right Tools
Sometimes poor mechanics are not caused by a slip of the mind, but instead a lack of proper equipment, as Amanda James of Colorado experienced. “A few years ago, I had access to a hydraulic table,” James says. “It was wonderful, and my body never hurt. Now, I don’t have a hydraulic table and have to do back-to-back sessions without time to reset the table. Standing on my tiptoes isn’t proper body mechanics, and my body hates me for it.”
Practicing correct body mechanics is a requisite for massage therapists to have a long and fulfilling career and to prevent short-term burnout. One way to snap back into exemplary form is to remind yourself why you practice massage.
Morgan Kelly Hernandez, a massage therapist in California, forgets about her body mechanics when she is tired, at which point her back and shoulders suffer. “I remind myself that after 10 years in this wonderful business, I cannot go another day if I don’t pay attention to, and take care of, my body! That little inner pep talk usually does the trick.”
Body Awareness Checklist
It is paramount to practice mindful body awareness to prevent injury. Here’s a helpful checklist:
✓ Is your head in proper alignment with your spine to maintain vertical alignment?
✓ Are you bending from the hips?
✓ Are you using the strength of your lower body to apply force?
✓ See abmp.us/6wk-bodymechanics for tips on how to create optimum body mechanics so you can stay strong and continue with your craft. Print them out if you need reminders throughout the day!