training with mdomassage

The Risk of Injury

I think it is fair to say that all of us at some point have worried about becoming injured or not being able to massage any more. And I'm sure most of us have heard stories of therapists who have had to give up through pain or injury to their thumbs or wrists. Unfortunately these are very real dangers, and ones that every therapist must take very seriously the moment they decide to become a massage therapist / bodyworker.

The Three Stages of Injury

"A repetitive strain injury (RSI), also called cumulative trauma disorder (CTD), occupational overuse syndrome, or work related upper limb disorder (WRULD), is any of a loose group of conditions resulting from overuse of a tool or other activity that requires repeated movements. It is a syndrome that affects muscles, tendons and nerves in the hands, arms and upper back. The medically accepted condition in which it occurs is when muscles in these areas are kept tense for very long periods of time, due to poor posture and/or repetitive motions."*

Does that sounds familiar to you? Repeated movements that keep the muscles tense for long periods of time? That really does sound like massage work to me. It is generally agreed that there are three stages to Repetive Strain Injury as follows:

Stage 1 (Mild)
Aches and fatigue noticed during treatments, this doesn't affect the treatment or ability to complete the treatment. Damage is reversible.

Stage 2 (Moderate)
Symptoms begin early in the working day and do not resolve overnight. Physical signs may be visible, such as swelling of the tendon areas. Ability to perform at treatments is diminished and is noticeably uncomfortable, this stage may last several months.

Stage 3 (Severe)
Symptoms persist while at rest; the sufferer often has difficulty performing light tasks - holding a cup of tea, a saucepan or even opening a door can cause discomfort or pain. This damage can be irreversible and the person never gets back full use of the affected part of their body.

So as soon as you begin feeling any pain in your thumbs or wrists while working on a client you are already feeling the affects of RSI. As soon as pain begins damage has been done to your body and you must seek medical advice as soon as possible. And you must also look at how you can continue to work and massage without causing further damage.

Massage & Bodyword Magazine

Your Not Alone

The magazine Massage & Bodyworkd published the article "Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Injuries Among Experienced Massage and Bodywork Professionals" in December / January 2006. It makes very interesting reading to see just how many in our profession are injured - over 75% of those working ten or more hours a week have suffered the symptoms of injury.

Why not read the article (Acrobat Reader required) for yourself and make up your own mind about how important it is we learn to protect outselves.

 

 

* Source: Wikipedia