Does massage therapy have a negative effect on the hands? | |
Answers:
1For clients, no. Massage to the hands is usually very benifitial.
As a massage therapist, yes. It does develop the arm and hand muscles over time, but what you really have trouble with is the wear and tear on the joints. All massage therapists (as with everyone, though the degree is different) develop arthritis. The compression and release of different strokes grinds away at the cartilidge. The first thing to go is always the thumbs, which many, many MT's use -way- too much.
There are, however, many strokes and methods of achieving satisfactory results -without- using the hands. Forearms and elbows can often be used to access deeper tissue which would otherwise do damage/wear trying to reach with thumbs/knuckles/fingers.
The important thing is keeping aware of the damage it can do, and maintaining good biomechanics. Massage as a practice is hard on the practictioner (after the hands, the back is also a big issue). Knowing how to hold your body and respecting its limits, as well as taking care of yourself, is very important if you want to practice for a long time.
Any other questions, feel free to contact me through my profile =)
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