Hard on the wrists?

[earthward]

Hi, I am thinking about studying massage therapy next year and am very excited about it but I'm trying to get a realistic idea of what's involved....

I'm a little concerned about the physical demands.. wondering if it might be overkill for my wrists and fingers. I am a professional piano accompanist part-time (two evenings a week). So I need to find a day job and of all the possibilities I am most drawn to working as a massage therapist: I am really interested in anatomy and mind-body wellness and I really want to work in alternative health care.. I have no question about that. However I know there are more holisitic healing modalities that really interest me (i.e. Polarity Therapy, Chinese Medicine) and that incorporate some massage work as well... so that's kind of where I would like to end up. But the place where I live doesn't really have any programs in holisitic health and I want to make sure that whatever degree I end up with will translate into a job. Right now it's looking like the massage therapy degree is the best bet...

So I'm wondering, are there anyother musician/MT's out there and how are you managing both? I read a post by Ouch who said that she used to play classical piano but can't anymore because of doing massage , yikes. But I think I'll probably end up doing what I want to do regardless ... even it completely doesn't make practical sense I will proabably follow my heart and do it anyways! I just want to know what I'm getting into I guess ... would love to hear people thoughts.

Thanks !

[maestra]

Earthward,

There are definitely musicians on the board.

And I know that Elsewhere plays the harp, while our dear Palpable is the drummer for a band.

And there are others who play as well... you might be inspired by reading this thread I started a couple years back:

Inspiration, Creativity and Massage:
http://www.bodyworkonline.com/forum/vie ... php?t=2880

[AnastasiaB]

Earthward,

If you learn ways to honor your hands, fingers and wrists with loving care and the proper mechanics when providing bodywork, you should have little to any difficulty being a pianist as well as a massage therapist.

fwiw

[Ouch]

Proper body mechanics have done little for me...I even bought a hydraulic lift table and hired an ergonomics consultant. It's just too much to expect from your body.

I really wish I had considered the damage massage would do to my body before choosing it. My finger joints are ruined, and I have the equivalent of golf and tennis elbow. Now after playing for 15 minutes my shoulders and neck get knotted up beyond belief, and I get excruciating headaches from it.

75% of all massage clients want deep tissue, not gentler energy work like you're describing. Unfortunately, 100% of my clients want deep tissue, because I'm the last LMP left at my clinic who does it. The other 3 have quit or changed to energy work because of the damage massage has done to their bodies.

In school, a violin player dropped out during her last month because her wrists were already suffering. A friend who plays jazz trumpet professionally is quitting massage at the end of this month because of shoulder problems. He's only been massaging part-time (8-12 a week) for 2 years!

There are better ways of making a little money on the side without jeopardizing your passion for music performance.

[Ouch]

But I think I'll probably end up doing what I want to do regardless ... even it completely doesn't make practical sense I will probably follow my heart and do it anyways! I just want to know what I'm getting into I guess ... would love to hear people thoughts.

A client thinking about massage school 'shadowed' me today with some clients who are her co-workers (I built my practice by giving free massage at local businesses, so I have many clients who work at the same place. And none of them know how much I hate massage as a career, believe it or not!)

Anyhoo, I thought about your post because she shares your enthusiasm about her future as a massage practitioner...and so did I, 'back in the day', before I experienced the reality of it all...

I keep saying 'I wish I had known...' and 'I wish I had considered...' because fact of the matter is, I didn't know anything. And I didn't consider anything. I was going to be an LMP and love it the rest of my days. NO ONE could have convinced me otherwise. The statistics didn't apply to ME...I was invincible...and the most ambitious person I knew...so my future was completely up to me!

But this s**t has completely kicked my a$$, just like it does the MANY OTHERS who try it. Of course, I gave it 250%, and I wonder sometimes if I had given it only 150%, would I be OK today? Heck, I don't know.

Just some thoughts, from a jaundiced old prune who wishes someone had kicked her a$$ with the truth 7 years ago...

[JaeMarie]

Earthward,

Everyone's experience will be a little different. Some will find it's everything they hoped for and more, others will find it's not for them. I happen to love the work I'm doing. One of my classmates loved and appreciated massage school, but at graduation said one of the things he'd learned is that as enjoyable as it is, it's not something he wants to do for the rest of his life (but didn't regret the experience or knowledge.)

There are things you can do to stack the odds in your favor. Learning to listen to your body and learning to take care of it are of great importance for your health. If it hurts, don't do it. If it doesn't feel right, change it. Find what works for you, and don't compromise your body in an attempt to create change in someone else's.

One of the beauties about massage is that there's generally more than one way to address an issue - you find what works for you and your body, your client and their body. If there can't be a match, then there's nothing wrong with referring the client to someone who will otherwise fit their needs. The bottom line is you listen and learn from your body, and based on it's capabilities, work from there.

[pueppi]

earthward,

Before "Ouch" scares you out of this wonderful profession, I'd invite you to read a few other threads he/she has participated in and the comments from other therapists.

• Age, Weight, and Career Path
• Wrist pain

I will suggest that if you decide to do extensive deep tissue work (I am in that category), that you consider working on a schedule that gives you two to three day rest periods in each week and try to max out at around 5 - 6 hours of massage per day.

I've had many a client come to me asking for deep work, getting the work they asked for, and then commenting that they've had what they thought was deep work before, and it doesn't compare to what I am doing. So, "deep work" is relative. But, your practice doesn't have to be like this.

I also think that some body styles and the way some of us have our fingers attached just works better for what many people consider deep tissue and specific body work. Here's an example: my husband and I work together - I take most of the neck work, because my fingers are tiny, boney and pointy.... plus I have some sort of super duper finger strength going on (sort of abnormal, almost.... *winks*) --- hubby has big hands, so he takes on most of our lower back/hip clients, because he can get to where he needs to with deep work that is not "uncomfortable" (my LB work can be "quite noticiable" much of the time). We both work deep, but in different ways. We both can work each area most competently, but we find for our body strengths and weaknesses, this idea of "matching client-need to therapist-strength when possible" works out much to our advantage.

And, just because many clients ask for deep work, does not mean you have to offer it in your practice. Find a therapist who can do what you don't (or who does what you won't) and then utilize that therapist in order to have a place to reciprocally refer clients. Let that therapist know you would like to send the more strenuous work to him/her and ask for referrals of your preferred clients. It can be a great match.


I think this sums it up nicely:

One of the beauties about massage is that there's generally more than one way to address an issue - you find what works for you and your body, your client and their body. If there can't be a match, then there's nothing wrong with referring the client to someone who will otherwise fit their needs.

As a side note, I did a lot to build up my wrist strength over the years. I highly suggest building wrist strength a priority, as this may be why I don't have too many problems with them. I'd say I have a wrist issue maybe once every 6+ years that will last for a week or so, and I am still able to work around it, as generally it is either something coming from the attachments of the muscles at the anterior forearm (rest, ice, muscle work) or one of the carpals has gotten mis-aligned and needs to be "adjusted" for a while.

Just keeping yourself taken care of can keep this to a minimum. But, again, it could be because I dedicated some years to building up my wrist strength. Hard to say.

[cicerone]

Preserve your hands and fingers and have stonegirl teach you Ashiatsu.

[stonegirl]

Preserve your hands and fingers and have stonegirl teach you Ashiatsu.

of course I agree! and on that note, there are alot of different techniques and modalities that are easier on your body, but also offer the "deep work" that alot of clients want. Ashiatsu, massage cupping, rossiter, are just a few that come to my mind. Think outside the box of traditional massage and get creative!

[moogie]

There's an entire myraid of massage modalities. Extreme deep tissue or Energy work are not the only two options.

I've been doing massage for over 17 yrs now and know quite a few therapists personally who have been massaging for 15-25 yrs. I took a great class from Bob King a few years ago and he's been doing massage for over 33 yrs. A great quote from him is "Work smarter, not harder."

Massage, like any profession has it's pros and cons. Different people who come into this profession have different experiences. Yours might be different than mine or someone else's.

Follow your heart and remember that nothing is permanent. If you try massage and find it's not for you, well......no one is going to put a gun to your head and force you to do anything you don't want to or handcuff you to a massage table and force you to work.

Angie

[JasonE]

But I think I'll probably end up doing what I want to do regardless ... even it completely doesn't make practical sense I will probably follow my heart and do it anyways! I just want to know what I'm getting into I guess ... would love to hear people thoughts.

A client thinking about massage school 'shadowed' me today with some clients who are her co-workers (I built my practice by giving free massage at local businesses, so I have many clients who work at the same place. And none of them know how much I hate massage as a career, believe it or not!)

Anyhoo, I thought about your post because she shares your enthusiasm about her future as a massage practitioner...and so did I, 'back in the day', before I experienced the reality of it all...

I keep saying 'I wish I had known...' and 'I wish I had considered...' because fact of the matter is, I didn't know anything. And I didn't consider anything. I was going to be an LMP and love it the rest of my days. NO ONE could have convinced me otherwise. The statistics didn't apply to ME...I was invincible...and the most ambitious person I knew...so my future was completely up to me!

But this s**t has completely kicked my a$$, just like it does the majority of everyone else who tries it. Of course, I gave it 250%, and I wonder sometimes if I had given it only 150%, would I be OK today? Heck, I don't know.

Just some thoughts, from a jaundiced old prune who wishes someone had kicked her a$$ with the truth 7 years ago...

An excellent example of someone who has had years to adapt her practice and move in a positive direction... but chose not to. Rather than accept responsibility for failing to adequately address the physical (and emotional and financial) strains of a bodywork-centered career, she has chosen to blame the profession and denounce it. Despite thousands of positive examples of people that have been practicing far longer with fewer problems, who are successful and love what they do, she seems to think that no one can last and be happy in this field.

The gold nuggets to be learned from Ouch's posts are these:
1. Massage is physically demanding, and so it is vitally important to learn and PRACTICE good body mechanics.
2. Practitioners should know multiple modalities including some that are easier on the practitioner.
3. It is vitally important to include physical conditioning for the whole body as a regular part of one's self-care, starting the moment you choose to start studying massage.

[Ouch]

An excellent example of someone who has had years to adapt her practice and move in a positive direction... but chose not to. Rather than accept responsibility for failing to adequately address the physical (and emotional and financial) strains of a bodywork-centered career, she has chosen to blame the profession and denounce it. Despite thousands of positive examples of people that have been practicing far longer with fewer problems, who are successful and love what they do, she seems to think that no one can last and be happy in this field.

An excellent example of someone who is completely unwilling to permit any other experiences or perspectives than his own. You will never get another perspective on this forum, because this forum consists of only the few who have "made it" and love their profession.

Please at least consider what I said, regardless of the judgmental, narrow-minded posters who cannot let another point of view simply BE, but find it more satisfying to condemn my character and wrap my view up in sweeping generalizations.

Of course I don't denounce the profession and believe no one can be happy in it. That's ridiculous and offensive. Obviously many can. Just not me.

[Blisss]

Of course I don't denounce the profession and believe no one can be happy in it. That's ridiculous and offensive. Obviously many can. Just not me.

Really? Your posts don't read that balanced, Ouch. If you were just posting to warn people to be careful, and share your difficult experience, we'd welcome your posts. The reason we object is that your posts are filled with extreme generalizations about the profession as a whole. Here are just a few quotes from your posts on this board:

But this s**t has completely kicked my a$$, just like it does the majority of everyone else who tries it.

In summary: Massage as a career is boring on the good days, draining as a norm, painful and soul-sucking at worst, with no way out.

Clients don't care anything about you, despite the pleasantries that come out of their mouths. Just try to say, "I can't feel my feet today, and my hands are tingling. I need to take a week off" and wait for the screams of, "But what about ME, ME, ME?" They're perfectly satisfied using, abusing, then tossing you to the side after you're spent.

If those posts used the pronoun "I" and "My", we'd empathize with your experience, but when you write like that is THE massage therapist experience, of course we disagree.

[Johnny-B]

Up front -I'm Stefanie's coworker who is also a jazz trumpet player. I saw this thread on our computer. I've played trumpet 30 years and massaged almost 2. The combination is too much for my external shoulder rotators so I'm cutting down to 4 massages a week in my home. Still that's over $250 a week which ain't too bad.

It sounds like you've made up your mind already so just do what everyone suggests and listen to your body. You might be just fine.

[earthward]

Heartfelt thanks to everybody for reading my post and sharing their thoughts! This is very helpful and I will keep referring back to this as I continue with the application process.

Ouch, *hugs* I do appreciate your feedback... I really hope you find something other than massage that you enjoy doing...

For myself I will just have to try it and see... I feel I have some knowledge of body mechanics and played a lot of insanely hard piano music without injuring myself so hopefully I can transfer that to the massage work....we'll see.... anyways, thanks so much everybody this is awesome... keep it coming!!!

[stasiag]

Definitely striving to get "in shape" for the job is a wonderful idea. I've chosen to work with Chiropractors so that I've got easy access to their services as well as trading often with my other MT friends. I'm learning African Drumming, and though that's not as delicate as the piano, harp, or trumpet, it does wear on my hands.

I make it through with regular adjustments, massage, resistance training, stretching, and lots of ice. I'm also always trying to widen my awareness of my body mechanics.

Best of luck. Even if you go through school and you feel it's not for you, you'll definitely have had a wonderful and life changing experience.

[palpable]

You will never get another perspective on this forum, because this forum consists of only the few who have "made it" and love their profession.

Yes, most of us on this forum love our profession- that's why we visit BWO. But I would hardly say it consists of the "few who have made it." Look through and you will come across plenty of MTs who are just starting out, who are students, who work part time, - and who have had injuries. In that aspect, I would say that Ouch has a viewpoint worth exploring, however, please temper that with other therapists on this board who have dealt with injuries and have figured out how to alter their work while they heal- or who have changed their work altogether to make it work for them.

Having said that- I've played drums for about twenty years (far longer than I've been an MT) and have learned over time to protect and care for my wrists and hands- I stretch regularly, do self-massage on my hands and forearms, and pay close attention to my body and my alignment both when playing music and giving massage.

I've managed to keep my wrists in decent shape through the "invincible" years and into a slightly less invincible age. And, yes, sometimes they hurt- that is when it is especially crucial to take a breath and take care of yourself. Pain tells us to pay attention- and then try to fix what is wrong.

[Johnny-B]

For myself I will just have to try it and see... I feel I have some knowledge of body mechanics and played a lot of insanely hard piano music without injuring myself so hopefully I can transfer that to the massage work.

This might be good to explore before school even. The client who shadowed me and Stefanie decided massage would be too much for her hands. She does some kind of embroidery for a living. She did a 15 min treatment on my shoulder so she got an idea what its like. We don't mind at all helping others out who are interested.

[Blisss]

Rather than shadowing a massage therapist whose opinions & experiences are subjective, I recommend attending an "Introduction to Massage" workshop at a local massage school. It allows you to learn more about massage as a career, while simultaneously giving your hands a test for the work. If you do well & like it, you can pursue the full schooling from there. Here's an example of one such class:

http://www.massage.net/programs/introductory.shtml

See if schools in your area offer something similar.

[Johnny-B]

You will still get subjective opinions & experiences at a school because people at schools also have subjective opinions & experiences. I recommend a real working situation because schools have something to sell.

[Ouch]

Ouch, *hugs* I do appreciate your feedback.

In that aspect, I would say that Ouch has a viewpoint worth exploring

Geez, I don't know how to react to this...except THANKS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! And you too, John. He knows how hard I've worked to make my career and this clinic work the past 2 years, and how we're still waiting for something to pay off...

[JaeMarie]

Rather than shadowing a massage therapist whose opinions & experiences are subjective, I recommend attending an "Introduction to Massage" workshop at a local massage school. It allows you to learn more about massage as a career, while simultaneously giving your hands a test for the work. If you do well & like it, you can pursue the full schooling from there. Here's an example of one such class:

http://www.massage.net/programs/introductory.shtml

See if schools in your area offer something similar.

Along this line, the Cortiva schools offer a one day free workshop http://www.cortiva.com/ . They have several locations, so maybe there's one in an area you could try.

[Rose of Sharon]

Schools do have something to sell, and many local working massage establishments have territory to maintain - some don't like competition and wouldn't hesitate to scare potential students off. I'm always amazed when a potential student calls me and is afraid to tell me that they have to have a receipt for school to prove they've had a professional massage before classes start. Usually several others have already turned them down - they are learning to call another town for an appointment.

[stasiag]

I don't know about shadowing anyone. A good school will probably let you sit in on a class or lab session so that you can get an idea of what to expect with training. The way that shadowing experience was described, it sounds like everyone knew each other. I don't know any client I've worked with who would allow an unknown, untrained therapist in the room to watch while they receive a massage. That's also something I would not personally allow for myself or my clients. IMO it wouldn't make for an open, honest, healing session.

Clinic experience is attached to at least some if not all school curriculums to offer a taste of the "real world". But, nothing anyone says or shows you will prepare you for what you are going to personally experience.

[Savannah Bloom]

In response............I can't say that I am making a fabulous living as an LMT, but I also can't say that I work at it extremely hard either. I can say I spent many thankless years as a grunt in electronic assembly, and I felt my soul was being slowly extracted from my body...........beginning my massage practice, I believe, literally saved my life.

I would continue to do massage even if I won the lottery tomorrow. It's been the one thing in my life that consistently gives me peace and satisfaction, and makes me feel like I have a purpose. I've had my ups and downs with it, the creepy perverts, slow times, financial struggles, minor injuries, a few clients here and there that are really really annoying.........

I've also had clients that individually rallied around me when I was diagnosed with cancer, doing everything from taking my outdoor potted plants home with them to water them for two weeks when I had emergency surgery, to bringing me home cooked meals and doing my massage laundry one week as a treat! My clients are, for the most part, really really nice people.

The kindnesses and the sweet gestures far outnumber the obnoxious few, and that has always been consistent. I have never done work that makes me laugh so much, and makes me care so much. I'm defiantely not a poster child for monetary sucess because I haven't mastered that yet.......but I definately like and enjoy what I do, and for me the flip side doesn't begin to compare.

For me..........taking that first step towards beginniing my massage career was a life changing journey, and I don't regret it in the least. It's the best thing I've ever done with my life.

Ouch, I'm so sorry it's been the opposite for you. I hope you can find a niche that brings you sucess and enjoyment. Life is too short and complicated to do work that you hate.
savannah