Do you use massage tools in your therapy practice? Do you feel guilty—like you’re giving your client something less than a “real” massage? You shouldn’t!

Using massage tools is a smart way to save your hands, and the fact is that when you use these tools effectively, your clients won’t even know the difference between the feel of your fingers, your knuckles, and a thumb helper or T-bar tool.

Massage tools help you to work more effectively. You can give a deeper tissue massage and apply firmer pressure to trigger points without working your fingers to the bone.

With practice, you will become more sensitive to the tissue’s response, even through the medium of the massage tool. The more skilled you become in using massage tools, the more they will become simply an extension of your own hands.

Your hands are your greatest asset as a massage therapist. If you work them too hard, you may just work yourself out of a job! Reduce the strain on your hands by using your elbows, knuckles, and massage tools for deeper strokes and trigger point work, or even for traditional Swedish massage techniques.

Full-time massage work places strenuous demands on your hands and body. Massage tools are just one way you can keep up with the pace of your work without compromising the health and strength of your body.