Grip the massage tool gently with your
whole hand, not just your fingers.

1. Practice before using a tool on your clients. Practice on yourself and on a friend or therapist who can provide helpful feedback.
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2. Use tools in moderation. They should complement your technique, not take the place of your hands.
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3. When you’re not using a tool, put it down to prevent gripping the tool unconsciously.
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4. Don’t grip the tool harder than necessary, or you risk losing all the benefits of resting your hands.
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5. Keep your hands, wrists, and arms soft and relaxed. Tension in any part of the body can affect the entire body.
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6. Hold the massage tool comfortably with your whole hand, not just your fingertips.
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7. Try several different methods of holding the tool. There is not necessarily one correct way to use a tool.
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8. Be aware of ergonomics and posture as you use the tool. Keep your wrist straight.
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9. Ask for feedback from the client if you are unsure how much pressure you are exerting, particularly for deep tissue and trigger point. If in doubt, use gentler pressure.
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10. Do not force tissue to respond. Be gentle.
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11. Do not use massage tools on clients with fragile skin or on areas of the body where the bones or organs are close to the surface.

Use a thumb helper tool to give your thumb and finger joints a rest.

But the truth is, the thumb and fingers are not only sensitive but they are more susceptible to overuse injuries than, say, the forearm or elbow. The more you rely on your fingers and thumbs to massage, the more likely you are to injure your hands over time.

Preventing Overuse Injury

No therapist can or should discount the importance of feeling the body with your own hands. But might there be a safer way to apply deep pressure without overstressing the thumbs and fingers?

A large number of therapists have found a way to balance the sensitivity of hands-on massage with the hand-saving technique of using massage tools. No massage tool can ever replace direct touch, but it can relieve pressure on the hands, allow you to massage deeper without compromising your body mechanics, and encourage resistant tissues to respond and heal.

Using a Massage Tool for Specific Types of Work

Some types of work are more appropriate for using massage tools than others. For example, if you need to apply sustained pressure to a muscle group or trigger point, use a hand tool or T-bar tool to give your thumb and finger joints a rest. If your technique requires a large amount of thumb and finger work or you are working on an obese client, massage tools also come in handy here. A sudden increase in the usual number of massages you give per week also calls for more massage tool usage to relieve the strain on your hands.

Use your best judgment for when to use a massage tool and when to lay it aside. The key is to use it as a tool and not as a replacement for the sensitivity of hands-on work.

Massage tools allow you to accomplish more with less effort.

Save Your Hands

Even with the best body mechanics and techniques, full-time massage can be hard on your hands. Massage tools take some of the pressure off of your hands and allow you to keep up with your massage schedule without making you vulnerable to overuse injuries.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Learning to use a massage tool effectively starts with practice. Before using massage tools on your clients, practice on a willing friend or therapist. Ask for feedback, adjust your technique, and then ask for feedback again. It’s also a good idea to ask another therapist to use the massage tool on you so that you know exactly how it feels for your clients. You may not even be able to tell the difference between the massage tool and the therapist’s hands.

Trigger Point Work

If you incorporate any type of trigger point work into your technique, the benefit of massage tools will immediately become transparent. Trigger point tools can reach places that your fingers can’t, and they do so with pinpoint accuracy.

Sensing the Tissue’s Response

Massage tools are not a substitute for human touch but rather an extension of the hand and a stabilizer. The more familiar you become with using a massage tool, the more effectively you will be able to sense the response of the tissue and convey the subtleties of human touch through this extension of your hands.

Thumb Helper Massage Tool

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.

Hand Helper Massage Tool

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.

Wondering how you can accommodate obese clients in your massage practice? Here are a few suggestions for modifying your massage techniques and adjusting your massage table for obese clients.

Save your hands! Use a massage tool for deeper strokes.

1. Set the massage table height lower.
   You probably have your massage table set at a “standard” height that works well for most of your clients. With thicker clients, however, you may need to adjust the massage table a few notches lower.
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   Don’t sacrifice your body mechanics or risk injury with a table height that forces you to stretch beyond your comfort zone or stand on your tiptoes. Stand on a folding massage stool if you need to (not a rolling one!).

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2. Use side arm extenders.
   Massage table side extensions are a lifesaver for therapists. They increase the comfort of wider clients without sacrificing the width of the table required for safe ergonomics. Side extenders can easily be added when you need them and removed when you don’t need them.
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3. Use massage tools for deeper access.
   The extra effort needed to massage thicker clients can easily fatigue your thumbs and fingers. Use your elbows and forearms as much as possible to take the strain off of your hands. Massage tools, such as a thumb helper, hand helper, or T-bar, also help you massage deeper without straining your hands. Don’t be afraid to use them as needed. Most clients can’t tell the difference between the touch of your fingers and the touch of a massage tool.
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4. Consider floor work.
   Don’t exceed the static weight capacity or working weight capacity of your massage table. If a client exceeds the weight capacity of your table, suggest Thai massage or other form of floor massage. Both you and your client can fully relax without any nagging fears that the massage table will collapse, and working on the floor will give you better leverage and more options for positioning.

Promote your own self-care and increase the efficiency of your massage sessions with these 3 helpful accessories for massage therapists.

As a massage therapist, you’re on the go all day at your practice, giving massage, doing laundry, and dealing with paperwork. Fortunately, there are several accessories that make your day go a little smoother and promote your own self-care while you’re busy caring for your clients.

1. The Hand Helper

Your hands are one of your most important assets. Reduce the amount of stress on your body and prevent overuse injuries with professional massage tools. With the right tool, most clients will never notice the difference between your fingers and your massage tool.

A massage tool allows you to apply greater pressure for modalities such as deep tissue massage and comes in handy for applying focused pressure on trigger points or bony areas of the body. Getting the feel for applying the right amount of pressure can take a little practice, so elicit feedback on your client’s comfort level throughout the massage, just as you normally would.

2. The Back Saver

You ask a lot from your body during each massage session. Give your back and legs a rest with a rolling massage stool. A pneumatic stool easily adjusts to your height and the height of your client to ensure that you continue to massage with proper body mechanics, even while seated.

A healthy combination of standing and sitting during massage prevents muscle fatigue and repetitive injury by varying your body position and balancing out the stress load on your muscles. A massage stool is perfect for massaging the head, feet, and hands.

3. The Lubricant Leash

You’re on your feet all day. Why not save yourself a few steps with a massage product holster? Forget the reaching and stretching or walking around the table to get to your lubricant, not to mention the days you’re so frazzled that you forget where you last set down your massage oil.

Those days are over when you strap your lubricant to your waist, keeping it within easy reach at all times. A product holster lets you keep the rhythm of the massage going and never lose contact with your client.