Career Longevity

Avoid the injury, muscle strain, fatigue and burnout that can shorten your career as a massage therapist! This easy-to-use reference develops the skills you need to foster ease of movement and decrease your chance of injury. These skills, including self-assessment, life-style choices, body awareness and mechanics, balanced posture, efficient breathing, self-care habits, and injury prevention, give you the foundation you need to ensure that you are not putting undue strain on your own body.You'll learn how to maintain proper body mechanics and how to integrate wellness, self-care, and nutrition into your practice. Special attention is also paid to pre-existing conditions you might have, such as scoliosis or fused vertebrae, or less than optimal physical fitness, which require specialized approaches.A bonus DVD features video clips of the proper body mechanics for massage techniques, as well as other positions, such as lifting, and clients with disabling conditions. Stretching and strengthening techniques are also included.

Bodywork and the Bodywork Practitioner’s Wellness Body Awareness and Mindful Movement Posture and Its Impact on the Body Breathing for Best Practice, Health, and Wellness Body Mechanics Injury Prevention and Management Stretching: Why, How, When, and Where? Strengthening: Why, How, When, and Where? Basic Nutritional Principles for Self-Care Additional Support for Wellness and Self-Care Appendix A: Hydrotherapy for Self-Care Appendix B: Answers to Chapter Review Questions