As I mentioned in our last blog post, our Tuesday Toesday tips aren’t usually rocket science. Sometimes they are easy fixes that just take us a heck of a long time to figure out for some reason. Today’s tip for scooting the client up is one of those — super easy but with big results.
Although I am normal height (5’5″), my legs are short. So for years when I tried to do seated anterior neck, shoulder, and pec work, I’d get myself into some bad body mechanics.
The client was all cozy on the massage table like they were in bed for the night, far away from the head of the table.
Since I couldn’t reach their neck our shoulders well, I’d try a variety of, shall we say, interesting positions.
Perhaps you’ve tried these too:
- scooting the stool forward so you can reach the client’s neck and therefore giving yourself no back support.
- leaving the stool nestled by the wall and keeping your back there but scooting your rear end forward, giving you no lower back support.
- tilting your stool forward, praying that it doesn’t tip over and thrusting you on your client’s head!
- hunched like Quasimoto with a foot on the floor and the other foot on your client and using no stool
These are all terrible body mechanics. If barefoot massage isn’t comfortable, then you won’t do it. Less strain on your body while learning and practicing ashiatsu is a huge part of the equation!
Our client today looks a bit like an orange ball and sadly only has one little shoulder. But you’ll catch my drift.
While we have a number of goals for you when you take your barefoot massage training (as in save your career, help you make more money, assist you in garnering clients, etc.), the biggest one is to teach you how to almost effortlessly give your clients deep tissue massage.
Today’s Tuesday Toesday tip is so simple that you may give yourself an old “I should have had a V8” head smack.
While this tip usually works best for barefoot therapists with shorter legs, it’s really useful if your client has a long neck too.
Get your client to scoot up.
When your client rolls over on his / her back, they usually end up crooked. Because it’s much easier for you to work if they are straight on the table, have them move in the proper direction. You can explain it to them, or sometimes I physically pick up their feet and move their legs if they’re really crooked.
Before you’ve placed the pillow under their knees, step to the head of your massage table and place your palm, fingertips down towards the floor, at the end of the table.
Ask your client to scoot up so the top of their head touches your hand.
After teaching a lot of people who are vertically challenged, I’ve discovered that the client’s head can actually move about 25%-30% off the table without it compromising their neck position. So have them scoot up even more if you need them to.
Voila! It’s as easy as that.
Do your clients care that you give them directions? I’ve never – not once! – ever had anyone complain about me telling them what to do. They’re always happy to comply, especially after you’ve given them some awesome posterior FasciAshi.
The only caveat is sometimes you need to make sure you don’t step on drool. 😉
Try this out the next time you want to do supine neck / shoulder barefoot massage from a seated position. (Haven’t learned it yet or don’t remember because you gave up? We teach some supine neck work in our Fundamentals class and even more in Intermediate.)
Happy barefoot massaging!
What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to anterior work?
Know someone who may find this tip useful?
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There are times, like during Cervical traction, and some of the more detailed moves we do in the Intermediate class that involve using the hands and feet simultaneously, where you ~have~ to come off the wall…. but a strong core, a flat (not rounded) back, leverage created from your forearms braced against your thighs, and a long enough pillow case will all help you maintain proper alignment in your body that should definitely lessen strain. Remember to find leverage and counter balance to create depth before you just go for broke and push through your legs 😉 Save that for the last recourse.