Your Body Almanac

Massage therapist

Your hands are the tool, and your body is the lever behind them.

Massage puts sustained, forceful pressure through the thumbs, wrists and shoulders, while you stand and lean over a table. Hand and wrist overuse is the most common reason therapists cut back or leave the work.

01

Thumb and wrist overuse

Pressing with the thumbs and fingers and loading bent wrists, session after session, irritates the tendons of the hand. De Quervain's tendinosis and carpal tunnel symptoms are common.

SourcesDe Quervain's tendinosis (OrthoInfo, AAOS)Carpal tunnel syndrome (OrthoInfo, AAOS)
Vary your grip and postureDailySwitch hands, tasks and positions so the same muscles and tendons are not loaded for hours. Do tendon glides for your handsDailyMove your fingers through five positions to help the tendons slide smoothly through the wrist. Stretch your wrists and forearmsDailyGentle wrist flexor and extensor stretches for hands that type, grip or tap all day. Train your gripWeeklySqueeze a firm ball or grip trainer to keep your hands and forearms strong.
02

Shoulder and neck strain

Leaning in with your arms and holding your shoulders tense to apply pressure tires the shoulder muscles and can lead to neck and upper-back pain.

SourcesShoulder pain (NHS)Neck pain (NHS)
Do band pull-apartsWeeklyStretch a resistance band across your chest to strengthen the upper-back muscles that pull your shoulders back. Stretch your chest in a doorwayDailyOpen up chest and shoulder muscles that tighten from hunching over desks, steering wheels and phones. Do chin tucksDailyGlide your head straight back to counter the forward-head posture that screens and desks encourage.
03

Low-back strain from leaning over the table

A table set too low, or bending at the waist instead of the hips and knees, loads the lower back through every session.

SourcesBack pain (NHS)
Stretch your hip flexorsDailyA kneeling lunge stretch for the muscles at the front of your hip, which tighten when you sit for long stretches. Do glute bridgesDailyLift your hips off the floor to strengthen the buttock muscles that sitting tends to switch off. Do dead bugsWeeklyA lying core exercise that trains your trunk to stay steady while your arms and legs move.
04

Back-to-back sessions without recovery

Booking too many sessions in a row, or ramping up quickly, gives tendons no time to recover. Pacing the schedule is one of the most effective ways to stay in the work.

SourcesRepetitive strain injury (NHS)
Build up training graduallyWeeklyRaise how often, how long and how hard you train by no more than about 10% a week. Strength-train twice a weekWeeklyWork all your major muscle groups on at least two days a week.

When to see a professional

See a doctor or hand therapist for numbness or tingling in your fingers, thumb or wrist pain that lasts more than a few weeks, or a weakening grip. Early care for overuse problems tends to work better than waiting.