I need to switch Techniques! Pain...help!

[Bunnyluvr]

Well, I did something else yesterday, that I usually do with my forearms but forgot to mention that would be an easy one for you to practice. Thought I should add it in.

I work the sides of the body from the head to the tail (sometimes including the gluts and sometimes not (depending on if the client has on underware and if/or something needs to be done into the gluts or concentrated into the LB paraspinals) with a small amount of lotion (not much). Standing at the clients left shoulder (client prone) I use my left elbow/forearm and work from the trap on down to the hip region in one long deep move. Sometimes I go slower and sometimes faster (depending on the depth I need). I use the table area near the clients waist as support for my right hand.

You can use more lotion/oil if you want to make this more of a swedish move.


And, while I am at it, here is one other. Facing the client from the side (lets use the left side of the client again)- client is prone, stand at clients left side and face toward the mid-line. Use your right elbow forearm and work the LB paraspinals, into the region just at the iliac crest and then "peg" the iliac crest with your entire forearm and rock the pelvis. You can then strok down toward the table from this point to finish up.

I've got more, but let me know how these work for you first.

That should be enough to get started.

 

[j-man]

Well, I did something else yesterday, that I usually do with my forearms but forgot to mention that would be an easy one for you to practice. Thought I should add it in.

I work the sides of the body from the head to the tail (sometimes including the gluts and sometimes not (depending on if the client has on underware and if/or something needs to be done into the gluts or concentrated into the LB paraspinals) with a small amount of lotion (not much). Standing at the clients left shoulder (client prone) I use my left elbow/forearm and work from the left trap on down to the hip region in one long deep move. Sometimes I go slower and sometimes faster (depending on the depth I need). I use the table area near the clients waist as support for my right hand.

You can use more lotion/oil if you want to make this more of a swedish move.


And, while I am at it, here is one other. Facing the client from the side (lets use the left side of the client again)- client is prone, stand at clients left side and face toward the mid-line. Use your right elbow forearm and work the left LB paraspinals, into the region just at the iliac crest and then "peg" the iliac crest with your entire forearm and rock the pelvis. You can then strok down toward the table from this point to finish up.

I've got more, but let me know how these work for you first.

That should be enough to get started.

 

[Catie]

LKM,
I see you've gotten plenty of great suggestions already.

Would just like to add that you should make sure you are getting worked on yourself, especially along the scapula region and the traps. In addition make sure you are working on both your forearms yourself. I have found by
using the left elbow, starting at the right wrist and working
up the arm all the way to the elbow (both sides of the arm)
and reverse to the other arm I can break up the "tension" that gets built up that way.

It also helps tremendously to use balls of differents sizes to work the back & the meridians. See Yamuna's Body Rolling book. She also has a number of videos out which are helpful as well. The Acupressure Warmup book by
Marc Coseo, which shows how to use tennis balls for self help of all the meridians, etc.

One last thing, herbal anti-inflammatories are wonderful:
they often have ginger, turmeric & holy basil root as some of the ingredients. My standard one for some time now has been New Chapter's Zyflammend. There are several others out available at many health food stores. You may also want to add flax seeds & flax oil to your diet. Good Luck.

 

[omarvader]

Other means of working on the body to effect changes without ruining your wrists and hands further might also include learning complete different bodywork styles - orthobionomy is one of my favorite and it works well for most of the problems I encounter w/ my clientele with a minimum of difficulty for hands, arms, back etc on my part.

 

[Scarlette Starr]

I just took a Lomi Lomi class for continuing ed a little while back. You use your forearms and your knuckles quite a bit (not as harsh as it sounds). You also learn to use your lower body for movement rather than just hands and arms. You can use more force with your forearms, but the pressure is distributed more, so it doesn't have to be too deep.

What are you getting in the way of treatment? Weakness can be sign of trigger points, but it could also mean the beginnings of tenonitis or other injury. Early treatment is often simple (ice, anti-inflammatories, etc.) and much more effective than dealing with a chronic injury.

The better you take care of yourself, the better you'll be able to help your clients.