7 things therapists should be doing daily

As a therapist your most essential tools are arguably your hands. Taking care of yourself will not only boost productivity but also give your career longevity.

So what can you do to protect yourself…

Here’s a quick run-down of our 7 top tips for self-care for therapists…

1. Warm up – you take time to warm up your client’s muscles before diving into a treatment but are you warming up and stretching your arms and hands?
2. Check your stance – be aware of your posture while giving treatments and make sure your massage couch is adjusted to the correct heights throughout treatments. A good rule of thumb is that you should keep the power of and moves coming from your core or legs rather than strain on your arms and you should never be stretching to reach. For extra pressure build momentum through movement or rocking of your body.
3. Time management- Space out your clients to allow for breaks and avoid burnout. Likewise try to vary treatments or at least change a routine slightly if you have back to back treatments to avoid repetitive strain issues.
4. Delve a little deeper – consider employing other techniques when working deeper to relieve tension. There are many techniques that are increasingly recognised and popular with clients. Examples include Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Cupping, Hot Stones Therapy and these are all techniques that enable you to work deeper and more effectively whilst freeing up the wear and tear on your hands.
   Learning hand saving techniques and how to safely use them. Not only will they help you avoid burn out, including these as added value in your treatments, is also a great selling points to set you apart from the competition. 
5. Take time to recover- If and when you are feeling the burn make sure you take time to recover. 
6. Apply ice, heat and other anti-inflammatory aids.
7. Exchange treatments with other therapists. The Academy runs drop in sessions most Thursday Evenings with a room full of therapists looking to exchange treatments or learn new techniques. It’s wonderful to see our reflexologists & aromatherapists working with our massage & sports therapists exchanging treatments, sharing ideas and offering suggestions on best practice.