Body Mechanics Flashcards
Common injuries for massage therapists
Fingers, wrists, thumbs, elbows, shoulders, neck and lower back.
Massage therapist warm up exercises
Squats, lunges, over and under the fence, shoulder, wrist and ankle circles, spine flexion and extension, reach and pull.
Ideal massage table height.
The height of the practitioner’s patella
How many contact points should the foot have with the floor?
3
Contact points of the foot with the floor
Calcaneal tuberosity, the heads of the first and fifth metatarsals.
Foot stance during a technique is determined by what?
Target area, length and excursion of the technique, direction of the body movement and the type of technique.
Hips and abdomen point where during a massage technique?
In the direction of movement.
When is the archer stance used?
When the target area is lateral to the practitioner and the the techniques are lengthy.
Other names for the archer stance
Staggered, asymmetric, low or lunge stance.
Lead foot
In the archer stance, the foot pointing in the direction of movement.
Trailing foot
The foot which points under the table in the archer stance.
Lead hip
The lead hip in the archer stance is rotated externally 15 to 90 degrees.
Movement is produced from where in the archer stance?
The lower extremities.
When should the horse stance be used?
When the target area is directly in front of the practitioner.
Feet in the horse stance
Are symmetric and point directly under the table. Slightly wider than the hips.
Other names for the horse stance
Parallel, symmetric or warrior.
First application principle of massage therapy
Engage the core.
The core includes what?
The abdomen, back, spine, pelvic floor, hips and knees.
What does it mean to engage the core?
Contract the abs towards the spine, tuck the pelvis posteriorly and flex the hips and knees to drop the body.
Second application principle of massage therapy
Stack the joints
What does it mean to stack the joints?
Position the body above the client and arrange the joints vertically to enable weight transfer.
Compression applied with the forearm is transmitted through the…
Proximal ulna.
Compression applied with the hand is transmitted through the…
Radio-carpal joint.
Compression applied with the fingers is transmitted through the…
Vertical stacked finger joints.
Third application principles of massage therapy
Use bodyweight and gravity when possible.
Fourth application principle of massage therapy
Use a variety of techniques.
Fifth application principle of massage therapy
Hydrate and rest between clients.
Sixth application principle of massage therapy.
Maintain a consistent, reasonable workload.
Possible client positions
Prone, supine, semi-reclining, side-lying or seated.
Prone position
Face down, ankles hip distance apart.
Prone position bolstering
In front of the ankles. In the event of low back pain, under the abdomen.
Supine position
Face up.
Supine position bolstering
Behind the cervical spine and knees. Back pain may require a higher bolster under the knees.
Semi-reclining position
The torso is elevated on a specialty table or with a wedge-shaped bolster.
Other name for semi-reclining position
Fowler position.
Other name for side-lying position
Lateral recumbent.
Seated position
Feet on the floor, buttocks on the seat, hands or elbows supported.
Purposes for draping the client
A barrier between the skin and equipment, comfort, modesty and warmth.
Which regions of the body should always be covered?
The genitals, gluteal cleft and chest.
How many sheets should be in use at any time?
A fitted sheet for the table and a flat sheet for the client.
