my shoulder hurts!!

[Question Everything]

on friday i gave my first "student massage" to a paying client during clinical - very exciting! actually, i gave three and they went really well. my back/right shoulder was tense and sore by the end of the day, so one of my classmates gave me a chair massage. and today it still hurts. mostly in my lower/mid traps (i'm guessing based on the way it hurts and feels tight when i turn my head to the left). i'm right handed and used to play volleyball, so this pain is familiar to me - my serving shoulder would often hurt after tournaments.

what should i do? i'll talk to my hands-on instructor in class on wednesday about observing my body mechanics, but i'm worried that this will be a daily problem in the future. :

anyway, heat feels good (obviously). but should i use ice packs at the end of the day? are there specific stretches or exercises you'd recommend?

thanks for your help.

 

[Browneyez08]

my shoulder hurts!!

Three massages in one day is a LOT, believe it or not. It's best to start out with one or two and see how you do then increase gradually. It depends how many days you will be working each week too.
It's totally body mechanics...
Because of your description I would guess that you would probably start with adjusting the height of your table - it may be a little low and you are bending over the client. Alternatively if it is too high you are using too much arm/shoulder strength and not enough body weight.

And watch your repetive movements - you will eventually find certain "techniques" cause you trouble - just minimize those or find a different way to do it.

And make sure you use a stool to sit down when doing neck and head work

To help you feel better, use an ice pack on neck, back, shoulder - wherever you think the issue is. Heat feels good yeah - but stop it! I would suggest ibuprofen if you take anti-inflammatories. Continue to do any regular stretch routine for neck, arms, shoulers - or start learning one now. Try to rest and not do any massages for a couple of days. If you don't rest adequately you run the risk of eventually getting a real injury. Actually now that I think on it - you may HAVE an injury from the volleyball and have just aggravated it a bit. When you can - see someone with orthopedic massage training to evaluate and treat the rotator cuff muscles.

My limit is 4 massages in one day and I have been doing this for 7 yrs. If I do 5 in one day then I need several days to recuperate.
On valentine's day I did 5 and I am still feeling the effects as I did not have enough rest before my next work day and I have not had the opportunity to get a massage myself. And of course it didn't help that I've been painting my living room walls, ceiling and trim on my days off!

 

[Logan R]

my shoulder hurts!!

Each person is definitely different. Unlike squash blossom, I can do 5 (deep tissue) in a day no problem (I attribute this to very strong forearms and body type), but when I hit the 7 mark, my hands swell the next day. So, it's just going to be one of those things you have to see on how your body reacts. I am not pointing out the difference in order to say I am better than someone else, because it is quite possible that if I were to "work like squash blossom", I may only be able to do three massages a day. I think she does quite a bit of energy related work within her massage (as I vaguely recall???), and that will take a lot out of you. So, that would be something to look at... How are your personal energy boundaries? Are you giving too much during your massages during the time that you can allow for? As a new therapist, this may be a possibility. That's one of those things you have to figure out according to how your week is going to play out.

I have neck issues, and that can be my general bane with my body. So, if you know you have problems with a particular portion of your body, I'd suggest very regular work for that area, for a minimum of half a year. Since you are a student, now is a great time to address that and find a swap buddy. Swap buddies don't usually continue much past four months after you graduate (in my experience as a practitioner and teacher), but, you never know.

Hope this helps.

 

[The Bear]

my shoulder hurts!!

sweet, thank you both for your advice - i really appreciate it!

it's feeling better today - especially after a bit of a run. haven't massaged again since and won't till class tomorrow where i'll reassess...

t006 thanks

 

[Ellie Hello]

my shoulder hurts!! *update*

thank you again for your advice! raising the table helps. my instructor caught me holding my shoulders... all tense and tight to my body? i guess that's how to describe it. anyway, she reminded me throughout the massage to relax my shoulders, which helped A LOT. she said she can tell when i'm all tensed up by the look on my face - biting my lip and scrunchy eyebrows. still being so new, i guess i'm more nervous than i thought i was - especially when it comes to massaging the public. that, and i have a tendency to work certain places of the body... over the top. i bring my dominant arm up and over - which obviously hurts after a while.

i also made an appointment to get a massage on monday - where i'll have my shoulder, neck and back worked on and examined. i'm really excited about getting a professional massage now that i'm a student. before, i used to get them just because they felt good. now it'll be an entirely different experience.