Hi All,
I just completed my first full body massage in over 10 years, yay!! It was on one of my best friends, and just for practice but I came up against a problem I don't seem to have had to deal with before - her breasts.
She has very large breasts, so large that she wants a reduction and they literally stopped her from being able to lie with her face normally in the face cradle. We tried all sorts of different things: face cradle tilted up as far as it could go, rolled up towel as a bolster underneath her breasts by her tummy, one above her breasts, but still she could not get comfortable.
Eventually the only thing that was most comfortable out of everything I could think of to offer her was for the face cradle to be tilted up as far as it could go, and a rolled up towel on top of the face cradle to basically support her head up as high as it could go to relieve some of the pressure off her breasts.
Can someone tell me what you would do in that situation? :dft005:
Hi K
I would have the client move onto a side position, with an appropriate soft block (or folded pillow) under the head and some padding between the knees. Good position also for pregnant clients. I know that some massage therapist may not be happy in treating a client in a side position, but as someone trained in Thai massage it's a natural way for me to practice.
Draping across the breasts is easy to do.
Best wishes
RP
Agree with RP - treat her side-lying. My main focus is on breast cancer patients, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Very few can tolerate being prone. I don't have a face hole in my couch or as an attachment, but know, from personal experience, that this would be too uncomfortable. I have a cushion under their head, a wedge cushion for between the knees, and a bolster cushion that they can 'cuddle' between their breasts whilst side lying.
It takes a bit of practice, but side-lying work is the best option for many people.
Thank you both. I will look into a pregnancy massage course to go on to get the techniques I need for this type of massage.
xxx
K
Have you consdiered a body bolster/body cushion?
It's what I use for pregnant ladies, large breast ladies, people with stomachs, mena and women.
I've been a therapist a long time and only decided to get one 2 years ago and I can highly recomend them.
There is a pull out section for breasts so there is no pressure on them
No I haven't. Can you point me in the direction of a website that sells one like you are using please?
Thanks!
I was treated on one of these - [url]Body Support: Full Pro System | For Sale Online | UK[/url] - a number of years ago, and have to say it didn't really appeal to me - I prefer cuddling a bolster! Plus, when I was treated, it was on a standard couch, so I almost had to scale a ladder to get on to it! They aren't cheap, unless LuckyG knows of a cheaper supplier.
I use the Body Support bodyCushion and can't imagine working on fuller figured people without it. I have clients that say they come to me because of the bodyCushion, they can't get comfortable anywhere else. I just have the normal chest piece, I haven't bothered getting the [url]Breast Protector[/url] and I've only had a handful of people I've thought it would make things much more comfortable. The bodyCushion makes a huge difference for barrel chested individuals.
When using the bodyCushion, it's usually best to lower the couch, so the top of the bodyCushion is the level you would usually have the couch. People usually relax a LOT faster on the bodyCushion and I find I don't have to work do hard, so if the couch is a little bit higher than it should be, it usually isn't that much of an issue.