No hands massage

Hi Penny,
I have received hands free massage, and done properly it can be just as good. Some therapists dont use their hands at all, and have really honed their skills.

No hands massage if done properley feels lovely to receive. Using the forearms means a larger area of body can be covered. The movements are very flowing and it is hard for your mind to work out which part of the arm, hand, forearm is being used. The pressure can feel deeper but still relaxing. If the therapist uses force rather than body weight or the hard part of their forearm then it doesn't feel so pleasant.

No hands massage forms the basis of all my massage treatments and I've only had one person who didn't like it. I do use my hands but not so much my thumbs.

The techniques of Lomi Lomi & Hawiian massage are a no hands massage style.

Hi All

Thank you for your replies, I'm swayed by the sound of Lomi Lomi & Hawaiin massage.

🙂 x

Would you prefer majority of the massage to be conducted using hands?

Thanx 🙂 x

Being a full time deep tissue massage practitioner for over 11 years I am convinced that as a bodyworker using only your hands is a serious hazard that very likely will jeopardize a long and healthy career.
Unless someone does very few massage treatments or very superficial ones or work with very little people, and even in these cases I think it is a total danger because it involves too many repetitive movements of very tiny joints (especially thumb, wrists...)
Learning no-hands massage skills and how to use your bodyweight should be a must for any basic training. Unfortunately is not and a very high number of practitioners get injured shortly after building up a massage practice.
Beacause of this, I always encourage newly qualified practitioners to do a deep tissue course or any other course that teaches how to use the body efficiently before anything else. I think this is the best investment in your health and your future career.
Sorry for the long preaching but I I feel very strongly about this subject.
I don't know if the rest of the community of long time practitioners out there agree with me or not. I'll be interested to know.
M

Massagespace - I totally agree with you. When I decided to become a full time therapist I knew that I had to protect myself to avoid getting injured. I did the No Hands Massage (NHM) course in the days when it was done in very small group of about 10 therapists. Using NHM was the only way I coped working at a spa doing back to back treatments for 2 years. Some of my colleagues got RSI in less than a year to the extent that they can no longer massage. I also realised that my initial ITEC training didn't equip me to do a deep tissue massage so took it upon myself to find advance training courses to teach me how.

I say that the fingers and thumbs are not strong enough to cover large areas of the body.

I don't think many clients realise what part of your arm or hands are being used during their session. In the ealry days I used to tell clients that the massage may feel different to what they were used to as I knew it wasn't "traditional" swedish. Now I just get on with it with no explanation about the techniques unless asked.

I don't think many clients realise what part of your arm or hands are being used during their session.

I agree. And if they do realise they don't care because it feels great!
Its good to have your views and I am happy for you that you had your "no hands" "arsenal" before your 2 years spa work.
Never have done any spa work myself but after having been a few times as a client, to be a spa practitioner seems to me a super-herculean task!
M

Hi Penny,
Why dont you go onto the NO HANDS website and find a Practitioner near you and feel it for yourself? What a treat! It is hard to put into words how it feels exactly and I imagine thats why on their promo materiel they say 'just feel it'. It would be interesting to find out what you think?
I am an apprentice master NO HANDS Practitioner and I pay and have 2 NO HANDS massages a month. For me it has been life changing in many ways, I feel better, have more energy and am far more positive in my attitude to life. I feel strongly as a Massage Therapist that we should practice what we preach and if we are encouraging our clients to have regular treatment we should be getting it ourselves.

Hi Penny.

I am one of the first No Hands Massage Master Practitioners and use it on all my clients who love it. I am based in Colchester, Essex. I don't know where you are, but I'd be very happy to give you (free) a No Hands Massage so you can feel it for yourself - it's the only way!

Derek