Therapist in Pain

Sometimes the person who needs a massage the most is the therapist. Injuries are a common and unfortunate part of a massage therapist's life. One of the biggest expenses in spas is the worker's compensation they pay to employees who injure themselves. I must note here that I have no sympathy for the spas because they overwork their employees to the point of injury; there is no way anyone can work nonstop 6 - 8 hours a day on a regular basis without tempting an injury.

For therapists who work on their own, the amount and type of work they do must be self regulated; I have no sympathy for an independent therapist who overworks him/herself to the point of injury. If you feel you are doing too much, you must stop. Period. Independents have a choice and that choice must be self-protective or there will be no clients because working with an injury (or illness) is not a benefit to anyone. The client is not getting a quality session, and the therapist is only acerbating their injury. This applies also to illnesses, especially those which are contagious! Just as clients should cancel any appointments when they are ill, therapists should also cancel appointments when they are not well, for the welfare of their clients (and their own immune systems).

I recently took 2 weeks off for a muscle sprain (probably caused by one of my table loading or unloading exercises). There was no way I could offer anyone any healing when I needed it myself. The old saying "Physician heal thyself" applies to massage therapists as well.

Gifts can only be given from overflow.