Are you a new massage therapist? Are you about to graduate massage school? Do you feel confident in your ability to perform massage without injuring yourself?

While in school students are supposed to be taught techniques and academic approaches designed to help minimize injury and maximize the length of their career. These skills serve as a foundation for each student to explore their own body mechanics to design an approach that works best for them.

When I went to school my instructors failed to teach me effective body mechanics. They failed to even demonstrate the body mechanics they use when performing massage.

Due to this hardship, I have been granted the beautiful blessing of figuring it out for myself, so I may help you. Here are my 6 Core Principles of Body Mechanics.

Core Principles of Body Mechanics:

Good body mechanics and a strong spirit are the two most important skills you need as a licensed massage therapist. Having one without the other will end your career. You must reach deep into your inside zones and find the reason you have entered a career to live in the service of others. You must also have an awareness of your own body, its needs, and be actively engaged in its protection.

The Ten Core Principles of Body Mechanics:

  1. If it hurts don’t do it. If you perform a technique that hurts twice, you will hurt yourself 1,000 times.
  2. Protect yourself by practicing massage. Though you can learn a tremendous amount when performing massage on clientele, you must find time to experiment with your peers.
  3. Do not sacrifice your health to help someone else. If you hurt yourself for one person, you will be unable to help anyone else.
  4. Use tools that help you avoid injury.
  5. Conserve your energy, sit, and stand when needed.
  6. Know your pressure limitations and communicate with your client when you have reached them.
  7. Do not allow anyone, including yourself, to ever use greater pressure than you are physically capable of applying.
  1. Avoid overworking yourself. Even if you have the best body mechanics in the world you won’t use them when you are tired.
  2. Use the basic stances as a guide, they are not universally effective. Explore what your body needs and avoid using stances and techniques that are uncomfortable.
  3. Take care of yourself when you are not performing a massage. Avoid activities that will exacerbate the pains you feel throughout your workday. Develop healthy routines, eat and sleep like your body needs, and search for ways to live peacefully.