By Pauline Baxter
Whether recently qualified or an ‘old hand’ at massage, there will always be that moment when someone wants you to concentrate the massage on their lower back, hips and legs.
Normally that is not a problem. You simply get them to lie down on the couch and off you go with the massage. Easy. But what if you don’t have access to a couch, towels, oils etc. You only have your massage chair with you. Whilst your massage normally includes work on the lower back and hips it can be fairly limited. As for massage on the legs, well……. The logistics of massaging legs whilst the client remains seated in the massage chair can be quite daunting, particularly for anyone newly qualified or with limited experience.
But it is possible to provide a massage that concentrates more on the lower back, hips and legs. There are a number of considerations when massaging the lower body on the chair. Firstly, you need to be confident in the techniques you use to ensure comfort of application and their effectiveness. This applies to both the client and you, the practitioner. There is little point in providing a good massage for your client when it is to the detriment of your own health. This would lead to a short lived massage career! Secondly, you need to consider the client.
You will be working at a low level and moving around the chair. If your client is wearing a short skirt then it may not be appropriate to be massaging from the front area of the chair. In which case, you adapt your routine so that you do not work from that position. Because of the difference in where you may be positioned and any change of position required by the client compared to the normal Seated Acupressure massage (eg. Placing the foot on the floor), you need to explain prior to the massage what will be required. Let’s consider the chair set up.
Ordinarily, the height of the seat is set for the comfort of you, the practitioner rather than for the client. When the client is sitting upright on the chair, you should be able to comfortably and safely apply downward pressure on their shoulders using your forearms. If the seat is too high you are in danger of overstretching in an effort to apply pressure. If the seat is too low you put unnecessary strain on your own back by having to bend forward to apply the pressure.
The remaining adjustments of the chair are set for the comfort of the client. If you are predominantly working on the lower back, hips and legs it makes sense to adjust the height of the seat so that it is higher than normal. That way the legs of the client are a little straighter than with a low seat height giving you easier access to massage the muscles. Please note that in doing this, some of your massage techniques applied to the upper body would need to be either adapted or omitted to ensure your own safety and comfort.
You now have your client set up but what about you the practitioner. There is no avoiding the fact that if you are going to massage the lower half of the body whilst the client is seated then you as the practitioner are going to be working nearer ground level. So what can you do to make things more comfortable for you You will certainly be kneeling or crouching to carry out some of the techniques but you still need to protect yourself as much as possible. Having a small cushion or to place under your knee can make things a lot more comfortable.
You now have the set up and the necessary equipment to go ahead. Techniques for working on the lower legs, hips and lower back vary. At times you will need to counter support the pressure you apply due to the angle of application. It is useful to have a ‘skeleton routine’ that you can tailor to suit the individual. Some may require a little more work on the calves rather than the upper leg. Others may prefer more work on the lower back and hips.
The nature of the person’s physique (and your own) can be a limiting factor around which you need to adjust the techniques. Be aware of the sensitivity of points along the meridians and massage with care to ensure the client is comfortable with the pressure you apply. Happy massaging!