Injury prevention means to prevent or reduce the likelihood of an injury to the body before it occurs. Prevention of an injury is possible with personal body maintenance. No one goes to work planning on getting injured but it is likely to occur, at least once in your career. Some things cannot be avoided however you can take prevention measures to keep the odds in favor of your health.
An athlete would do a warm up before they start their workout. A 5-10 minute walk or jog will raise your core temperature and pre-lubricate your joints. Next, it is time to stretch. Stretching helps make the muscle more flexible and more able to do the strenuous work that needs to be done. Failing to stretch can lead to the muscle belly shortening which can interfere with supporting muscles, joints, and tendons.
Stretching is important for many reasons. Stretching helps to keep the muscles healthy and can make you feel better and stronger. Exercises for flexibility help sustain circulation and strength around the joint, especially when performed after a workout or brief cardio warm-up. Stretching allows the body to function more optimally. Muscles tend to shorten as they fatigue during a workout, therefore, stretching allows the muscles to be more elongated and reduces the tendency for shortening. Stretching actually makes you stronger when used in combination with exercise. Stretching can increase strength up to 20 percent if done on a regular basis.
A repetitive strain injury happens from repetition and overuse of a certain body part and is cumulative. The most important factor in preventing this type of an injury from becoming chronic is to notice the first warning signs, get treatment, and rest the area. Warning signs can be subtle but if you take notice and get treatment, you can prevent further damage.
Massage therapists think of themselves as caregivers and do not focus on the physical strain their body goes through while they perform their work. Self-care is done in one’s “free-time” when it should be considered as something that must be done to prepare and heal the body from physical activity. Injuries do happen. It is important to realize how physical your job is and have body maintenance steps in place before an injury occurs. If an injury does happen, take the time to heal completely so you can enjoy this career for many years to come.
Releasing adhesions in the forearms is a great idea before stretching to make all tissue soft and supple.
Check out this video to release your own forearms with t spheres and Sphere Therapeutix Techniques
Namaste,
Karina
