10 Tips and Tricks from a Successful Orthopedic Massage Therapist

Comments : 0

10 Tips and Tricks from a Successful Orthopedic Massage Therapist 2 My name is Kym Adair, and I’m the Master Orthopedic Massage Therapist at Body Fix Therapies. I have been helping my clients improve their health for over 20 years, and I am very proud of the practice that I have built. People often ask me what I do differently from other therapists. I attribute my success to my unique approach for assessing and treating my clients. It’s not magic. It’s thoughtful planning, engaged listening, extensive data collection, collaboration with other providers and connecting with my patients.

There are plenty of schools, classes, and certifications available for specific modalities of orthopedic massage therapy. However, instruction on the nuances and everyday aspects of being a successful orthopedic massage therapist is limited. Below are my top ten tips and tricks that are essential to help you become a better orthopedic massage therapist:

Apply the right treatment, at the right time, in the right way
Investigate and collect data
Make the client feel like you are a partner in their journey
Collaborate
Follow up
Exude confidence
Slow down
Plan past the current session and be ready to change that plan
Visualize what is happening in the body as you are working on, assessing, and educating your patients
Don’t be weird

Stay tuned for in-depth information on each one of my tips. You can listen and subscribe to my podcast Bodywork Therapists, or continue to read the blog. To connect with me and other orthopedic massage therapists join my Facebook community: Bodywork Therapists Group, a forum for therapists to ask questions, start discussions, share their experiences, and help each other grow

About the Author

Kym has been practicing massage therapy for 17 years. She graduated from the Northwest School of Massage in Seattle, Washington in 1996 and immediately went into medical massage therapy, treating auto accident injuries and working with physicians treating soft tissue dysfunctions. Throughout the years she has developed a unique technique that breaks the soft tissue holding patterns that develop from years of imbalance and cumulative minor injuries. She works to “reprogram” the muscles and connective tissue from the positions and habits that keep them out of balance and makes them prone to injury. She uses a combination of long, slow trigger point pressure, myofascial release, and range of motion techniques to retrain the body. This approach has both immediate and long term, long lasting effects. While her style is definitely therapeutic more people fall asleep during these sessions than during a Swedish massage. Come see the difference with Kym!