Holistic Injury Prevention

Research has shown that massage practitioners have a high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to the physical demands of their work. MSDs and their symptoms can have both short and long-term effects on a therapist’s ability to maintain their normal workload, advance in their career and, in some cases, even remain in their profession. Yet injury is not inevitable; in fact, there is a great deal that massage therapists can do to prevent these injuries from occurring, and to lessen the impact of injury on their careers if it does occur despite their best efforts. Since multiple factors are involved in causing injury, a successful prevention strategy must be holistic and multifaceted, combining a number of tactics to address all potential causes. In this course, participants will gain awareness of the risk factors for injury in their work and how to reduce their exposure to those risk factors using the principles of ergonomics.