YOUR HEALTH
Hands
LOOKING AFTER
YOUR HANDS They say a bad workman always blames his tools. For many holistic therapists, our hands are our tools and failure to take good care of them can result in career-ending injuries. We look at some of the most common problems….
W
HILE some forms of bodywork involve other parts of the body, such as forearms and elbows in Shiatsu, and most bodyworkers use their hands and fingers to apply pressure to their clients’ bodies. A great deal of movement and force goes through what are comparatively complicated and delicate constructions. The human hand contains 27 bones including the phalanges of the fingers, metacarpals and the eight bones which make up the carpus at the wrist. Add in the tendons, ligaments, many of which pass through the carpal tunnel and a host of nerve endings which make our fingertips so sensitive, and the range of movement our wrists, hands and fingers are capable of and it’s clear why a lot can go wrong. While we use our hands while treating clients, it’s fair to say that we also spend more time on our computers and keyboards and increasingly spend our leisure time using our phones, tablets or gaming. Where previously they might have been rested in the evening while watching TV, now scrolling through a phone, shopping online or reading on a kindle all add to the wear and tear our hands experience.
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HOLISTIC THERAPIST 2022
holistictherapistmagazine.com
