Massage tools: yay or nay?

As Massage Therapists there are a range of "tools" we use every day without even thinking about it: towels, oil, Massage table, and cleaning gear, just for starters! 

There are a whole host of additional tools on the market, far more than I would want to summarise or review in a single post like this. We'll all have our own responses to different tools (love, hate and everything in between) but, marketing-hype aside, it's what tools genuinely bring to your practice that really gets me going.

My favourite tools are ones that enhance the Massage experience for both my client and for me. I injured my wrists at the very beginning of my career doing "conventional" and Hot Stones Massage, so anything that requires grasping will be a no go for me - having found a way to massage without injury I'm certainly not going to backslide on that one. 

Equally, anything that I enjoy using but my clients hate? No brainer: no clients = no business = no Massage!

To me it all comes back to the basics: Touch is utterly amazing in and of itself. I understand different therapists choose different ways that work for them, and that different clients want different things, but for me it all comes down to providing exquisite Touch. And most importantly providing that Touch in an environment that invites feelings of trust, safety and space to release - without demanding it.

So despite over 20 years in the industry, the only additional "tool" I've introduced is a humble stool.

I say humble because the kind of stool I use (square top, wooden legs, four points of contact with the floor, solidly built) is exceptionally undemanding. It even folds away when I don't need it. It offers a flexible and versatile seat, especially valuable for slow light work. All of which can feel like a good use of this tool. But I was reminded of the true power of these stools on a recent course with another very experienced therapist.

This is someone who's been around 4Elements (including back into the NO HANDS Massage days) for longer than I have. They've had a stool for years (quite possibly decades) but had never quite "got it".

Yeah, you can sit on it - so what. Which, truthfully, is very similar to how I felt about the stool for a long time. But on this particular course there was the opportunity to dive into using the stool as an absolute extension of the body, introducing more movement and fluidity all while still being completely supported and in control.

The difference in her work was awesome - almost as good as the grin on her face when we were chatting about the difference this shift will make for her.

This is the kind of tool I welcome into my treatment room. An even better experience for the client, more joy, freedom and support for the therapist, and room to go deeper and further with the possibilities of the tool in a supportive training environment.

So if you've got a tool you're not sure about, my invitation is to consider:

• Is it enhancing your client's experience?
• Is it enhancing your experience?
• Is it time to explore how much further you could go with this tool with an expert?

Because at the end of the day, it's OK to give something a go and decide it's not for you. And it's also OK to reach out for support from your community if you think you're missing something!

Tigger MacGregor
4Elements Co-Founder