Our jobs can take a toll on our bodies, which massage therapists notice.
“Many times, I can guess a client’s occupation by their symptoms and findings,” Wallace said. “Long-distance truck drivers will complain of low back pain from the constant jarring of their seat due to bumpy road conditions. Athletes often experience groin pain from having overstretched adductors. Students have neck, shoulder and back pain caused by carrying heavy backpacks.”
Treat also noted: “My clients who work in the trades, like plumbers, electricians, carpenters and drywall contractors, will often come in with overdeveloped forearms, low back pain and a sore neck.”
On or off the job, we all experience stress. And since we’re such unique little unicorns, we carry our stress in different places.
“Each client has a tell-tale stress sign that I can feel for and address during a session, whether it’s the upper shoulders, neck, low back, glutes or jaw,” Coverly said. “An important part of my job is to educate my clients about the areas that tighten when they’re stressed and encourage them to practice targeted self-care to help alleviate pain and discomfort between massage sessions.”
Massage therapist Jeffrey Montoya agreed that stress patterns vary from person to person.
“It’s said that ‘our issues are in our tissues, and that our biography becomes our biology,’ Montoya said. “I do notice patterns, such as how shoulder tension can be a sign that a person is burdened or feeling a lot of responsibility. People with back pain often lack a feeling of being supported in family or work. And anxiety is often associated with stomach and intestinal health issues.”
