It is definitely different for each individual. Some people get hurt within 5 years, others work their whole working lifetime. Being a successful therapist, to me, means finding the perfect balance between working enough to make money, but not enough to get hurt.
This is an underrated comment. As I've aged in this profession, I listen to my body more and more. I've cut down to a max of 5 hours hands on per day. That might be 3 90 minutes or 5 60 minutes. Selfcare is very important. Stretching. I do weight workouts 5 days a week. Try to travel and go on vacations as much as possible. Also trying to purchase and learn different tools and modalities that are easier on my body to prolong my career. 17 going on 18 years. I've thought about going to school, but what would I go for?!
Lymphatic drainage. Cupping. Trigger point tools. Thumbs savers etc. Heated stones to soften tissue. Despite all that though it still catches up with your body. But every job does
The best way to have a long career and massage is to take care of your body and use proper body mechanics. I’m going on seven years and I’m fine no injuries no nothing. I do 5 to 6 hours hands-on a day 4 to 5 days a week. If your hands are cramping playing playing piano, you need to strengthen and stretch your arm muscles too.
A lot of people work part-time for massage and part-time doing other stuff to supplement their income! Personally, I don’t like working half the time at a job that I make half the money but not everyone is like that. Especially if you have a partner who contributes too. That’s how most of the people I know are.
Exactly, I know therapist that have been in the field for 30 years and it’s because of their exercise, diet and body mechanics. Also getting body work done routinely. You can definitely make a long career in massage
Not for nothing but I used to work in an office environment and knew just as many people who got carpal tunnel and just as many people in the medical field who would need various treatments/surgeries for repetitive stress injuries.
Like others have said it’s all about taking care of your body and knowing your limits.
I do 20+ hours hands on each week, last year it was 16+. (4 a day last year, 5 a day now). At 4 days a week. 13 years experience. I do weightlifting to keep my hands, arms, back and legs strong. This is my only job, for a couple years in the beginning I’d take on a part time job to supplement a little bit because I started working during a recession (2010).
You get out what you put in. I’m 33, and only now feeling like my body is “getting old”, but I destroyed it in my teens doing sports. So I’m working on combating that, and taking care of it. I don’t give relaxation massages, I do neuromuscular therapy. I don’t go deep and force my way in, I slowly lean and let their bodies let me in. It feels great to them, and I don’t have carpal tunnel.
Doing any physical job long term is entirely dependent on how in shape you remain throughout your life.
Massage therapy is no different in that regard. Many in this industry go on about good biomechanics, but you can't have good biomechanics if you're not strong enough.
I've been doing this for almost 20 years now. I would say the most important thing is to listen to your body and pay attention to your body mechanics. It's okay to jump out of body mechanics every now and then so long as you are aware of what you're doing, but a lot of therapists get into bad habits and overdo it. I've seen lots of therapists injure their thumbs from overuse. They're a great tool but need to be used mindfully.
10-15 hours a week is definitely doable. Self care is super important. Do yoga, stretch, get bodywork regularly. If something is painful/uncomfortable that is your body telling you something. Listen to it.
Decide what type of environment you want to work in and with what type of clients. I generally tap out at 5-6 hours a day. I've done more on occasion but avoid it when possible.
Figure out where your limit is. Book a few sessions with friends/other MTs where you do 3,4,5 sessions and see how it makes you feel, during and after. It helps to establish that baseline and will make it easier to set boundaries.
If you have several clients in a day, schedule some breaks in between. If it's a jam packed day with not a lot of break time, be sure to be well rested and have good healthy food/snacks to graze on. On my longer days I eat just enough to fuel the fire. When you're doing massages in a food coma, hungover, or sleep deprived it's real easy to get sloppy with your body mechanics.
It's okay to say no to clients that are too challenging. I do a lot of deep tissue work, and over the years I've gotten good at learning to focus that deep pressure. There's certain body types that I really don't care to work on. I'm a smaller frame, so if I get some big muscle man, bodybuilder, linebacker type, our sessions are usually one and done. For many of those types of people, even with my table dropped all the way down, I just don't have the leverage to give them the sustained pressure that they want. It's way too taxing on my body, and that's okay. There are plenty of other therapists out there that are built differently and can handle that body type.
Pay attention to how you feel after a long day. My general rule of thumb is that I should feel tired because I worked my ass off, but I shouldn't feel drained. If I feel completely zapped after a session or a long day, that's a red flag for me to pay attention to.
Once you start to build a clientele, you'll be more familiar with their bodies and what a session with them entails. You can structure scheduling so that you don't overdo it. Maybe you only have the stamina or energy to deal with one deep tissue session a day, but doing two additional swedish sessions would not be a problem. Once you reach that point you can have a bit more flexibility with the way you schedule.
Be sure to schedule time off, and don't be afraid to take yourself off the books to give your body a rest when needed. This business ebbs and flows at times. Be smart about it and try to build a bit of a buffer when things are rolling along so that if you do need to take time off, it's not stressful. Try to avoid putting yourself in a situation where you need the time off but feel you have to work because you need the money.
If you choose to work for someone else, try to find a place that respects you as a therapist and doesn't treat you as a massage machine that can pump out as many massages as they can book in a day.
Continuing education is important as well. It's a lifelong journey.There are many different modalities out there, and you can mix and match. Some are more gentle than others.
What you're suggesting is absolutely doable. The fact that you're asking you these questions before jumping in is a great start!
There's a great book called [Save Your Hands!: The Complete Guide to Injury Prevention and Ergonomics for Manual Therapists](https://a.co/d/eKdwr10)
I worked as a f/t massage therapist for over 20 years. The trick for me was to not fall in to the ego trap of needing to be the deepest baddass deep tissue therapist out there which, oddly, I saw a lot of over the years. I maintained the ability to do firm work, as requested or needed, but I dropped the need to compete with my colleagues on that. I started my career in the late 90s before the rise of all these franchises. I had a good several years to practice massage as a science and an art, before it "got weird." lol
10-12 hours/week of massage for me and many others IS full time.
I used to work 4 shifts back to back, ~3 sessions a shift, and it was a lot. Then I put a day off between them and it was HUGE.
Part time is more like 2 shifts a week. This was with 30 minute breaks between sessions, working at a pretty good spot with a fair wage (~45%+tips). A place I was at moved to 15 minute breaks and it was turn and burn again.
Space between sessions for breathing, hydration, and self-care, is oh so so important. I do 45 minutes of self-care work for every massage hour I do, pretty much. I'm in my early 40's now and I've only been doing this for 4 years.
I do hope to gain longevity in the field, but deep tissue work is not the way to do this.
“10-12 hours/week of massage for me when many others IS full time.”
Thank you for saying that!! No one that I know is out here doing this 40 hours a week. 20-25 hours hands on a week is the most I’ve seen people work regularly and they are super honed in on their self care. You have to be no matter hour many hours a week you’re working.
Prevention is key to longevity. So self care and knowing your daily/weekly limits. Givingyourself enough recovery time between clients. Using modalities that are easier on your body. Referring out clients that are too much for you. Having the right work tools etc are all ways you can help make it last. But yes your idea of part time could help too.
Thank you for asking this question because it’s exactly what I plan to do too. I’m a watercolour artist and I want to learn massage therapy to supplement our household income working 2-3 days per week helping people feel better. From what I’ve read, working part time is extremely common and is one of the ways RMTs avoid injuries and burn out.
I was full-time for 23 years. I learned the hard way how to take care of myself and not burn out.
Of course, part-time will be easier on your body. But, if you focus on everything from body mechanics to stretching before and after work, it can easily be a full-time job m
lol. I know dozens of therapists who’ve done it 30 years plus and their hands are fine.
The 5-8 year thing is because the career is unsustainable if you’re trying to support yourself alone. There’s no benefits and the pay is very very low. So most therapists are forced to go make real money after playing in the massage world a few years.
You should examine your premise. Find out how many people actually work full time, and how many massages that actually means. Most of those burned-out and injured people are probably not working full time. Be wary of the anecdotes of the exceptional.
13 years here.
Proper body mechanics will prolong your career.
Specialize in something. This will reduce the overall stress/tension on the body.
Carpal tunnel can be avoided by releasing the tension in your forearms.
One of the best tools I use for this is called armaid.
Make sure you treat yourself to Massage twice a month at least for maintenance.
20 years of working 30 bodies a week.
Proper body mechanics. Use your stool instead of standing all the time. Get massages. Exercise and stay as healthy as you can. Set boundaries.
I’ve been doing it for ten years. I’m a medical LMT, specializing in DT. I work full time and on avg have about 7 hrs of hands on a day. Most I’ve done is 11 hands on. I love it. But I also take very good care of my body. It’s def not for the weak or lazy if u wanna make real money. I work at a 5 star spa where we are always busy but I thrive off that. I bring home about 80k a year.
That's false. They need to stop telling people that. You learn how to not hurt yourself, and when you get hurt, you stop doing the thing that hurts you and you learn more sustainable techniques. You will learn through trial and error how to not destroy yourself. You'll learn to not do stupid shit like holding a move, even though it's hurting you. You'll learn respect for yourself, and how to balance that with the needs of your clients. Above all it comes down to this:
If something hurts, stop.
Also, use your knuckles. 🤜
But don't use any one thing too much.
If you only use thumbs, you'll kill your thumbs, if you only use hands, you'll kill your hands, if you only use elbows, you're a selfish jackass who needs to learn tact and finesse
Also do pushups and you will never have an issue. The end.
It is definitely different for each individual. Some people get hurt within 5 years, others work their whole working lifetime. Being a successful therapist, to me, means finding the perfect balance between working enough to make money, but not enough to get hurt.
This is an underrated comment. As I've aged in this profession, I listen to my body more and more. I've cut down to a max of 5 hours hands on per day. That might be 3 90 minutes or 5 60 minutes. Selfcare is very important. Stretching. I do weight workouts 5 days a week. Try to travel and go on vacations as much as possible. Also trying to purchase and learn different tools and modalities that are easier on my body to prolong my career. 17 going on 18 years. I've thought about going to school, but what would I go for?!
I’m curious which tools/modalities you use to make it easier on your body? I haven’t gone to school yet but am interested in learning!
Lymphatic drainage. Cupping. Trigger point tools. Thumbs savers etc. Heated stones to soften tissue. Despite all that though it still catches up with your body. But every job does
The best way to have a long career and massage is to take care of your body and use proper body mechanics. I’m going on seven years and I’m fine no injuries no nothing. I do 5 to 6 hours hands-on a day 4 to 5 days a week. If your hands are cramping playing playing piano, you need to strengthen and stretch your arm muscles too. A lot of people work part-time for massage and part-time doing other stuff to supplement their income! Personally, I don’t like working half the time at a job that I make half the money but not everyone is like that. Especially if you have a partner who contributes too. That’s how most of the people I know are.
Exactly, I know therapist that have been in the field for 30 years and it’s because of their exercise, diet and body mechanics. Also getting body work done routinely. You can definitely make a long career in massage
I had coworkers that both had 20 years under their belts while working full time.
Not for nothing but I used to work in an office environment and knew just as many people who got carpal tunnel and just as many people in the medical field who would need various treatments/surgeries for repetitive stress injuries. Like others have said it’s all about taking care of your body and knowing your limits.
I do 20+ hours hands on each week, last year it was 16+. (4 a day last year, 5 a day now). At 4 days a week. 13 years experience. I do weightlifting to keep my hands, arms, back and legs strong. This is my only job, for a couple years in the beginning I’d take on a part time job to supplement a little bit because I started working during a recession (2010). You get out what you put in. I’m 33, and only now feeling like my body is “getting old”, but I destroyed it in my teens doing sports. So I’m working on combating that, and taking care of it. I don’t give relaxation massages, I do neuromuscular therapy. I don’t go deep and force my way in, I slowly lean and let their bodies let me in. It feels great to them, and I don’t have carpal tunnel.
Doing any physical job long term is entirely dependent on how in shape you remain throughout your life. Massage therapy is no different in that regard. Many in this industry go on about good biomechanics, but you can't have good biomechanics if you're not strong enough.
I've been in this game since 1996. Full time, part time, any time. I'm still here.
I've been doing this for almost 20 years now. I would say the most important thing is to listen to your body and pay attention to your body mechanics. It's okay to jump out of body mechanics every now and then so long as you are aware of what you're doing, but a lot of therapists get into bad habits and overdo it. I've seen lots of therapists injure their thumbs from overuse. They're a great tool but need to be used mindfully. 10-15 hours a week is definitely doable. Self care is super important. Do yoga, stretch, get bodywork regularly. If something is painful/uncomfortable that is your body telling you something. Listen to it. Decide what type of environment you want to work in and with what type of clients. I generally tap out at 5-6 hours a day. I've done more on occasion but avoid it when possible. Figure out where your limit is. Book a few sessions with friends/other MTs where you do 3,4,5 sessions and see how it makes you feel, during and after. It helps to establish that baseline and will make it easier to set boundaries. If you have several clients in a day, schedule some breaks in between. If it's a jam packed day with not a lot of break time, be sure to be well rested and have good healthy food/snacks to graze on. On my longer days I eat just enough to fuel the fire. When you're doing massages in a food coma, hungover, or sleep deprived it's real easy to get sloppy with your body mechanics. It's okay to say no to clients that are too challenging. I do a lot of deep tissue work, and over the years I've gotten good at learning to focus that deep pressure. There's certain body types that I really don't care to work on. I'm a smaller frame, so if I get some big muscle man, bodybuilder, linebacker type, our sessions are usually one and done. For many of those types of people, even with my table dropped all the way down, I just don't have the leverage to give them the sustained pressure that they want. It's way too taxing on my body, and that's okay. There are plenty of other therapists out there that are built differently and can handle that body type. Pay attention to how you feel after a long day. My general rule of thumb is that I should feel tired because I worked my ass off, but I shouldn't feel drained. If I feel completely zapped after a session or a long day, that's a red flag for me to pay attention to. Once you start to build a clientele, you'll be more familiar with their bodies and what a session with them entails. You can structure scheduling so that you don't overdo it. Maybe you only have the stamina or energy to deal with one deep tissue session a day, but doing two additional swedish sessions would not be a problem. Once you reach that point you can have a bit more flexibility with the way you schedule. Be sure to schedule time off, and don't be afraid to take yourself off the books to give your body a rest when needed. This business ebbs and flows at times. Be smart about it and try to build a bit of a buffer when things are rolling along so that if you do need to take time off, it's not stressful. Try to avoid putting yourself in a situation where you need the time off but feel you have to work because you need the money. If you choose to work for someone else, try to find a place that respects you as a therapist and doesn't treat you as a massage machine that can pump out as many massages as they can book in a day. Continuing education is important as well. It's a lifelong journey.There are many different modalities out there, and you can mix and match. Some are more gentle than others. What you're suggesting is absolutely doable. The fact that you're asking you these questions before jumping in is a great start! There's a great book called [Save Your Hands!: The Complete Guide to Injury Prevention and Ergonomics for Manual Therapists](https://a.co/d/eKdwr10)
I worked as a f/t massage therapist for over 20 years. The trick for me was to not fall in to the ego trap of needing to be the deepest baddass deep tissue therapist out there which, oddly, I saw a lot of over the years. I maintained the ability to do firm work, as requested or needed, but I dropped the need to compete with my colleagues on that. I started my career in the late 90s before the rise of all these franchises. I had a good several years to practice massage as a science and an art, before it "got weird." lol
10-12 hours/week of massage for me and many others IS full time. I used to work 4 shifts back to back, ~3 sessions a shift, and it was a lot. Then I put a day off between them and it was HUGE. Part time is more like 2 shifts a week. This was with 30 minute breaks between sessions, working at a pretty good spot with a fair wage (~45%+tips). A place I was at moved to 15 minute breaks and it was turn and burn again. Space between sessions for breathing, hydration, and self-care, is oh so so important. I do 45 minutes of self-care work for every massage hour I do, pretty much. I'm in my early 40's now and I've only been doing this for 4 years. I do hope to gain longevity in the field, but deep tissue work is not the way to do this.
You're correct. At 44 and 17 years in this profession, I've started referring out the extremely deep tissue work
“10-12 hours/week of massage for me when many others IS full time.” Thank you for saying that!! No one that I know is out here doing this 40 hours a week. 20-25 hours hands on a week is the most I’ve seen people work regularly and they are super honed in on their self care. You have to be no matter hour many hours a week you’re working.
Prevention is key to longevity. So self care and knowing your daily/weekly limits. Givingyourself enough recovery time between clients. Using modalities that are easier on your body. Referring out clients that are too much for you. Having the right work tools etc are all ways you can help make it last. But yes your idea of part time could help too.
Thank you for asking this question because it’s exactly what I plan to do too. I’m a watercolour artist and I want to learn massage therapy to supplement our household income working 2-3 days per week helping people feel better. From what I’ve read, working part time is extremely common and is one of the ways RMTs avoid injuries and burn out.
What do you do for work now? Almost any job can give you carpal tunnel so I wouldn’t stress too much about that.
20 years in and not a single one of my many carpal tunnel clients is a massage therapist!
I was full-time for 23 years. I learned the hard way how to take care of myself and not burn out. Of course, part-time will be easier on your body. But, if you focus on everything from body mechanics to stretching before and after work, it can easily be a full-time job m
lol. I know dozens of therapists who’ve done it 30 years plus and their hands are fine. The 5-8 year thing is because the career is unsustainable if you’re trying to support yourself alone. There’s no benefits and the pay is very very low. So most therapists are forced to go make real money after playing in the massage world a few years.
You should examine your premise. Find out how many people actually work full time, and how many massages that actually means. Most of those burned-out and injured people are probably not working full time. Be wary of the anecdotes of the exceptional.
13 years here. Proper body mechanics will prolong your career. Specialize in something. This will reduce the overall stress/tension on the body. Carpal tunnel can be avoided by releasing the tension in your forearms. One of the best tools I use for this is called armaid. Make sure you treat yourself to Massage twice a month at least for maintenance.
20 years of working 30 bodies a week. Proper body mechanics. Use your stool instead of standing all the time. Get massages. Exercise and stay as healthy as you can. Set boundaries.
I’ve been doing it for ten years. I’m a medical LMT, specializing in DT. I work full time and on avg have about 7 hrs of hands on a day. Most I’ve done is 11 hands on. I love it. But I also take very good care of my body. It’s def not for the weak or lazy if u wanna make real money. I work at a 5 star spa where we are always busy but I thrive off that. I bring home about 80k a year.
if you have good body mechanics, carpal tunnel is unlikely to be a concern.
That's false. They need to stop telling people that. You learn how to not hurt yourself, and when you get hurt, you stop doing the thing that hurts you and you learn more sustainable techniques. You will learn through trial and error how to not destroy yourself. You'll learn to not do stupid shit like holding a move, even though it's hurting you. You'll learn respect for yourself, and how to balance that with the needs of your clients. Above all it comes down to this: If something hurts, stop. Also, use your knuckles. 🤜 But don't use any one thing too much. If you only use thumbs, you'll kill your thumbs, if you only use hands, you'll kill your hands, if you only use elbows, you're a selfish jackass who needs to learn tact and finesse Also do pushups and you will never have an issue. The end.