I can do massage the same way a male can. I can accomplish all the same outcomes but I have to do it different. This is a concern for me because especially in the continuining education world, many courses are taught by males to to females and body mechanics
need to be altered based on research into gender differences
Most massage therapists are female.
(AMTA report 2012 Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet). Proper body mechanics
are affected based on the differences between male and female bodies. Generally,
females have more elastic tissues than males. Also, females tend to have a
slightly broader range of joint movement. Regardless of gender though, it is
necessary to perform massage with the best body mechanics possible
A female’s center of gravity is lower
and further back than a male. Females also carry more weight below the waist,
while males are broader in the chest and shoulders and carry their weight above
the waist.
You can think of a man as a pear or
eggplant standing on its head, and a woman as a pear or eggplant sitting on its
bottom. When a man flexes forward the center of gravity is over his toes. When
a woman flexes forward, her center of gravity is over her heels. New figure
The female pelvis is wider than the
male pelvis, which means the woman’s femur bone approaches the knee at a wider
angle called the "Q" Angle. A greater "Q" Angle can cause a
knock-kneed stance which stresses the knee. The structural supports of the
knee, the ligaments and tendons, are stretched on the insides and pinched on
the outsides. The combination of wider hips and the resulting tendency to knock-knees
coupled with a woman’s greater flexibility causes the knee to be more mobile.
Women do not bend at the ankles and
knees as far forward as men. They also have less total ankle strength. Because
there is not as much movement at the ankle, a female will need a taller massage
table.
SPINE
In women the spine as whole and
individual vertebrae in certain regions of the normal spine are more backwardly
inclined than in men. These spinal regions are subjected to different
biomechanical loading conditions. There is less rotational stability in females
than in males. Therefore, females must maintain alignment of the shoulder
girdle and pelvic girdle during massage to prevent torsion forces (twisting) on
the spine while doing massage. (Janssen et al 2009)
PHYSICAL
STRENGTH
Women are generally not as powerful
as men. The average female, because of her smaller size, works at a higher
proportion of her maximum strength than does the average male. Women only have
55-58 percent of the upper body strength of men, and on average are only 80
percent as strong as a man of identical weight. Women must leverage by leaning
their body weight to apply pressure during massage application.
Male massage therapists may be able
to use a shorter table without as much strain because when they lean forward,
their center of gravity also moves forward and they have more upper body
strength. However just because the typical male can “get away with it” does not
mean they should do massage in any way that has the potential for harm.
So what does all this mean in
relationship to how a female does massage and male does massage? Specifically,
females should not attempt to do massage in the exact same way as males.
·
Females generally need
a higher massage table to compensate for the lower center of gravity as it
shifts to the back when the torso is flexed forward.
·
Females have more joint
movement in general, but there is reduced movement at the ankles, again
supporting the need for a higher massage table.
·
Females need to reduce
the tendency to flex the torso since this moves the center of gravity behind
them requiring more muscle force to apply pressure.
·
Females need to make
sure that the pelvis does not tilt back during massage causing their bottom to stick
out.
·
Females have more
difficulty with joint stability, so they need to maintain a tighter body
position and not reach or overextend the body when doing massage.
·
Females need to pay
specific attention to core strength and stability to stabilize the spine as
well as scapular stabilization
Janssen
MM, Drevelle
X, Humbert
L, Skalli
W, Castelein
RM: Differences in male and female spino-pelvic alignment in asymptomatic
young adults: a three-dimensional analysis using upright low-dose digital
biplanar X-rays Spine (Phila Pa
1976) 1;34(23):E826-32, Nov 2009.
Kubo
K, Kanehisa
H, Fukunaga
T: Gender differences in the viscoelastic properties of tendon structures. Eur J Appl Physiol 88(6):520-6, Feb 2003.
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