new here, about to graduate

[firesign]

Hello all, my name is jessica and I just wanted to introduce myself.  I am currently a massage therapy student at blue cliff college in gulfort, ms.  In april I will be graduating from a 700 hr program.  now I have a few questions.  just a few tonight and maybe more later.     My first question is about hurting thumbs.  I think about 2 weeks ago when we were out doing community outreach, chair massage, I hurt them really bad.  does anyone have any advice on how to make them feel better and not to hurt them again.   ;D.  well that is all for right now.  I will hopefully talk to you all later.Jessica

 

[Lollipop]

new here, about to graduate

Hi Jessica. I am a recent graduate and had trouble with my medial elbow area. My instructor sugested I stop massaging until it felt better & Ice. It helped Also, I massage both of my arms after every client, and extend my fingers with a big stretch. Hope this helps. :

 

[Mark D]

were did you graduate from?  Do you have a job and how long after you graduated did you get a job?  I guess I am just curious, our school really doesn't tell us a lot about the national exam and oportunites to work.   so if you could tell me anything about this it would be great.  thanks

 

[Cy impres]

new here, about to graduate

Welcome NavyGal!I graduated from a small school in Idaho. I got a job doing massage about 2 months after I graduated--two part time jobs. One at a Chiropractor's office and one at a spa. I ended up doing more office work at the chiropractor's though and I didn't like it so I went to the spa full time. I haven't taken the National Certification Exam....my main training was just over 100 hours. To take the NCE you have to have 500 and I'm not quite there yet. Anyway, I'm leaving the spa a little over a year and a half later and starting my own private practice. The Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) in Arizona offers an NCE prep class. You might be able to find something similar a little closer to home. There are also study guides and practice tests. I've seen them around but don't know who the publisher is. Maybe someone else here will know. Good luck with everything!

 

[Marc C]

I graduated in Sept. 2002. I took the national test last Monday and I was shocked I did well in all 4 areas. I studied Eastern Meridians a couple days before the test and I was shocked I had about 15 questions about it. So, don't go crazy just look at you notes from school and look at some of the meridians from Eastern Medicine. Alot of the questions, it seamed like there were 2  correct ones, but think about them and remember from school. You will do fine. I am not a great school person and if I can do it you can. Good luck. :

 

[missjaimy]

Hi Jessica.I have a little advice/suggestion for your thumbs. Go to a trusted Chiropractor & get yourself an all-over 'tune-up' click with emphasis on the health of your wrists, forearms & thumbs. Sometimes a simple adjustment can really improve your situation. For the meantime, as unpleasant as it sounds, sink your hands & wrists into a tub of ice water AM and PM. If you have access to (I don't know what they're officially called) chinese exercise balls, a dynaflex Power Ball (I got mine at Sharper Image) or even strength putty (found at any sporting goods store), USE them faithfully. Try to get creative in your work, using fists, flat fists, forearms, etc, to give your thumbs the necessary down time needed to heal. I hope you didn't acquire a chronic injury. None of could possibly tell over the forum, but LOTS of us have been in the same boat (or a similar enough one!)... read the postings about "sore wrists" etc. There's alot of great advice scattered through the past posts. You may have to go 'light duty' for  a while. Perhaps you could even speak with an instructor for some specific corrections to your body mechanics, etc. I know that a particular class (and the instructor) that I attended (Thumbless Therapies) was very enlightening to me about changing my work. Good luck! Hang in there! When you're doing reciprocal work in your bodywork classes, ask your partner to utilize any  specific work they know of on your arms & hands when it comes to that portion of the work. We used to always request specific 'emphasis' from one another in class. It's just like the 'real world', and none of our instructors took offense, as long as we didn't steer too far away from the protocol being studied.Best wishes for relief soon!!!Jill/Sagetherapist

 

[Karo]

Jill,    thanks for all the advice.  Unfortuantly I have clinic pretty much every day and night for the next few weeks to make up hours when I was sick.  Last night though before I went to clinic I gave my hands a parafin treatment and massaged them.  Last night they were like brand new, don't know about today, but I do need to get a strength ball and start working my hands out.  I have never been to a chiropractor, but I am sure there is more out of wack then just my wrists and thumbs. My mother in law goes to this really good chiropractor adn she also does acupunture.  So when I move back to kansas city I will look her up.  thanks for the advice I will talk to you soon.Jessica