Massage Therapists (MT) are almost exclusively self-employed and lose income if they are unable toperform massage treatments. This study investigated MT workplace pain via survey and assessedmusculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk by video recording MT massage treatments then calculating the StrainIndex (SI) scores. First, randomly contacted MTs (16 respondents of 100 cold calls) completed an onlinesurvey about their work practices. Despite 87% of MTs reporting self care regimes, 83% reported workrelatedpain in the wrist or thumb over their careers with 57% experiencing pain in the last 30 days. SIscores were calculated for a 60 minute, naturalistic massage performed by seven licensed MTs (six femaleand one male reflecting the MT population sex proportions). There was suggestive evidence that theaverage and maximum hands-on day mean peak right hand SI scores (M = 5.6 and 7.7, SD = 4.30 and 5.73,and p = 0.08 and 0.04, respectively) were greater than an SI of 3.0 (moderate risk for MSD). There was noevidence of MSD risk for the left hand (M = 3.2 and 4.3, SD = 2.93 and 3.91, and p = 0.42 and 0.20,respectively). MTs may be at moderate risk of incurring work-related upper extremity disorders.
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