One height is certainly not the intention!
Adjusting your table is one of the first things you learn as a masseur. Because your posture is crucial for a good massage and for your health. Your table must be at the correct height. But what is the right height? Opinions are divided on this. massage table height, palm height, adjust
Most masseurs learn to massage on a fixed, foldable table. Most massage schools simply don’t have room for ten electrically adjustable tables. So the halls are full of well-known tables with headrests and adjustable knobs on the legs. So, as soon as the first practice session starts in a lesson, you learn to set it at the right height. I myself have learned to put the table at palm height. So your straight arm with your palm horizontally down and that is the height of the table. Please click it here to check our portable massage table
Injury
That went well for me in the first six months that I massaged professionally, until I developed an injury to my shoulder that was the direct result of a table set too high. Not that I had learned the wrong thing, but I should have learned one more step.
There are different pieces of advice to novice masseurs regarding table height, but the most important thing to know is that there is no single fixed table height. There are three reasons why.
Masseurs have different heights
One masseur has short legs or long arms and the other may be the other way around. The height therefore always depends on the person who is going to massage. Please check our massage table collection.
Customers also come in different sizes.
It is an open door, but customers also differ in size. eg. Paul weighs 95 kg and Joost 70 kg, which can make a difference of only five cm in height when they are lying on the massage table. If you’re adjusting the table for Joost, you’ll need to reach higher to give Paul the same pressure. You can then lean in less, which may well be necessary for Paul.
Body parts also come in different heights.
When a customer lies on the table, the buttocks are higher than the back and the lower legs are below. If you have adjusted the table to the height (depth) of the back and you have to work on the gluteus, then the table may be too high to give good pressure.
So adjust your table depending on your body and that of your customer
It is therefore important to adjust your table in advance. For this, you need three things: 1. Know what pressure the customer wants 2. The body part you need to pay the most attention to and 3. Which tools do you want to use (fists, fingers, palms, elbow, etc.) for all then no deeper pressure.
So how high do you set your table now?
Medium and deeper pressure requires a lower table setting than light pressure. A complaint-oriented or sports massage therefore typically needs a lower table than a relaxation massage. A lower table ensures that you can lean in more and therefore use more bodyweight for the pressure. Feel free to ask your customer about this, both verbally and on your intake form. The guideline is: the height of your palm held flat is suitable for relaxation massages, and the height of your first knuckles held straight down is suitable for deeper pressure. But if you only work on your legs, for example, the table can be raised a bit again.
If you have to choose, choose a little lower
Certainly, at a fixed table, you will have to find a happy medium. If you spend most of your time on lighter techniques, you can easily set the table at palm height. In the deeper parts you have to reach a little higher, but that shouldn’t be a problem. But if your client expects a deeper pressure for most of the massage, then rather lower your table. If the pressure turns out to be too much, or if your table is really too low, you can widen your legs and bend your knees more. Too low is less of a problem than too high, as you can always sink by kneeling and spreading your legs. However, if your table is too high, you can only remove deeper pressure from your shoulders and that can be harmful to your body if you use the wrong techniques.
summarizing
High or low, the table height differs per massage, per masseur, and per customer. Superficial, softer massages can be done on a higher table (palm height) than deeper, firmer massages (knuckle height). Everything depends on the customer’s wishes, the customer’s physique, and the ‘tools’ you want to use. If you want to give deeper pressure, rather lower the table
