Ashiatsu at Kneaded Energy

Some massage clients have physically demanding jobs or workout habits, so they need deeper massage pressure on dense muscle groups.  To better meet their needs, Kneaded Energy’s Jami Craver recently trained in Ashiatsu. This style of massage allows her more effectively work on clients who need a lot of pressure, she’s found. It allows her to use her feet and body weight to loosen up tight muscles.

“It’s easier on my body to use my feet instead of my hands and arms all the time, and to be able to give them the pressure they (clients) want,” she said.  “It’s good for people with lower back pain and tightness, or those with very tight hamstrings.”

Bars have been installed on the ceiling above her massage table.  She holds them with her hands to balance herself and moderate the pressure she uses on the client. She said learning Ashiatsu was a challenge because she had to learn to read the client’s body with her feet the same way she does with her hands, while at the same time using her hands on the bars overhead.

Jami still uses her hands in her Ashiatsu massages.  It’s essential to assess the client’s body with hands to decide which spots might benefit from Ashiatsu. And neck and some kinds of shoulder work are better suited for hands, she said.

Advertisement