You Asked for It
March 2004

Hi Sharon

I work [in an office] and I also run my own home-based esthetics business. I've recently begun to have pain in my right shoulder from waxing full sets of legs. I've been waxing for almost a year and this is the first time I have encountered this pain. Have you had experience dealing with this type of repetitive motion injury? If so I'd be very interested in talking with you about some solutions.

Sincerely,
Dallas

Response:

Having had the procedure that you describe helps me to understand your concerns. Likely the major culprit to the strain in your right shoulder (and I am assuming that you are right handed) is the range of motion that you must use when removing the muslin strip. If you use a long strip of muslin, you will have to lift your arm above the level of your shoulder. At the same time you are trying to control the speed of the movement to pull off the wax and the hair as efficiently as possible.

So, there are several risk factors at work here that need to be controlled:

• Non-neutral postures (raising your arm over the level of your shoulder)
• Repetition (how often you make the motion, as well as how much recovery time there is)
• Force (using strength generated within the muscles).

Suggestions:

1. I would start by cutting shorter pieces of muslin. This will reduce the need to pull for as far. It will slightly increase number of pulls that you do, but the range of movement will be decreased. This will also allow the muscle fibres to work at a better length so that the muscles don't work as hard to generate the same amount of force.
   
   
2. Make sure that the client is at a good height. The part of the body that you are working on should be about half way between groin and waist height. If you are short, this may mean standing on a wooden box (6-8" high) while you are doing the pulls and stepping down when applying the wax (so that you don't have to lean over her / him).
   
   
3. Also, apply wax to smaller areas so that you have a bit more variety in your activities. This will allow the pulling muscles to recover a bit.
   
   
4. Treat your injuries / discomforts promptly - Apply ice to the sore area for 20 minutes, 3-5 times per day. This will stimulate circulation, helping the healing process. See your doctor if the discomfort continues more than a couple weeks. He/She may suggest anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxants.
   
   

Please let me know if this helps.

st

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