Answer. Tables are made to cater for many different bodywork modalities. Often the practitioner requirements for one particular modality differ only marginally from another. Remember choosing the right table for your particular needs will improve client comfort and draw loyal clients and referrals.

Treatment tables can be divided into a number of groups and sub-groups. They can be manufactured from timber, steel, aluminium and/or combinations of these materials.

[Q1.2] Portable Fixed Height. These are generally made of aluminium, timber or steel frames, with the same range of materials used for the legs.

Timber framed fixed height tables generally have two aluminium legs on either end, and two pairs of folding legs in the middle, making a total of eight legs. In general, because of the support of the four middle legs, these tables are extremely strong in the centre and tend to have very little deflection under load. Recommended for a practitioner who uses techniques such as a knee on the table, to provide additional leverage, or where the practitioner chooses to kneel either side of the patient for deep tissue work, shiatsu or chiropractic.

The steel and aluminium framed versions generally have a pair of legs at each end and then a cable support system which provides the tension to stop the table from collapsing in the middle. Most of these tables do have a degree of deflection under centre load, but are more than adequate for normal massage.

[Q1.4] Shoulder Recess Tables. These tables can come in both portable and fixed versions, and have an indented section towards the head of the table. A patient in the prone position has their arms supported in a cradle underneath the table. This table is very popular with professional masseurs because it offers many practical advantages for the patient and masseur. From the practitioner viewpoint there is less bending over the patient during treatment of the upper body, because of the enhanced access. This often means a practitioner of shorter stature can comfortably use a table wider than they would normally find comfortable to use, and of course the wider the table, the more comfortable it is for the patient. From the patient viewpoint the prone position completely relaxes the shoulder and upper back muscles enabling the practitioner to work more effectively in this area. When in the supine position there is still sufficient support for the shoulders, and this can be further enhanced by a removable plug for the face hole, or a separate headpiece that supports the head and shoulders. Most patients find this an exceptionally comfortable table to be treated on.

This table is also increasingly being used for recovery from macular surgery where the patient is required to lie face down for between 5 and 10 days for up to 21 hours per day. This is the only table in the world comfortable enough for this extreme use!

[Q1.6] Stationary Tables (non-portable). This booklet is primarily about portable tables so it will not dwell too long on stationary tables. The multitude of options available when choosing a fixed or electrically operated table, are covered in a very general way in questions 16,17 and 18. Suffice to say that there are stationary versions of all the portable table types listed above. There is also a hybrid type of table, which is basically a stationary table (single piece top), with legs that fold for transportation, or to enable positioning in a very confined space, e.g. a terrace house with narrow stairs.

Most stationary tables have either a timber or steel frame. The better ones have a fixed stabilizer bar connecting the four legs to provide added structural rigidity and resistance to damage. Stationary steel tables can be made very strong (depending on the gauge of steel used), but they can be very heavy to move around, and some practitioners do not like the cold look of metal compared to the warmth of timber. It is very much a matter of personal aesthetics.

Also included in this category is the full range of stationary height adjustable tables. These tables can take many forms ranging from a simple plinth on a hydraulic, foot-operated base, to sophisticated electrically operated tables with a multitude of adjustments.

By the time most practitioners are ready to purchase a non-portable, fixed, or electrically operated table, they will probably have their own very definite ideas about what they want so this booklet may not be of great interest to them.