The biggest questions we face as Massage Therapists when we see a new client are: Will they like my techniques? Will they feel better after one massage? Am I providing the treatment they need?
A survey in the USA completed in 2007, found approximately 14.3 million adults used complimentary treatments for back pain, 5 million used these approaches for the neck pain and 3.1 million for their arthritis.
That is a lot of people seeking relief from acute and chronic pain!
We know massage causes change in your body and touch alone can be therapeutic but as Massage Therapists we cannot be all to everyone, nor should we try!
We need to be asking you three things:
What has bought you in to see us today, what you are looking for as a result of treatment and are there techniques you prefer?
Here are three ways to direct your treatment in a way that will help your therapist deliver the treatment you want.
1. If you are looking for stress reduction or relaxation of the body, we suggest a 90 minute full body massage. A full body massage done well, cannot be done in 60 minutes. We suggest you be specific when asking your therapist for this, letting them know you want feet, legs, back, hands, arms, neck, head, face, stomach, and chest. If there is a part of you that does not want to be touched, let them know. Be clear at why you have come in and what you want as a result today.
2. When you schedule a 60 minute massage and come in with a specific area of concern you may want to only have that painful area massaged; often this will not solve the problem. We like to say, stub your toe and you may get a headache because you started walking funny from the toe injury. Your body operates as one unit, not one muscle group, therefore, it is important to address the pain by assessing the region. Low back pain for example can be caused by tight quads, hamstrings, upper back, abdominals or simply a strain in the low back, but without assessing the tension and development of the musculature, you may never solve the reason you have low back pain. Be open to the therapists treatment plan during that hour, knowing solutions and resolutions often take frequent appointments until you can go and extended period of time without the pain returning. There are four stages to healing an injury: Relief, Correction, Strengthening and Maintenance
3. Deep pressure means something completely different from one client to the next. Saying something like “I am not here for relaxation, I am looking for a deep specific treatment to my shoulders with range of motion techniques”. This lets your therapist know what you expect. If your therapist asks you how the pressure is and you say it is okay – then they will not go deeper. If you want a deeper treatment, use numbers to help guide the pressure. Say “I prefer most of my massage treatment to be a 7 or 8/10 in intensity and currently I am experiencing only a 5”. A well trained therapist watches and feels for your body to pull away or for muscle contraction when the pressure is too much, we do not want to cause bruising or more inflammation if it is not conducive to relief or correction. Our goal is help heal your body and often a painful massage is not necessary for results to occur. If you have had a lot of massage, you often can take a lot more pressure and we suggest only 60 minutes for this type of treatment. You want to avoid flooding your body with too much pain as well, the therapist may struggle with the amount of pressure needed for an appointment that is longer than one hour.
We recommend you communicate as little or as much as you want, never hold back because you think your therapists will be insulted. This is your massage appointment and we all want the same thing. Our intention as a Massage Therapist is to instill trust by listening to your concerns, delivering treatment that creates change in your mind and body while providing you a safe place to de-stress, heal and find results.
Shelly MacGregor
Shelly MacGregor is the Owner of Apex Massage Therapy Ltd. and the Founder of Spagoes and Spa 901 in Fernie BC
