Following my post of September 14th, one of my clients (who is a regular contributor to other blogs) sent me one for here.
My experience finding the right massage therapist
by Christy Brewer
The first time I had a massage therapy session, I had a specific condition: carpal tunnel syndrome. After talking with medical doctors who preferred surgery, I began sharing my situation with some of my mom's friends.
At the time, I was a secretary. Yes, back in the day when executives had people to type their correspondence and reports for them. So, hand surgery, even one at a time, would take me out of commission for way too long.
I got lucky. One of my mom's friends knew a massage therapist that was formerly a physical therapist. That mattered to me, since I had heard a lot more about exotic massage than massage therapy, and, frankly, I was more afraid of finding myself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But, the pain drove me to take a chance and just make the appointment. I had no previous experience to compare, so I was afraid of settling for a mediocre therapist. However, as soon as I arrived at my first massage therapy appointment, I was completely relieved.
I entered the back of this person's house, which seemed uncomfortable at first, but walked right into a professional setup for massage. Fran greeted me and explained everything that would happen, making me immediately comfortable with the process. She asked questions about what was bothering me, and took a brief but detailed medical history.
During the massage, she continually asked questions about my carpal tunnel, my job, and any other measures I had taken to relieve the pain. She also asked for feedback on the massage itself. "Is this painful?" "Do you feel pain radiating, or is it staying stationary?" "If I move your arm like this, does the pain get worse, better, or the same?"
After my first massage, I felt immediate relief. I knew I had made the right choice to go, and had managed to find a great massage therapist on my first try. After I moved too far away from Fran, I had to find another, and that's where having the previous experience helped me compare and know when I found a therapist I like.
Here are my tips:
* Look for a professional environment. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but definitely an established practice should have adequate facilities to allow you to maintain your privacy and make you comfortable.
* A good therapist will ask you for a detailed medical history, and ask you what your goals are for massage therapy. Don't begin work before you have a chance to talk through all your concerns.
* Look for a therapist who is willing to listen. I used to feel too "chatty" before and during my sessions, but this is vital information. If the therapist seems disinterested in what you have to say, find a new one.
* During the massage, you should feel comfortable asking questions or giving feedback. If something is painful, you must be confident that your therapist is listening and will respond.
* This may just be my personal opinion, but I've always done best with a therapist that I get along with outside the massage room as well as inside. Fran is still great friends with my mom, and she participated in my wedding. Now, in South Carolina, I'm glad to have found a friend in Lucy. Yeah, it's that important to me.
The best way to find a massage therapist that you like is to try a session. You can eliminate a few by talking to them or visiting the facility, but ultimately you won't know for sure until you engage in the real work of a massage. You won't be wasting time by trying a few therapists, because any licensed therapist will give you a good massage. Just remember, you deserve a _great_ massage, and that's your goal in finding _your_ massage therapist.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
1000 and counting
When I first became licensed and started working professionally as a massage therapist (instead of giving them to my friends), one of my mentors told me that my palpation skills [what you can feel and sense with your hands] would go to a new level after the first 1000 massages. And a new level again after another 1000.
The 1000-mark is significant because a lot of what happens in a good massage, and always in a great massage, is based on intuition and what the hands notice. After a while you have a sense of what to feel for.
Earlier this month I was giving a massage to a person I don't work on very often, maybe once a year. She commented that my touch was different and better; I told her what this more experienced massage therapist had shared with me. Of course, she asked me how many I had done, and I really didn't know. Later, I looked through my records and found that this month I had passed the 1000 mark.
I sometimes forget that it's a reasonable question for a client to ask: "Can you feel this tight muscle?" That's a lot of what massage therapists do, feel for trouble spots and address them. The skin is a covering, but I was taught to envision the muscles underneath instead of focusing on the skin.
One of the beautiful aspects of this profession is that I learn all the time. Since every client is unique, I learn from each one of them. I learn new techniques when I receive massages from other therapists. And, I attend continuing education classes. The most recent class, "Caring for Clients with Cancer," was another reason (besides the 1000 massages) that my touch is now different. Tracy Walton, the instructor, gave each of us the tools to be more connected with our clients through our hands.
Experience and the wisdom of others helps me grow as a massage therapist. I send a big Thank You to her and all the other wonderful teachers and mentors in massage.
"Massage is the study of anatomy in braille."--Jack Meagher
The 1000-mark is significant because a lot of what happens in a good massage, and always in a great massage, is based on intuition and what the hands notice. After a while you have a sense of what to feel for.
Earlier this month I was giving a massage to a person I don't work on very often, maybe once a year. She commented that my touch was different and better; I told her what this more experienced massage therapist had shared with me. Of course, she asked me how many I had done, and I really didn't know. Later, I looked through my records and found that this month I had passed the 1000 mark.
I sometimes forget that it's a reasonable question for a client to ask: "Can you feel this tight muscle?" That's a lot of what massage therapists do, feel for trouble spots and address them. The skin is a covering, but I was taught to envision the muscles underneath instead of focusing on the skin.
One of the beautiful aspects of this profession is that I learn all the time. Since every client is unique, I learn from each one of them. I learn new techniques when I receive massages from other therapists. And, I attend continuing education classes. The most recent class, "Caring for Clients with Cancer," was another reason (besides the 1000 massages) that my touch is now different. Tracy Walton, the instructor, gave each of us the tools to be more connected with our clients through our hands.
Experience and the wisdom of others helps me grow as a massage therapist. I send a big Thank You to her and all the other wonderful teachers and mentors in massage.
"Massage is the study of anatomy in braille."--Jack Meagher
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Finding the right massage therapist
I love it when someone tells me I'm their favorite massage therapist, and, yet, I also recognize that I'm not the right massage therapist for everyone. That's a good thing, because I would never be able to keep up with the demand!
When someone apologizes for not using me because they found that right person, I encourage them to be loyal. It's much easier to work with a person after you know where the normal aches and pains are, and you can sense the new ones. It all adds up to a better massage. I love all my clients, but there is a real value in ones who are regular.
That said, I have my favorite therapist. I also go to other massage therapists if I want or need a different type of massage (or if my favorite one isn't available). My goal is to get a massage once a week; given time and money, that's what I'd recommend for everyone, but especially people who are really active.
When I had a bicycle accident, I immediately called a massage therapist who I know is great with injuries and does very specific deep tissue work. Thank goodness he was available, and through his early intervention (along with acupuncture to help with pain control and assist in healing), I was back to work fairly quickly.
Sometimes deep work is inappropriate, so I'll find someone who does reiki or polarity or craniosacral work that has no pressure associated with it. One of my former instructors does a fabulous job with a recovery massage after a triathlon or other athletic event, so I always schedule a long session with him when I know I'm going to be doing some endurance event.
So overall, find a therapist you like and stay with 'em, and if you don't like something, tell that therapist (if it's a little thing). If you don't like the massage, find someone new. And if you have a specific need, find a specialist.
"Touch was never meant to be a luxury. It is a basic human need. It is an action that validates life and gives hope to both the receiver and the giver. The healing of touch is reciprocal." -- Irene Smith
When someone apologizes for not using me because they found that right person, I encourage them to be loyal. It's much easier to work with a person after you know where the normal aches and pains are, and you can sense the new ones. It all adds up to a better massage. I love all my clients, but there is a real value in ones who are regular.
That said, I have my favorite therapist. I also go to other massage therapists if I want or need a different type of massage (or if my favorite one isn't available). My goal is to get a massage once a week; given time and money, that's what I'd recommend for everyone, but especially people who are really active.
When I had a bicycle accident, I immediately called a massage therapist who I know is great with injuries and does very specific deep tissue work. Thank goodness he was available, and through his early intervention (along with acupuncture to help with pain control and assist in healing), I was back to work fairly quickly.
Sometimes deep work is inappropriate, so I'll find someone who does reiki or polarity or craniosacral work that has no pressure associated with it. One of my former instructors does a fabulous job with a recovery massage after a triathlon or other athletic event, so I always schedule a long session with him when I know I'm going to be doing some endurance event.
So overall, find a therapist you like and stay with 'em, and if you don't like something, tell that therapist (if it's a little thing). If you don't like the massage, find someone new. And if you have a specific need, find a specialist.
"Touch was never meant to be a luxury. It is a basic human need. It is an action that validates life and gives hope to both the receiver and the giver. The healing of touch is reciprocal." -- Irene Smith
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Stress Relief: What's Really Causing Stress
One of the most frequently listed benefits of massage is “stress relief.” That sounds awfully like applying Valium topically instead of ingesting it. I dropped that vague term from my latest business card since most people know it’s a benefit anyway.
But, I got to thinking about it when I took my massage chair to a music festival recently. One of my clients, a spouse of a musician, had a neck and shoulders about as tight as any I’ve worked on in quite a while. That’s saying a lot considering some of the musicians play about 8-10 hours a day and they're pretty wrenched. After our 20-minute session, he thanked me and said it was the first time he had been able to turn his neck to the left in a few weeks. Okay, that makes me feel good about my job, but what about his?
He’s been a crime investigator for about 20 years. He works on cold cases, especially homicides. Of course this job carries a lot of stress. But, he was more focused on the stress endured by the people he meets during the course of his job. Stress is everywhere, but I learned in listening to him that all homicides are caused by one or a combination of only three things: 1) drugs and/or alcohol, 2) money, 3) a woman.
Even more telling is that all domestic disturbances involve #1, drugs and/or alcohol.
His tight neck and shoulders made a lot more sense after that. I am yet again grateful to find a calling where I can provide at least some temporary stress relief.
“The true voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes but in seeing with new eyes.” Marcel Proust
But, I got to thinking about it when I took my massage chair to a music festival recently. One of my clients, a spouse of a musician, had a neck and shoulders about as tight as any I’ve worked on in quite a while. That’s saying a lot considering some of the musicians play about 8-10 hours a day and they're pretty wrenched. After our 20-minute session, he thanked me and said it was the first time he had been able to turn his neck to the left in a few weeks. Okay, that makes me feel good about my job, but what about his?
He’s been a crime investigator for about 20 years. He works on cold cases, especially homicides. Of course this job carries a lot of stress. But, he was more focused on the stress endured by the people he meets during the course of his job. Stress is everywhere, but I learned in listening to him that all homicides are caused by one or a combination of only three things: 1) drugs and/or alcohol, 2) money, 3) a woman.
Even more telling is that all domestic disturbances involve #1, drugs and/or alcohol.
His tight neck and shoulders made a lot more sense after that. I am yet again grateful to find a calling where I can provide at least some temporary stress relief.
“The true voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes but in seeing with new eyes.” Marcel Proust
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