Mobile Massage: Maximizing The Healthful Benefits of Therapeutic Massage By Lifestyle Choices Made Outside of Your Sessions

Posted on March 29, 2012 by massagehome98321

Mobile Massage Therapy is a good fit with today’s nonstop pace; wasting time driving to and from the spa is just too much for some.  In fact, from our very first online ads, we have described our Mobile Massage services in precisely this way.  In time, others followed suit, in all likelihood because of the statement’s obvious  truth.  Of course, life is hectic, but is there anything that might be done to make life a little less stressful besides having a session of  Mobile Massage Therapy?

Besides Mobile Massage, there are many other ways of making your life as stress-proof as is possible.  Diet is important, and it’s always best to stay away from those foods that make us feel unwell.  Making more informed food choices can contribute significantly to helping anyone feel better.  What’s good for one person at one point in their life, may not be good for someone else, or even the same individual at a different point in time.  So you have to be honest with yourself about how different foods make you feel.

Regular exercise, even if it’s a short walk, can help as well.  Sitting at a desk at work, driving in a car, and even watching TV at night are all sedentary activities.  This may not be so good, a recent study reported on by Reuters suggests. (Too much sitting linked to shortened lives; Genevra Pittman; NEW YORK; Thu Mar 29, 2012 3:40pm EDT)

Balance the time spent being inactive with the time you spend being active.  Most clients don’t have much, if any, ‘spare time’; I think the concept is foreign to most of us by now.  Even so, it’s important to move around in some way, at least a few days a week, for at least a few minutes, at the very least.

Therapeutic Mobile Massage can help ease tension in muscles that are overworked or tight from emotional or mental tension.  Most of us hold a great deal of tension in our shoulders and upper back area, but such tension can extend beyond this area with time.  Stretching every day, for even five minutes, is a good idea, especially if you exercise.  It can even help prevent injury during exercise or sports.

Mobile Massage can help muscles to be less tight and may relieve some of the pain associated with sore muscles.  If you stretch every day, using simple calisthenics, Hatha Yoga, or any other system of physical fitness, you’ll keep you body in better shape between Mobile Massage sessions.

Next on our list is taking the time to just relax each day.   Not while watching TV.  Or doing your taxes.  Or driving your daughter to practice. Or while cooking and feeding  the baby and talking on the phone while watching TV, either! : ) Multitasking is great, but we all need a break from it.

Once, twice, or more times daily, it’s great to just stop, take a few deep breathes, and consciously let the tension out of our minds and bodies.  Mobile  Massage is relaxing for most; there’s not really  any question about that.

You can cultivate that same relaxed,  calm feeling in your own life by taking the time each day to focus on being calm.  It really is that easy!  Simply focusing on each body part, from the toes to the head, relaxing each in succession, while breathing deeply,  can help you to de-stress.

The next lifestyle choice I saved for last, perhaps because it’s the one most of us forget first.  Any guesses?  Many readers will likely  be way off.  It’s getting enough sleep for our body’s needs.  Practically no one in New Jersey (or the entire US, for that matter) is getting the sleep they require.  From adolescents to adults, most are too busy with work, school, video games, movies, TV, music, family, friends, and whatever else we all do in a day, to really get enough sleep.

Our schedules are, for the most part, fixed.  We usually can’t change what time we have to be at work, or what time we have to drive the kids to school.  But not getting enough sleep is harmful to health, regardless of the reasons it ends up happening.  Try placing sleep on your list of daily priorities.  Usually, sleep can’t compete with all the fun or (not-so-fun) necessary and important  things we can  do while awake.  Instead of staying up until 2:30 AM browsing the Internet, try going to sleep at 2 AM.  Even a little more sleep can make a big difference in how we feel.

What the above-mentioned ‘lifestyle choices’ have in common is the need to pay attention to each daily, in order for any of them to be of any consequence.  If you exercise once a month, or stretch two times a year, it just isn’t going to do anything for you.  By making small changes in our daily schedule, and doing things slightly differently each day, we can help to make big changes in how we feel, in the long term.    Mobile Massage Therapy is a good complement to making healthier lifestyle choices; staying stress-free is always a good thing, as stress is a condition that adversely affects both body and mind, depleting  us in real, measurable ways.

©2012 H Miller, Mountainside On Site Massage Therapy

Posted in At-Home Massage Articles, Massage and Health, Therapeutic Massage and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Massage Gift Certificate Coupons: Our Contribution To The New ‘Cyber’ Black Friday

Posted on November 25, 2011 by massagehome98321

Finding the right gift is seldom an easy task.  It requires thoughtfulness, and consideration for what someone else might find useful  or appreciate most.  Massage Gift Certificates are a creative  and fun gift idea that anyone (who loves massage therapy)  would appreciate  receiving.  Our  contribution to the cultural and social phenomenon known as ‘Cyber Black Friday’ is At Home Massage Gift Certificate coupons which offer a steep discount on all online purchases of Massage Gift Certificates.

Online retailers offer Cyber Black Friday discounts on everything from clothing to electronics, from Massage Gift Certificates to gift certificates good for rides in a hot air balloon. Steeply discounted post-Thanksgiving online sales follow the trend set by retailers at malls across the nation known as ‘Black Friday’.    Black Friday, in contrast with Black Tuesday, the day the markets crashed in the now-distant early 20th Century, is a day focused on kindness and giving, rather than panic and dread.

We seem to have a love/hate relationship with Black Friday, bringing both savings and sales, as well as  mayhem in major chain stores,  stampedes and fistfights, and all sorts of news events that leave us wondering.  Black Friday is gaining on Black Tuesday in infamy.  There’s no getting around that.  Many of us wouldn’t dream of fighting other customers just to save a bit on a gift. Some  shoppers wait until the frenzy has subsided before venturing to the local mall.

The December Holiday Season  is a time many of us spend a good amount of our waking hours shopping for those we care about, or thinking about what they’d like.  Sometimes, we even have to get something for someone we don’t particularly care for, such as with an office ‘Secret Santa’ party.  It may even be a person who is boorish and rude, unfriendly, and makes nasty comments when she sees you.  Hopefully, that isn’t the case…

It isn’t always easy or fun.  Dealing with crowds, lines, and the instant-headache mingled stench of 20 different colognes and  perfumes (and worse) makes  some dread Christmas and Hanukkah,  because we’ve come to expect gifts on these holidays.  The anxiety surrounding gift giving  and receiving gifts is a real issue for some.  But for others, the crowds are magical, the lines aren’t a bother, and the whole experience is a joy.

Either way, as we all know, it’s come to the point that ‘Black Friday’, the day after Thanksgiving, is almost as widely known as Thanksgiving itself, with its Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade splendor, tons of traditional  American dishes, and its  historical and cultural significance.  In 2011, it’s almost as though we eat a big meal on Thanksgiving so we can have  enough energy to go out the next day (or 3 AM the morning after Thanksgiving) and shop all day,  securing  steals and deals in department stores and big box electronics chains.   Black Friday  is the biggest shopping day of the year, and in a nation where people love to shop, that’s a big deal.

But in recent years, many more Americans are turning to the Internet to make holiday purchases.  And why not?  It saves time, and can save you cash as well.  Internet retail sales on ‘Black Friday Weekend’  have grown steadily, prompting eCoupons to coin the term ‘Cyber Black Friday’ in 2009.  There was already ‘Cyber  Monday’ referring to the first Monday after Thanksgiving weekend, a term first used by Shop.org in a November 2005  press release entitled “‘Cyber Monday’ Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year”.

Cyber Black Friday referred to the growing retail sales online stores experienced in the last five years.  Personally, I enjoy going to the malls, and I find the holidays to be a wonderful time of year.  But even so, I admit that at this point, a majority of my gift purchases are made online.  It’s just  too easy to find great gifts, and the sales match those offered in the ‘real world.’ by bricks-and-mortar stores.

Black Friday is gradually  becoming an online phenomenon.  I wonder if anyone else remembers when online sales began, how most figured online sales would never account for much.  I don’t mind the trend.  There are so many products for sale online, it’s mind boggling.  It’s made my life easier, honestly.  Definitely, some underestimated the Internet as a passing fad, when it’s become the foundation for our 21st century culture.

I  refrain from outright promotion in these articles, but I feel that omitting our contribution to the Cyber Black Weekend phenomenon would be silly.  We always see an increase in sales of Massage Gift Certificates around the holidays.  This year, we’ve decided to offer our own ‘Black Friday’ promotion.  With that in mind, we created a coupon code, BLACKFRIDAY, which discounts the purchase of a Massage Gift Certificate good for one session  by forty  dollars, if purchased by 12-1-11, or $30 if purchased by 12-24-11.

 

© Copyright 2011 H Miller

Posted in At-Home Massage Articles, Therapeutic Massage and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Couples Massage: Stopping For A Rare Moment To Connect With Your Loved One

Posted on November 19, 2011 by massagehome98321

Couples Massage offers a rare opportunity for you and your loved one to lie side-by-side, relaxing, unwinding, and doing nothing else.  Of course, each day we share  countless moments with our partner, but usually it is amidst bustle and activity.  When do we ever stop, turn off the TV, stop the chit-chat, and just lie there becoming increasingly still of  mind and less tense, physically?

Nothing beats living a life with someone you love.  That may include preparing and sharing meals, eating out together, watching TV or movies together, going out to see live bands or shows together, vacationing together, visiting friends  and loved ones together.  Did I leave anything out?  Of course.  Every couples has its own ways of living life, including choices in  entertainment.  But how often do we actually stop, taking a break from our busy lives, to just appreciate one another?

Couples Massage at your home is an experience like no other.  Because you are at home, you will start off more relaxed.  Driving, parking, socializing – all of what’s involved in getting to the spa and actually being worked on  causes some tension, no matter how small.   Next time, see if you notice.

Stress is cumulative.  Home is where you feel most comfortable; it’s where you and your loved one spend most of your time together, if you’re like the typical American couple of the 2010′s.  It’s your sanctuary, a place you have spent energy and time making your own.  And in that warm, fuzzy, inviting space, you have transformed a house, apartment, or condo, into a home.  Side-by-side Couples Massage, performed  in your own home, offers you the rare opportunity to spend some real quiet time with your loved one, without a TV or other distraction blaring in the background.

Lying there quietly, you may find Couples Massage to be one of the most profound and deep experiences you’ve ever shared with your loved one.  I personally feel this is so, and many clients have commented similarly.  I think it’s because everything we do is done during activity.  All that activity – which makes up a day – a week – a life – is amazing and wonderful, but ceasing all activity for an hour with your loved one while a therapist works on both of you and your loved one’s  sore and tense spots, is something to remember, unlike anything that goes on in our daily lives, as interesting as they may be.

© 2011 H Miller

Posted in At-Home Massage Articles, Therapeutic Massage and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In Home Massage: Making Time For What’s Important In Our Faster-Than-Fast-Paced Present Day Lives

Posted on October 28, 2011 by massagehome98321

In Home Massage Therapy has gained a foothold in American society over the last ten years.  Only a decade ago, when we were first starting out, this was not so.  There have always been therapists who travel to clients’ locations, but such practice was not well known.  When we first established our Internet presence, In Home Massage was still a novelty.

At this point in late 2011, as a Nation, we are busier than ever.  Economically, we are working harder and harder just to earn as much as we had in the past.  This translates into longer work hours for many, at no increase in compensation for an unlucky few.  If it feels like there’s less time in a day, that’s because we are truly busier than ever.  If you stop and think about it, you’ll realize it’s true.

American entrepreneurial culture, which has seen a real resurgence in recent years due to many people discovering ways of using the web to make money, is really what the American dream is all about.  Everyone has something  to offer, and the Internet is a great equalizer. As long as we work hard, we can find opportunity.  The key is finding what it is that you can offer the world that is your own unique contribution that people will appreciate.

Taking  care of a  home business, along with working a 40 (plus) hour-a-week- job, taking care of kids or maintaining a high profile social life, all contribute to leaving a very active person with no time, and worse, feeling frazzled and burnt-out.  In Home Massage is appreciated because it saves time.  Even if the spa is fifteen minutes from home, after all is done and said, considering getting ready, etc., a one hour massage session can turn into a chunk of two hours missing from your day.

Some of us cannot afford to lose this much time because we don’t have it to spare in the first place!  Without In Home Massage, many would never have the time in their lives to even stop and relax.  Is this really a bad thing, though?  Isn’t idleness boring and lame, anyway?

We post-modern Americans  like keeping busy, and nonstop movement from place to place, task to task , throughout the day, every day,  is probably more interesting and rewarding than keeping a more open calendar.  Even so, it takes its toll with time.

Either way, most of us don’t really have much of a choice; our lifestyles demand that we continue to take care of all the people and things that are important to us.  At the end of the day, it’s probably more rewarding having expended all of your energy taking care of who and what you love, anyway.  In Home Massage is a good choice if you wish to have a Massage Therapy session, but really do not have the time in your day to disappear for hours and hours.

© H Miller, 2011 (Published October 27, 2011, Written 10-27-11)

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Posted in At-Home Massage Articles, Massage and Health, Therapeutic Massage and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mobile Massage NJ: A Current (And Growing) Trend

Posted on October 28, 2011 by massagehome98321

Only a few short years ago, Mobile Massage in New Jersey was not well known.  We at Mountainside on Site Massage Therapy have been providing at home Therapeutic Massage to our New Jersey clients for over ten years.  At first, we weren’t even on the web.

Our initial  web presence began  in the early 2000′s  as a modest one-page entry on our old server.  A black background, a few lines of text, a blinking phone number, an image or two…typical of a web site from  that period.   But what we have to say is still the same, and remains nearly unchanged after all these years.

Back then, there were few companies and individual therapists  advertising mobile massage in New Jersey on the Internet.  By now, the situation has changed dramatically.

At last check, there were more mobile massage services available in Northern and Central New Jersey than ever before.  Many new graduates are finding that going the route of working in a spa is difficult.  Seeing established Mobile Massage companies online has inspired many new therapists to put up a website and hope for the best, not realizing that building a reputation among clients takes hard work either way.

Further, marketing and advertising are costly, and working in a spa there is no dealing with overhead.  Being a Massage Therapist in a  busy spa may be hard work, but having a steady stream of clients is great.  Most therapists don’t consider how much their employers routinely spend each month on advertising to accomplish this seeming magic.

Now more than ever, there is a real choice in the marketplace.  But many of these newer NJ Mobile Massage companies and individuals  aren’t adding much, in terms of their own unique style or content.  New companies’ web sites  seem to be boilerplate copies of one another, and nearly all copies of established Mobile Massage web sites that were each creative in thier  own way.  This all serves to dilute the message to web users, presenting a jumbled mess of therapists, all saying the same exact thing, or very nearly so.

As a dizzying number of  Mobile Massage NJ  web sites clutter search results with cloned pages carrying plagiarized copy, Internet users and potential clients should consider whether that is meaningful, in and of itself, and whether it speaks anything of the therapist and/or company presenting such to the digital world.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to be treated by a therapist whose description of their services was ripped from another site.  It would just make me question the person’s integrity, and wonder whether they’re really  half as competent as they repeatedly claim.

Mobile Massage in New Jersey was  a great development that many have come to rely on.  It is great to see that the concept  has caught on, and has been so well-received by clients in New Jersey.  Being among the pioneering therapists bringing online Mobile Massage to New Jersey, we are less than happy to see the increasing amount of information clutter and blatant copying so common  today.

© H Miller, 2011 (Published October 27, 2011, Written 6-10-11) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Posted in At-Home Massage Articles, Therapeutic Massage and Society | Tagged , | Leave a comment

At-Home Couples Massage, A Movie, & Takeout: The Perfect Combination for A Fun & Relaxing ‘Couples Night In’ Evening

Posted on June 15, 2011 by massagehome98321

At-home couples massage, performed right in your own home, can be a great way to spend a quiet evening with your loved one.  But what if your side-by-side couples massage is only intended as a prelude to an evening of fine dining and entertainment?  Often, couples will inform me that they are just relaxing a bit after a long and arduous workweek, getting ready for a (seemingly) longer and more intense weekend crammed with activity.

Many times clients are on a tight schedule because they have already arranged reservations at their favorite restaurant, and for that reason, promptness is essential for at-home massage therapists.  Showing up late can mess up carefully arranged, elaborate plans.  Sometimes, clients are really inspiring, providing a great example of how much one can plan to do in a single weekend.  Such people apparently stick to the old adage of working hard, but playing harder.

But other clients (or even the same clients on a different day) sometimes opt to stay in for the night.  Whether its due to a heat wave, torrential rain, or frigid winds and snow, weather often plays a part.  Sometimes clients are weary after a week of traveling for business.  Sometimes my clients explain that there is no special reason.  It’s just natural for people to sometimes want to spend a quiet evening at home.  At-home Couples Massage is a great prelude to both an active night on the town, as well as its complete opposite, a quiet night on the couch.

My clients have had some good ideas about how to have a totally relaxing, ‘do nothing’ evening, without having to leave their cozy, luxurious homes, always making  at-home Couples Massage a big part of their plans.  One such idea is to call or fax an order to a favorite local restaurant, and inquire how long the meal will take to prepare.  Consider that the massage session will probably take longer than the time allotted, as your therapists need to set up when they arrive, and afterwards, clean up before they leave.

Then, you may want to shower, especially if your massage included oil.  Figure out what time you will likely want to begin eating, without feeling rushed, but also without letting the night become stagnant, and ask that the food not be cooked immediately, but that you would rather have it ready and at your door at whatever time is best for you.  I can’t imagine any restaurant staff that wouldn’t  gladly oblige such a request.  Takeout is great, because cleaning up is just a matter of throwing food containers in the trash.

Finally, a streaming online Netflix™ flick, picked out after dinner by you and your loved one, will provide high-definition entertainment of your choice without a trip to the video store or local Redbox™ DVD rental vending machine.  There may be something to be said about the fun of actually going to the store and picking out a movie, but for an evening when you choose to stay at home, it has no place.  If you have the chance, you could also pre-order the DVD to be mailed by Netflix, and even call the restaurant a day ahead, calling on the day of your planned Party for Two just to confirm.

Of course, you can’t forget dessert.  On a night in with your loved one, you should also prepare  by remembering  to buy your favorite cakes, cookies, or ice cream.  If  you do have a bit more  time to pre-plan your evening of no plans, you could also mail order  your favorite Golden Rum & Toffee  gourmet cake or other confectionary.

Check out: http://www.wetakethecake.com/ , http://letthemmailcake.com/collections/cake-collection , and http://www.collinstreet.com/ – these three websites are dedicated to mail order cakes.  After the film, you and your loved one will find it very cool having  your favorite cake ready and waiting to enjoy.  Obviously, the  idea is to do as little as possible on a Couples Night In, allowing you and your partner to enjoy one another’s company without the distraction of anyone, or anything, else.

These are just some ideas different clients have presented to me, enthusiastically sharing their fun plans for a stay-in weekend that includes an at-home Couples Massage session.  So far, no one has combined ALL of the ideas mentioned in this article, but you could be the first!  Enjoy your time off from work, and make the most of every weekend.  Without too much pre-planning, you can have a totally spontaneous, effort-free evening without any stress at all.

 

© Copyright 2011 H Miller

Posted in At-Home Massage Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

At-Home Massage & Home-Bound Individuals: An Option Often Overlooked

Posted on June 11, 2011 by massagehome98321

People become homebound for a variety of reasons, from ongoing personal health issues or advanced age to acute injury or an operation.  After a major surgery, patients are often instructed by their doctors to rest for a period of time.  Some clients are restricted to their homes because of mobility issues, such as arthritis.  The elderly, pre-natal and post-natal women, and others, are sometimes confined to the home as well.

While Physical therapists, nurses, and home aides travel to a client’s home, more often  than not, at- home massage therapy is often neglected as part of a wellness plan.  Bedridden clients, and homebound clients who do not walk or exercise regularly, can develop a number of health issues which massage therapy can help to address..

At-home massage us an effective means of helping relieve pain in sore, atrophied muscles caused by a lack of use, a common complaint in homebound individuals.  Muscle wasting begins after less than one week of immobilization. (McComas A. Skeletal Muscle: Form and Function. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 1996)  As a complement to physical therapy, therapeutic massage can help clients recover faster after a period of bed rest or limited mobility.

Depression is also common in homebound persons.  For some, such as those confined to bed after an accident, the abrupt change in daily life can be a lot to deal with.  Others, such as the elderly, may involve  long-standing unresolved issues associated with aging.  Although no studies have been undertaken to prove that massage therapy combats depression specifically, it is well documented that massage therapy clients experience  a greater sense of well-being after a session.

While depression is a complex condition that may require  professional treatment (part of which should include dealing with the underlying issues in the person’s life), at-home massage therapy may be a useful adjunct in  helping to ease  a homebound client’s depression.  Being restricted to bed, or even the confines of the home, is often stressful on both a physical and psychological level.  At-home therapeutic massage can help address these issues, helping the client to begin to feel better, all around.

Regularly scheduled massage sessions with a competent therapist are a great addition to at-home allopathic care.  Chances are, a homebound individual’s health care provider, whether a home aide, physician, nurse, or physical therapist will agree, as mounting clinical evidence proves therapeutic massage’s efficacy.

 

© Copyright 2011 H Miller

Posted in At-Home Massage Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Girls Spa Parties: A Positive Experience Fostering Emotional Well-Being and Social Growth

Posted on June 4, 2011 by massagehome98321

In the Metro New York / New Jersey area and throughout the entire nation, at-home spa parties for girls have become the de facto ‘new cool’ for tweens and teens.  It’s pretty obvious why this is now the case: Parties and entertainment go together, and there’s no greater form of entertainment than something that gets the guests involved and feeling good about themselves.

Most likely, girls spa parties are not going to end up another passing fad.  Girls love spa parties, and it seems that most kids have an outrageously fun time attending and participating in spa party activities.  It’s important for children and adolescents to feel good about themselves, and spa parties invariably impart nearly every participant with a more healthy sense of self esteem.

Some have asked me if I think spa parties promote vanity and shallowness in young girls, and others have even gone so far as to voice their concerns that spa parties are not appropriate for kids.  We are all entitled to our opinions; this is a free country and that is always our right.  But my experience providing the ‘Spa Party Experience’ to young girls suggests that the truth  is actually the opposite of what such people think.

Girls get excited -  it’s a fun time and a great opportunity to foster closeness and friendship.  I’ve seen how, many times, girls start off shy and withdrawn from one another, and by the end of the session, those same girls are talking freely, smiling, and enjoying one another’s company more than before.  It’s actually something that most parents notice, too. Kids are curious, as the majority of girls have never had any sort of spa treatment.  This curiosity keeps the girls from getting bored or self-conscious.  They’re just too engaged in the activities to feel  uncomfortable.

From my experience, I can say that spa parties help every guest to feel special.  It’s important that kids value their own uniqueness, but sadly, teens and tweens often find that uniqueness a source of discomfort, and sometimes even outright anguish.  Spa parties for girls show every girl that they are special, worthy of respect,  and endowed  with their own unique beauty and grace.  Even the shyest girl lacking even a little self esteem leaves feeling like she is just as good as her peers.  And in the process, friendships deepen, and the kids forget their shyness and just have a grand old time.

 

©  Copyright 2011 H Miller

Posted in Therapeutic Massage and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Speaking Up: Telling Your Massage Therapist What’s What

Posted on May 23, 2011 by massagehome98321

In a past article on this site, we explored the importance of a massage  therapist communicating with their client, asking relevant questions about general health, any conditions which might contraindicate certain forms of massage, as well as where the client needs help.  Without asking questions of this sort prior to a session, a massage therapist is going to be greatly  disadvantaged.  While answering questions is helpful, offering unsolicited feedback can help you, the client, to take greater control of the session.

Usually, receiving a massage is an entirely passive act.  But when the client asserts herself and begins providing feedback without being prompted to do so, the results will be a better massage therapy session 100% of the time.  If you are concerned that this is not polite, or that your therapeutic massage practitioner may  not be comfortable with your suggestions, remember that the session is your time, and  you’re the one paying for the massage.

Sometimes your massage therapist will have a different idea than you of what a deep tissue massage with a good amount of pressure actually means.  For some, the therapist may be using too little pressure.  For others, it may be excessive.  No matter what technique or modality your therapist employs, your experience should not be torturous, though some clients can easily tolerate more pressure, having a higher pain threshold.

If  you are seeking a session with light pressure, then say so.  If your therapist is hurting you, then *absolutely*, without hesitation, say so!  If your therapist’s idea of deep tissue with ‘a lot of pressure’ isn’t even enough pressure to keep you awake, then say something.  “Deep’, ‘medium’, and ‘light’ pressure are just words.  Be certain that your definitions match those of your therapist.

Sometimes, what a massage therapist is doing is very helpful.  Why not suggest that the therapist continue to work on that area, or utilize that technique for an extended period?  Maybe what a therapist is doing isn’t helping, and is wasting precious time.  Again, a session should focus on what the individual client requires.  A focused session working on just a single, or a few, areas is also a good idea for some clients.  Just because a session has already begun doesn’t mean you should settle; change the direction of the session mid-stream if necessary.   Speak up; it isn’t at all impolite or poor form  to do so.  You’ll find that you get a lot more out of every session, no matter how  skilled or experienced your therapist is.  A good massage therapy practitioner will appreciate the feedback.

© Copyright 2011 H Miller

Posted in At-Home Massage Articles, Therapeutic Massage and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Your Therapist Should Be Asking You

Posted on May 2, 2011 by massagehome98321

A good massage session necessarily requires that the therapist asks the client a number of questions.  Inquiries into past injuries, current painful conditions, as well as any medical conditions the client may have help to make a session safer, and more helpful.  If your therapist is not regularly  asking you questions regarding  the sorts of topics listed above, as part of your therapeutic  massage session, then you should be asking yourself if you’re receiving the best treatment.

It is unarguably true that a good therapist can tell where the tension is, as well as how deeply to work a muscle group, simply  by palpation, drawing on past clinical experience administering massage therapy, learned knowledge of the human anatomy from course work, as well as simple gut ‘intuition’.  Even so, there is no good therapist who does not inquire about a client’s condition, preferably at the beginning and end of every session, noting how the session affected your pain  and other treatable conditions.

Of course, you don’t want to feel bothered by a lengthy set of questions.  Relaxation is always essential.  But without pre- and post-session interviews, consisting of even just a few questions about how you’re feeling, your therapist is going to be delivering something less than the best form of  therapeutic massage.  One of the key selling points employed by both therapists and massage studios is the claim to individually custom-tailor sessions to the clients’ specific needs.

Paying attention to what your therapist asks/doesn’t ask can likely provide insight into whether they can really deliver: Without knowing about you and your body, a therapist cannot possibly be doing what they say, if their claim is that they provide individualized massage sessions.  If no questions are asked of you, it’s really time to ask yourself a number of serious questions about your therapist.

 

©Copyright 2011 H Miller

Posted in At-Home Massage Articles | Tagged , , | Leave a comment