Tagged: questions

Askin’ all them questions…

Posted by on in Blog, Massage Therapy, questions 0 comment

There have been several occasions where when I’ve talked about my profession, that there have been awkward questions wanted to be asked, but haven’t because we were in mixed company.

There was a video that was recently released through Buzzfeed Video, that tackled some of these awkward questions. Some of these questions I have already covered (Part 1, 2 & 3), so I’ll only cover a few points.

  1. Flirting (with the client, or client flirting with the therapist)- I do my best not to flirt with the client; that tends to blur the lines of professionalism, and can be taken for more than the words intend. I’ve had several clients flirt with me after a session, to which I reply, “I’ll let my husband know.” Because I am married, and have been so all the time that I have been a therapist, I tell my husband all about the funny interactions that I have (names redacted, of course), so that there is no worry on his end.
  2. Erections – There is nothing more stressful for most men is that they may get an erection on the table during a massage. Male or female therapist; it doesn’t matter. An erection is basically a response by the body that tends to come up at the most inopportune moments. Bill Engvall made a whole standup routine about it. If I do have to work in the inner leg
    Pain and Referral patterns of Sartorius muscle. Source - Real Bodywork

    Pain and Referral patterns of Sartorius muscle. Source – Real Bodywork

    or upper leg, the sheet will be properly tucked, and your hand will be there as a border. Now, if the hand begins to migrate away, to accidently have something illicit happen, the session will be terminated. For the record, I’m not looking for them to happen; it’s not my guidepost as to whether or not a good massage session has happened. What I do look for is what the response from the client is. You as the client are trying not to have it happen, and I’m not trying to make it happen. The usual response, “Look what you are doing to me!” and statements that are designed to bring attention to said erection are grounds for termination of session.

  1. Farting – It is a totally natural experience that happens when you are on the table, and are completely relaxed. Believe me, we both are thinking the same thing – “I hope I don’t fart.” If it happens, it happens.
  2. Underwear – If you feel comfortable with having your underwear on, by all means keep them on. There are a few types of massage that would require you to remove them- Lomi Lomi, for example. If your massage requires that I need
    Pain and Referral patterns of Pec Major muscle. Source - Real Bodywork

    Pain and Referral patterns of Pec Major muscle. Source – Real Bodywork

    to work on your back, your bra would have to be removed. Your breast tissue will be covered when I have to work on the upper chest (your pecs, major and minor) by both the sheet, as well as your hand. It helps create a sense of safety for you, and a border for me to work within.

These are only a few topics I hear on a regular basis. If you would like to hear more topics covered, check out my posts here.  If you have questions about massage, feel free to ask! I’ll answer them the best I can.

Client Question – What Kind of Client is Your Favorite?

Posted by on in Massage Therapy 6 comments

Got a Question?

Questions are free – Ask away!

So often, during a conversation, someone will ask me a question where as I am answering I say to myself,’This would make a great blog post!‘ I had just such a situation happen last week at the Atlanta Pampered Ladies’ Expo.

As I was manning my massage chair, waiting for the doors to open, a nearby booth mate asked, “Who is your best type of client?”

My best client is one who has never had a massage before, but have always wanted to get one. They want ask a lot of questions, but they don’t want to feel they are pestering you by asking a lot of questions. I encourage the questions, because I would like you to understand what your body is telling you. As Sy Syms would say, “An educated consumer is my best customer.” (Yes, I’m that old!) I try to relate information in plain English, so that the jargon doesn’t confuse or disinterest the client. (My husband is a computer programmer, so when he uses technical jargon to convey his story, I tend to look like the

Have you ever had someone talk to you, and you looked like this?

Have you ever had someone talk to you, and you looked like this?

RCA/Victor dog.) Now, if the technical jargon doesn’t throw you, I’ll use it. It also helps keep me sharp on my anatomy; what muscles work together to do a specific action and what muscles work against each other. I also try to throw in some humor, because if it’s even a little funny, the message tends to be memorable.

I’ve had all kinds of questions thrown at me, so not too much tends to throw me off my game. If I don’t know, I don’t know, but I’ll do my research. This way, we learn together! So come on, ask those questions, you’ve always wanted to ask!

Client Empowerment – Ask Those Questions!

Posted by on in Massage Therapy, Mind/Body 0 comment

This blog post is in response to a story that aired earlier this year on our local TV Station about a female client that was assaulted during a massage session in a Student Clinic at a local Massage School.

As a Therapist, you want your client be as comfortable as possible on the table, so the client gets the most effective massage possible. New clients who have never had a massage before aren’t the most comfortable, for good reason:

  1. They’ve never experienced it;
  2. They don’t have any idea what’s going to happen, or;
  3. They’ve heard horror stories about bad massage
    sessions, and expect that to happen to them.

Massage Therapy Clients, I want to empower you to ask questions. You should know what to expect so that you are comfortable with your therapy session. Many people just want to get to the session and not talk. If you’re not sure as to what I’m doing, ask me why!  I’ll be more than happy to explain why I’m working on you in the manner that I am, so that you understand why I’m there.

My main concern is that there are certain parts of the session where you are asking yourself, “Why are they doing that? That may be a part of the session. I don’t want to ask; they may think that I’m a prude.”

I have said this before — I don’t charge for questions, so feel free to ask questions when you need clarification about a particular treatment you are undergoing.

If you are feeling that the therapist is talking too much, or you feel that you may need to stop, say something, anything, so that you can understand what’s going on.

I strive to get you as comfortable as possible during the session so that you are able to relax, and have the best massage possible.

What questions do you have about massage? I’d LOVE to know!

You Haven’t Had a Massage? Why?

Posted by on in Massage Therapy 0 comment

According to the American Massage Therapy Association, 15% of Americans have gotten a massage to reduce pain or manage stress, and only 7% got massages to relieve muscle pain and stiffness. That made me wonder about the rest of you, and I just had to ask – What is it about getting a massage puts you off about getting one?

Many people responded that they didn’t know enough about massage to even want to get one themselves. And then, the questions came! So here are the top questions you wanted to know about a massage, but were too afraid to ask:

  • Does the pressure have to be so hard?! – Not always. Relaxing massages can be slow, and light to moderate pressure. Not everyone’s pressure needs are the same, so if the therapist is pressing too hard, and you’re making faces, let them know. On the other hand if you have some knots that you want out, it can feel a little achy, some of my clients call it a ‘good hurt’. Taking deep breaths can alleviate the ache, and help dissipate the knot.

 

  • Do I have to be naked? Here is a question that I get often. In the case of therapeutic table massage, not completely. The blanket covers the body, and the part of the body to be worked on is uncovered. The sheet is tucked in, to allow for modesty and mobility of the limb. If I am working on your glutes (your backside, and YES you can get knots there), and you’d prefer that they stay covered, by all means, let me know, and I can work through the sheet. Once that area is done getting worked on, the blanket and sheet can be put back. For pregnancy massages after the first trimester, you will be put in the most comfortable and modest position that is possible for you.  Your underwear can stay on, but if I’m working on your back, it’s best to take your brassiere off.  In the case of chair massage, you keep your clothes on, and I can work through the clothes. If you have a short skirt on, a jacket can be placed over your lap for modesty.

 

  • What happens if I fall asleep? If you fall asleep, you fall asleep. I can still work on helping you feel better. The way I see it is this – two things are going on when you fall asleep; either you feel so comfortable that you are able to relax and receive a great massage, or you are too tired to care. Don’t feel bad if you fall asleep. You are rejuvenating the body, and getting a great massage. Just think of it as recharging your batteries.

These are just a few questions that I answered, I’ll answer more next time! Feel free to leave me a comment, and don’t forget to chime in on the poll below!