Rub Me the Right Way

Massage
I am going to talk about my ultimate favorite Spa treatment, massage. I myself have a curvature of the spine (scoliosis) that can cause me to have very tight muscles in my shoulders and well, pretty much along my whole spine. If I do not get a regular massage it will tighten up and even start to cause me hip and leg pain. I have found that with regular massage I can keep these muscles looser and the relaxation that gives me is invaluable to the rest of my life.

I have been a massage therapist for over 14 years now. In the past year I started to cut down on the amount of massages I do simply to save my own hands. The wear and tear on the therapist’s body after repeated years of doing massage can be brutal in and of itself. But it is a service that I love doing. I still perform massage, but to a limited clientele.

There are many different types of massage techniques. I will cover some of them that I am familiar with in this post. Therapists can all be taught the same way yet the techniques can vary. Each therapist has their own touch and their own manner of presenting the movements to their clients. I have found that the energy that the therapist transfers to her clients is as important as the movements they do.

I got a massage and they really hurt me! How can I prevent myself from having another bad experience?


This is a common question that many people ask. The reasons for pain during or after a massage can vary. One, the therapist used more pressure than the client needed or could handle. Or two, the clients muscles were very tight and the pressure needed to loosen them up caused pain. It is VITAL to communicate your needs to the therapist and for the therapist to explain to the client what they can expect.

Know the type of massage you need. How can you know this? Well the three basic types are as follows.

Swedish: mainly a relaxing massage with light to moderate pressure. This will NOT loosen any deep muscle tightness. This is meant to just relax you and is good for the person who needs to just chill out and relax.

Deep Tissue: this is the type of massage I need. It is more aggressive and there will be a lot of pressure point work. There could be some pain involved in this that is necessary to loosen the tight muscles up. I call it …THE GOOD PAIN. It is common to have maybe a slight soreness after this type of massage BUT it should be accompanied by a looser feeling of the areas that were bothering you. By the 2nd day after this type of massage you should be feeling relief. Not all of your body will need the deep work, just the key problem areas.

Therapeutic Massage: where ALL massage has therapeutic value this type of massage is a combination of stretching techniques and some deep tissue and maybe even some Swedish thrown in. The therapist may ask for you to help with some of this as they stretch and work on giving you better range of motion. This is a good massage for people with certain structural issues.



If you fill out the form they give you and communicate your needs to the therapist, you should be able to achieve the type of massage that best suits your needs. If you are uncertain about the type you need when booking for this service. Tell the person that is taking your booking that you want to talk about what type you need with the massage therapist. Be honest with what your physical problems are so that the therapist can make the best choice on what you need. Prices may vary some (about $10.00) on the different types of massage. Don’t go for cheep on this, If you’re spending $65 what difference does it make if you spend 75.00 to get what you really need? Many spas offer half hour sessions for just working on one main area. This is a good way to do maintenance for your body and save some money if that is an issue. Look for specials at your local spa. Many offer money off here and there on massage.