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Communicating With Your Massage Therapist

client filling out form with therapist

If this is your first time receiving a massage or using a new therapist, your massage session will start with an interview. Your therapist will explain procedures, and ask questions that will be pertinent to the outcome of your massage. This is the time for you to ask questions if you are not understanding something the therapist says.

Once your massage begins, the therapist may not speak except to ask how the pressure feels. Although during a therapeutic massage there will be more communication, as the therapist will be doing different things that require feedback from you. At any point during the massage, it is up to the client to let the therapist know if they want the pressure adjusted because it’s not enough; or it’s too much pressure.

So many times a client has said that the last therapist they had did not go deep enough, or went to deep. When asked if they relayed this information to their therapist, they said “no”. Even the best therapist cannot read your mind. It is up to you to inform your therapist if he is not achieving your desires. A good therapist welcomes the clients input, and makes adjustments accordingly.

This is also true with your comfort level. If you are cold, ask for a blanket. If you are hot, ask for the massage draping to be adjusted. If you are not comfortable, you won’t be able to relax. This will translate into a mediocre massage. You may not return to that massage therapist, thinking he did a poor job. When in fact, the massage therapist may have thought everything was fine because you had not expressed your thoughts verbally.

How Does Deep Tissue Massage Work?

Deep Tissue Massage Works Out The Knots

Deep tissue massage therapy can help with:  headaches, back pain, joint pain, accident recovery, sports injuries, trigger point referral pain, and fibromyalgia. This type of massage uses very firm pressure to work past the first layer of muscle tissue. Deep tissue massage has a “good hurt” sensation and can relieve chronic pain and increase joint mobility. It offers all of the benefits of a Swedish massage, but with deeper pressure. It’s common to feel a little sore the day after a deep tissue massage, but it is important to communicate with your therapist about the massage pressure. More isn’t always better! Deep tissue massage is ideal for people with physically demanding jobs, athletes, or anyone with a lot of muscle tension.

How Does Deep Tissue Massage Work?

When you live with chronic muscle tension or get injured, adhesions (bands of painful, rigid tissue also often called scar tissue) can develop in your connective tissue including your muscles, tendons and ligaments, and fascia. Adhesions can block circulation, cause pain or numbness, and limit movement.

Deep tissue massage works by physically breaking down these adhesions to relieve pain and restore natural movement. To do this, our massage therapists use advanced massage techniques including deep direct pressure and friction applied across the grain of the muscles.

Will Deep Tissue Massage Hurt?

At certain points during the deep tissue massage, you may experience some discomfort. You may be asked to breathe deeply as we work on certain tense areas. It is important to communicate with your massage therapist whenever things hurt. We never want you to let any soreness or pain go outside your comfort range. Many people hold a misconception that more is always better and that there is no gain without pain, but that is not true of massage pressure. It is also important to drink plenty of water before and after your massage to flush the metabolic waste from the tissues and prevent soreness. It is normal to be sore for a day or so after a deep tissue massage, but if you are sore for three days or more please inform your therapist so they can adjust their pressure in future sessions.

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Therapeutic Massage, Esthetics and Yoga

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