Frequently Asked Questions About Massage

 

Q  I've never had a massage, what's it like?  Will I like my first massage?
A  If you have never had a massage before you are missing out on one of the greatest experiences in life!  
After you complete a brief health history, your therapist will visit with you about any issues that you’re having (stress, sore neck or back, etc.) and discuss how to best address those issues.Then they will leave the room while you undress to your comfort level (most clients remove all clothing and jewelry) and lie down on our padded and heated optional) massage table under a sheet. You will be covered with the sheet except for the area being massaged at all times. At no time are genitals or women’s breasts ever exposed or massaged. Your therapist will check in with you as to comfort level and depth of pressure to assure that your massage is a wonderful experience that you will want to repeat.
Massage can be received as often as needed (or wanted!). Many people find receiving massage once or twice a month greatly enhances their enjoyment of life. We’ve never met anyone who didn’t love their first massage experience!

Q  Why do you perform massage on an out-call basis?
A  Several reasons really. The original reason was because the business overhead was lower. However, with today's fuel costs that is probably no longer true. What we found though, was a profound need and demand for our type of massage delivered in the comfort of people's homes so that they did not have to drive after receiving their massage. For us it has also greatly expanded our marketplace. Traditionally, you would not drive further than three to five miles to receive a massage, but with us doing the driving we have expanded that range many times over, reaching more people in the process.

Q  Do I need to know what type of massage to get?
A  No. We can help you with that based on your goals for the session.

Q  Can massage therapy help me with pain brought on by a medical condition?
A  Yes. Massage therapy can help to alleviate or eliminate pain stemming from a wide range of medical conditions that include low back pain, neck pain and whiplash, fibromyalgia, lupus, myofascial pain syndrome, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, temporal-mandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD) pain, migraines, and others. Some of the techniques we use for pain relief such as Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) and Myofascial Release, are highly effective in providing relief from pain. Energetic work such as Acupressure, Reiki, and Cranial Sacral Therapy (CST) while employing very light touch can also be very effective. There are some conditions for which massage is contraindicated, ask your doctor and make sure to tell your massage therapist, what condition you're seeking relief for.

Q  Does massage have to be painful in order for me to know that I've gotten a
real good massage?  
A  This is a very good question and one we get asked all the time. Our belief is a massage should not hurt. If you are a client that likes a lot of pressure during the massage let us know and we can accommodate you. If the massage therapist is using too much pressure or not enough please let them know during the massage and not after the massage. Many clients are already in pain. Their muscles are tight and sore so we work slowly, at a pressure they are comfortable receiving, to get the muscles to soften.

Q  How do your hands know exactly where to go?
A  Along with exceptional training and a lot of good experience, intuition plays a role. There is also a non-verbal level on which your body communicates. A good therapist will pick up on that and follow your body’s lead in much the same way that dance partners will know “instinctively” what the other partner is going to do, even before the move takes place.

Q  Is Deep Tissue really painful?
A  Our Deep Tissue is not. Deep Tissue or Structural Integration is a balancing of depth of the stroke and speed of the stroke. The “rule of thumb” is the deeper you go the slower you go. The depth of pressure is ALWAYS controlled by your level of comfort. When a massage stroke moves from intense, what we refer to as “hurts so good” (you know that it’s helping the problem) to painful, “OUCH, that hurts!” it is no longer therapeutic and the muscle resists the needed release. We get to the source of pain by using the minimal amount of compression and pressure in order to release tight muscles.

Q  I went to another massage therapist and they said that my "knots" had to be
relieved by "digging them out" which was quite painful, is that right?
A  I don’t know the other therapist, but I certainly would not want anyone “digging” anything out of me except in an operating room under anesthesia! "Knots" in muscles, are bands of tightened or restricted muscle tissue and they can be highly sensitive. These "knots" are referred to as trigger points and often refer pain to a totally unrelated area. They can develop when a muscle is injured or as a result of repetitive use. Using compressions and strokes towards the heart we can usually bring significant relief with moderate pressure and minimal discomfort.

Q  I bruise easily, can I still get a massage? I take "blood thinner" can I still be massaged?
A  Yes, you can still receive massage therapy. You should inform your Massage therapist that you bruise easily and why i.e. medications (coumadin, plavix, heparin, etc), medical condition, etc. Your Massage therapist can adjust the pressure and technique to prevent or minimize bruising. You may also request that techniques such as Acupressure, Reiki or Cranial Sacral Therapy (CST) are used since they do not require "rubbing" but are still very relaxing and can be used to effectively relieve pain.

Q  Can massage help me with muscle soreness from my workouts?
A  Yes, most experts agree that massage is effective in reducing muscular pain. Many athletes, professional and amateur alike, incorporate massage into their regular routine to maintain optimum health.

Q  No offense, but I prefer a female (male) massage therapist.
A  No offense taken, but so you know, as a massage therapist we do not see our clients so much as male or female but as a person that is either in need of pain relief or stress reduction. If it doesn’t make any difference if your doctor, chiropractor, dentist or optometrist is male or female it shouldn’t make any difference with your massage therapist either.

Q  Since women are more nurturing why would men enter this field?
A  While women have traditionally been seen as more nurturing than men, our culture is in transition and many women are now engaged in stressful jobs or careers, often in addition to their traditional roles. At the same time, many men have become more nurturing. Just as women have gained access to professions involving power and assertiveness, men are gaining access to professions involving nurturing and compassion. Some male massage therapists have been engineers, musicians, athletic trainers, athletes, construction workers, actors and even lawyers. Each therapist has their own reasons for being drawn to this field, generally the same reasons whether they are male or female.

Q  Do men make better massage therapists because they are stronger?
A  No, for most types of bodywork, strength is not terribly important. And for the others, strength is generally not as important as it might appear. Massage therapists learn to use their weight and leverage to avoid excessive wear and tear on their bodies. In addition, sensitivity is as important as strength. Some larger massage therapists, male or female, may be able to use their weight to create greater pressure on a client's tissues, if that is desirable. A taller massage therapist may be better able to employ a few types of stretching on tall clients, such as a hamstring stretch. There are many women and men who simply feel more comfortable receiving massage from a male, just as many men and women prefer massage from a female. This is normal.

Q  If massage feels pleasurable, is that okay?
A  Yes.There is a difference between sensuality and sexuality. Pleasure is not necessarily sexual. A good meal, dancing, the sensation of the sun or wind on your skin, the sight of a beautiful sunset, the sound of joyous music, or an uplifting movie are very pleasurable and yet they are not sexual. Having your scalp massaged during a shampoo can be pleasurable. Hugging your children or your significant other can be very pleasurable without being sexual. The difference is in the intent. In massage, we reclaim some of the trust and innocence of a healthy childhood. The client’s focus is on relaxing and healing their body, and to connect with their own body, not on pleasing anyone else, including the massage therapist. The therapist is a guide, taking us only to the appropriate, safe places we want to go, helping us let go of stress, pain and tightness that does not serve us well. And, through this process, we may learn to feel safer, healthier and happier in our bodies, knowing that our pain can be reduced or eliminated and that we are worthy of respect and caring.

Q  I'm self-conscious about my weight.  Will you be grossed out?  Will you lecture me?
A  No and double NO! We treat all our clients as goddesses and gods.Your body is where it needs to be at this time. We will not presume to know what you "should" do with your body. Our job is to create a safe and nurturing environment in which you may heal. However, we generally encourage reasonable exercise, plenty of rest (and fun!) and drinking adequate amounts of water. If one of your difficulties is that you are stressed out or have low self-esteem, then massage might have a positive impact on your stress levels that may free up more energy to make changes in your life as you see fit. It may be difficult to understand, but most people are far more beautiful than they realize. We see being alive as an amazing gift. And, in working with large numbers of clients, we can tell you that the positive energy created during a session has nothing to do with the client's weight.

Q  I have scars that I'm very sensitive about. Some scars are in areas that aren't appropriate for massage. I am so self-conscious that it's difficult to talk about them.
A  We have worked with people who suffered trauma from surgery, accidents, etc. Helping the body to receive compassionate touch again is an honor and a privilege. Scars need to heal sufficiently before receiving regular massage, but compassion and energy work are appropriate regardless of the stage of healing and the scar location. For scars that have healed (after a few months, or when your physician recommends massage), our approach is to begin treating them at first more gently than the surrounding tissue, respecting your comfort level. The intention is to integrate your body and your sensations so that the scars become less and less important. We have experience helping people through the healing of scars by helping the layers of tissue to relax and align with the surrounding tissue and to show the client that the scars are not "ugly" or untouchable, but that they are signs of the courage and pain one goes through in life. Scars that aren't ready for massage may be ready for a very light healing touch, or energy work. This kind of healing work can be very powerful.

Above all, our intention is to create a safe and nurturing environment, in which you may heal--body, mind and spirit.

Q  I had a bad experience with a massage therapist. Should I discuss this with you before going ahead with a massage?
A  Yes, if you still feel angry or anxious about that experience. If you have had difficulties with a therapist, it is helpful to talk with someone who knows about massage and understands the ethical standards. If you have been mistreated by another therapist, I might be able to validate your concerns. If you may have been harmed by inappropriate conduct, I would direct you to the appropriate authorities and encourage you to report what happened.

Q  Do you work with people of all ages?
A  Yes, with the exception of neonatal massage, for which we do not have specialized training. People of all ages can greatly benefit from massage. Young and old alike, encounter challenges and transitions in life. Massage may be especially helpful for many health and emotional challenges. We require parental permission to do massage work with anyone under the age of 18.

Q  I am a divorced female. I want to receive massage, but I am feeling a bit vulnerable. I would prefer to receive massage from a male therapist but I don't know whether that preference is healthy. What would you recommend?
A  The decision must be yours. If you decide to make an appointment with us, we promise that appropriate boundaries will be maintained. Many clients have some concern about whether they might have romantic thoughts about their massage therapist. A client may develop "transference," much like the transference one can develop with a counselor or a physician. When we ask someone to enter such an intimate space in our lives, there is great trust. That must be met with great responsibility on the part of the therapist.

Q  When massage therapists get together, do they talk about specific clients?
A  No. We enjoy working with people and we truly care about our clients and their confidentiality. As therapists we accept people and bodies as they are, rather than holding some idealized standards. Aside from respecting each client's confidentiality, which is part of our ethical obligation, we tend to not talk about clients in any type of disrespectful way because that just would not seem right. When we talk with other massage therapists, it is generally about how we might better understand our clients, how to deal with our own aches and pains, and about learning techniques to help our clients feel better. Most of us also get together with other therapists to do massage trades. In that way, we continue to experience the role of client.

Q  Are you available to provide massage for parties or events?
A  Yes. We provide chair massage at business events, charitable events and individual parties (where the patrons are not in particularly formal attire and remain relatively sober). Massage is generally a highlight of the event, and we are kept extremely busy. The focus on massage tends to create an atmosphere of healthful relaxation and enjoyment, which can make the event more positive.

We also do Massage Parties where participants may receive chair or table massage depending on what the host/hostess has arranged.

Q  What about tips?
A  Tips are never expected. However, if you wish to tip, it will be gladly accepted.