October 19th, 2021
How are we already over half-way through October? I noticed this week that the leaves are really beginning to change colors and fall from the trees and the evenings are a little cooler, I’m loving it! This week we will explore some of the many benefits of massage therapy, as next week is massage therapy awareness week.
How old were you when you received your first massage? I was 20 years old when I had my first massage and felt cheated that I hadn’t scheduled one earlier! I learned exactly what I was missing out on by not having regular massages. It was time for me to rest, mentally check out, and allow my muscles to be treated by a professional. Today, I have standing massage appointments to make sure I take the time to take care of myself. I encourage all my clients to schedule standing appointments, whether it is weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly. One of the reasons is to ensure that you take care of yourself, with the flip side being that I have your appointment time available. I have been booking out 3-4 weeks in advance, as well as having a wait list. This is great news for me and my business and what I have been working towards for years, but not so great news for existing and new clients trying to schedule an appointment with me.
What are some other benefits for massage? Massage can help alleviate pain, including pain associated with plantar fasciitis and migraines, just to name a few. The picture associated with this week’s post lists 25 benefits of massage by naming them reasons to schedule a massage. In reality, the reasons to schedule a massage are probably endless. The only reason(s) that matter are the ones that cause you to schedule a massage.
When you go to your massage, have a goal in mind and share this with your massage therapist. For instance, if I have a client come in for an appointment and they state that they need to relax and mentally check out for the entire session, I will know to not work deeply on their muscles or do trigger point therapy because that requires conversation. Instead, I am going to do more energy work and overall lighter pressure than is typical for my sessions. If this goal is not communicated to me before the session begins, I could be working more on getting the muscles to relax instead of getting the mind to relax.
Communication is also important during the massage. As a massage therapist, I can tell a lot about a muscle – if the muscle is tight, if it is beginning to relax or if it is in spasm. I am not a mind reader, so I can not tell if my pressure causes pain, this is where I require feedback from my clients. While we are on the topic of pain, I will take an unpopular stance and say, in my opinion, a massage does not have to hurt for it to be effective. I will say that a client may be sore after receiving a massage from me but that is not the case every time.
I could literally talk about massage all day long, but that would probably be very boring to you. With that said, if you have any questions about massage, send me an email and I will get back to you as soon as possible. If I have several questions or duplicates, I might even do another blog with all the questions and answers.
Whether this is the first time reading my blog, or you are a loyal subscriber, Thank you! I am so glad you tuned in this week! Do you have a friend or family member that could benefit from this blog? Tell them to subscribe!
Have a blessed week ~ Lacey