Getting regular massage

Comment

Comment by Ruth M. Schopper-Hughes on October 15, 2009 at 1:59pm

I have long neglected myself during a stay at home mom hiatus. I have been back to work for 1+ years. I got a few massages here and there, till one day I had an "ah ha" moment at Petsmart. I was paying $60.00 for my cat's grooming and tipping $10 when I thought to myself...when was the last time I spent money on me? I pay. It is easier that trading. I vary therapists according to my needs. I am getting one a month now. It is worth every penny and more!

Comment by Will Tice on October 13, 2009 at 2:18pm

I think there could be a number of things getting in the way, such as ability to relax, communicate what you need, comfort with the therapist, perhaps the insecurity of the therapist working on another professional. All those factors work themselves into the ability to trade and have an experience that works for both partners. Obviously there are some that are more gifted or skilled than others but in my experience, communication is key not only for you to articulate your needs/expectations, but to create a relaxed and therapeutic atmosphere for both parties.

Comment by Stephen Jeffrey on October 13, 2009 at 2:49am

Hi Rudy I loved your desciption of the posts coming back to you like echoes in a valley.
You're so right there has to be a burning passion inside the MT for the work they do! there's no way this is just another job !

Comment by rudy m smith on October 12, 2009 at 8:42am

Hi Krystle,
Absolutely on the Passion and the Feel for the job!!
Massage therapists should leave school with a D Average.
Dedication - to their proffession
Devotion - to their clients
Discipline - to the application of massage skills on a THERAPEUTIC level all the times.

Comment by rudy m smith on October 12, 2009 at 5:46am

Julie, I read your post and I feel like I am in a deep valley and my words are being reflected back to me from all directions. It is indeed rare (after 30 years of trying and teaching) to find a massage therapist that understands it IS NOT about them. I believe in PAYING for massage to avoid what I call emotional taffee. What my weekly massages have taught me over the years is that very few massage therapists have the emotional maturity and spiritual balance for the work they do. Some want to talk your ear off... some want to rub as lightly as possible some want to watch the clock and at an hour a proverbial bell goes off some think their routine is more critical than the person they are working on some are just lazy and so the list goes. As a teacher of massage and lomi lomi I have learned that for every 100 students I was teaching only 3 (at the most) will possess the natural abilities, passion and drive that make a good therapist an exceptionally and profoundly dynamic therapist. This is where I believe that schooling and national certification will always fail. You can train them and model for them all of the powerful attributes for success, they can pass the hardest test in the world, but they and they alone either get it or they don't. As someone who has travelled the globe learning and teaching massage in numerous cultures, I have been more impressed by some (natural talent) that had never spent a day in school. Their intuitive prowess allowed them to see into my tissues what all of the text books and tests couldn't. I receive massage from a former student of mine... she is gifted... now like me she is so busy I have to make sure I am a good client and show up so I don't loose my spot :}
Thank you for the echoes

Comment by Krystle Kuchera on October 11, 2009 at 11:43am

Hello Everyone-

I try to get regular massasges. It ends up being about once a month. I've run into the same problem of just not getting somebody who listens to what I say. I also have found that a lot of peoples thoughts of what "trigger point therapy" or other therapies are may be different than mine. Of course I think my idea of it is correct, and I'm sure they think theirs is as well.. so I'm in a bind. And who am I to tell sombody that they are wrong? I'm by no means an "expert" when it comes to massages. I learn new things every day, from my clients, from articles, from my supieror, etc.. I think that one of the biggest problems with Massage therapists today (not all.. but a lot) is they look at it as just "another job." Now it is true that there are great advancement opportunities in massage and good money to be made (if you do it correctly.) However, people are lacking passion! I believe that you have to really FEEL for Massage.. You have a passion to want to heal and help others. "Do no harm and leave things in better shape than you found them."

okay.. I think I'm done babbling for now :-) Have a great day, take care!

Comment by Melissa Ulrich on October 11, 2009 at 9:45am

I sometimes believe it to be true that maybe we give what we would like to receive. I have been receiving massages for the last 17 years from many different people and I can honestly say I received something from all of them. It might not have been what I needed or expected, but I believe ALL massage is good massage, that is what makes each one of us unique. Sometimes I don't like the fact that I have to pay for a massage that costs more than I would ever charge one of my own clients, but we learn a lot about ourselves from other people. I encourage my clients to receive massages from other people just for that fact. Part of the frustration may come from the blanket that massage covers. Massage can be so many different things. Yes, I do have the expectation that if I ask for specific work, that will be what I receive. That doesn't always happen. I don't know what needs to be done to change that. If I visit a professional and pay them money, they need to know what they are doing. One therapist I have been trading with for the past five years is no longer fufillng my needs. I believe she is treating the same body from five years ago but my body has changed. Paying for them or trading? I just stick to doing.

Comment by Noel Norwick on October 10, 2009 at 12:45pm

During the past 11 years, as a shiatsu instructor and intern clinic supervisor, I have both traded and paid for about 3 hours of massage per week. I urge my students to take the advice that we give our clients!

Comment by Erica Olson on October 8, 2009 at 9:58am

I have a lot of the same problems you've listed--namely, finding someone who can give you good, focused, quality work--whether I pay or do trade. I see different therapists for different types of work, but the one I love going to the most only does massage on the side and it is extremely difficult to line our schedules up. We also live on the outskirts of town in the opposite direction, so we're an hour or so away from each other.

In the last 10 months, I've had at least 6 hours of trade out with various therapists that I still haven't received back. One I gave up on when it became apparent that she would only reciprocate on her terms (even though I'd been waiting for her for 6+ months). Another flaked entirely and never showed up; when I passed along one of our two hours of trade to my boyfriend, she left him bruised and sore, then (6 months later) claimed that she'd cleared what she owed me when she worked on him. A third one has continually had "something come up" at the last minute, including supposedly having to take her kids to another town 3 hours away; boy, was I surprised to see her at a local bar that night! The fourth is the one with the busy schedule; she and her fiance have been building a house this summer, so I've been waiting for the weather to get bad before I see her.

I do regular trade with an acupuncturist, and we both like working together. I have not had the finances to afford regular massage (although the place I work at gives us a gift certificate so that we can receive without having to worry about trade), but exercise takes care of most of my aches and pains. I usually do yoga once a week (I love it when I'm able to get 3 sessions or more a week in!) and weight training 2x a week, and in the winter (our peak season) I get bodywork once a month because I want to curl into a little ball and cry if I don't.

Comment by Bianca Berrios on October 8, 2009 at 7:51am

I thought it was just me! I think therapists are fogetting the basics of what we learned in school...Listen to your client, check-in with your client and proceed in your session with intention. I receive bi-weekly and I pay for it. I don't have time for exchange, and lets face it we give som much that we need to take that time for ourself without having to give back. I also run into therapists that who are good but once there is a comfort level they want to chat my whole session. I practice rule of thumb short answers, deep breathing to get the pt across but sometimes it doesn't work...

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next ›
• Page