Thursday, April 7, 2011

Your Massage: Q&A Continued

What if my therapist talks too much?
Because it is your session, you should say something. "I'm so enjoying your massage, but do you mind if we not talk today?  I'd like to just bliss out."  That should do the trick.

What kind of oil are you putting on me?
Massage therapists use all kinds of different oils, creams, and lotions for their treatments.  They all have varying "glide" and other properties.  There are synthetic creams and lotions, and there is a wide range of oils (e.g. sweet almond, olive, many others).  I have settled on organic jojoba, which is a wax ester with properties very close to human sebum - our skin loves it!  I have also used arnica-infused olive oil on a client with some severe muscle pain.  And with my clients' permission, I sometimes add essential oils to the jojoba, depending on the specific complaint.

I have a severe pain in my leg.  What's wrong with me?
Please see your doctor as soon as possible.  Although massage therapists have a good amount of training in anatomy, physiology and pathology, we are not doctors and are prohibited from making diagnoses.  We can tell you what we see and feel, but diagnosing is outside our scope of practice.

What is in your scope of practice?
In addition to the full suite of massage techniques and modalities, massage therapists are also allowed to perform stretching, recommend exercise (although we are not specifically trained in athletic programming), and apply heat and cold.

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