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.

How About a Little Shiatsu?

Have you ever had a shiatsu massage?  If you haven't, you've missed a real treat.

Established in Japan, shiatsu is a bodywork modality with an aim of opening up energetic pathways (meridians) and moving blood and energy ("Qi" pronounced "CHEE").  The work follows the same principals as acupuncture and addresses the same points on the body.

The session includes work on these points, rocking and stretching, compression, and other moves. Shiatsu is traditionally performed on a mat on the floor, with both therapist and client wearing loose clothing, like sweats and a T-shirt.

I still remember the first shiatsu treatment I ever received, just before I began massage school.  It was so therapeutic; I remember walking home, thinking, "I'm transformed."

Your Massage: Q&A

The therapist-client relationship is intimate, especially in the context of massage.  Sometimes within that relationship clients have questions they don't express.  Here are some common unexpressed questions:

What if I feel the pressure is too deep, too light?
Say something. It is your session, so do communicate with your therapist.  You should never feel you have to endure pain or pressure that is too light for you.

Should we talk during the treatment?
This depends on entirely on you.  Feel free to be completely quiet or have a little chat.  Don't feel you have to entertain your therapist, however. Also bear in mind that lengthy in-depth conversation can be distracting and can take away from the therapist's focus on your bodywork.

Do I need to be naked?
Although it is easier for the therapist to work on your body when you're disrobed (for oil-based massages, like Swedish & deep tissue or myofascial work), you should disrobe to your level of comfort.  In New York State it is the law that you must be draped during the massage, so only the part of your body that is being worked on will be exposed.  I generally recommend completely disrobing, leaving your underpants on if you like.  Shiatsu and some other modalities do not require disrobing. They are performed in loose, comfortable clothing, like sweats & T-shirt.

May I request different music?
Of course!  I have my iPod in my office with a broad range of music.  You may also bring your own iPod or CD.  I'll be happy to play whatever you like.

(To be continued...)

Lavender: What's the Big Deal?

Lavender this, lavender that.  Everything is lavender!  Sometimes it feels like overkill.

But is there something behind this?  Why is there lavender in everything?  What's so great about lavender?

Lavender essential oil is made up of a significant percentage of Esters and Monoterpenols.  Specifically, lavender is made up of linalyl acetate (almost 50%) and linalol (over 25%).  Both have been shown to be anti-inflammatory (Peana AT, D'Aquila PS, Panin F, Serra G, Pippia P, Moretti MD, "Anti-inflammatory activity of linalool and linalyl acetate constituents of essential oils." Sassari, Italy: Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Sassari, 2002).  Lavender essential oil has also been shown to be sedative (Buchbauer G, Jirovetz L, Jäger W, Dietrich H, Plank C., "Aromatherapy: evidence for sedative effects of the essential oil of lavender after inhalation." Austria: Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1991), analgesic (Gedney JJ, Glover TL, Fillingim RB, "Sensory and affective pain discrimination after inhalation of essential oils." Gainesville, Florida: Division of Public Health Services and Research, University of Florida College of Dentistry, 2004.), and anti-bacterial (Lodhia MH, Bhatt KR, Thaker VS, "Antibacterial activity of essential oils from palmarosa, evening primrose, lavender and tuberose." India: Department of Biosciences, Saurashtra University, 2009), among many other great properties.

AND, it smells great.  I have done extensive tests with my nose and certify this to be true.  So, don't discard lavender just because everyone else is using it.  There are many good reasons to keep some in your cabinet.

Consistency is Key: The Sequel

Previously, I wrote about consistency's being important in most endeavors.  Massage therapy is no exception.  Regular massage has long-lasting benefits.  Imagine a boost to the immune system, improved circulation, muscle pain reduction on a regular basis.

Because I believe in this so much, I'm making it easy: Discount Packages.  "What?" you say.  "Discount packages?"  Yes, indeed.  And here's the offer:

Package of Five 60-Minute Massages: $450 -- that's a 10% discount!
Package of Ten 60-Minute Massages: $850 -- that's a 15% discount -- you end up getting 1-1/2 treatments free!!!

And to make sure that you're consistent (believe me, I know how life gets in the way of massages), I'm going to put an expiration date on your package: 15 weeks for a 5-Pack, 30 weeks for a 10-Pack.  That means you'll get a massage every 3 weeks.  Every 2 weeks would be very good, but this will make room for who knows what.

So, please take care of yourself this year.  Make massage part of your wellness routine.

Products, Products

I'm coming closer to finalizing my initial line of products, and I'm getting excited.  I'd love your feedback on this line-up:

Face Serums
Body Butters
Lip Balms
Massage Oils
Custom Blends

There will be 1-3 kinds in each category.  For example, I'm working on a beautiful carrot seed-based face serum, which I've been using for several weeks now.  The effect is my face is smooth and soft; I'm just working on the aroma to be just right.  The body butter consistency is amazing; I've worked out the graininess one sometimes gets with unmelted, whipped shea butter (the trick is to whip it a good long time).  My massage oils are already being used by a successful massage therapist colleague of mine.  And my custom blends are getting great feedback from people.  One client told me that my "Anti-Inflame" lotion worked immediately, and that I should "make 1,000 of them."  Nice to hear!  (Feel free to schedule an aromatherapy consultation for a custom blend.)

So, what do you look for in these products?  What aromas draw you in?  I'm eager to know.

Those in Need

Although I've given hundreds of massages in the past few years, the ones I tend to remember are the one given to those in great need.  A mother at the Ronald McDonald House who was terrified of losing her child to cancer.  A man in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy who eventually broke into a broad, toothy smile when I started working on his feet.  The marathon runner who was crying in pain from a cramping calf muscle.

In all of these cases I was able to make an immediate impact, provided relief from pain.  It's not often in life that we see the immediate results of our actions, so these experiences (and all of my treatments, really) have been so gratifying.

I'm determined to keep seeking out opportunities to help those in need.  What better life can one have, really?