The Discounted Therapist

In a culture that seeks to spend the least amount of money on their services and products it's easy for a therapist to undervalue themselves. It seems we have forgotten the age old saying "You get what you pay for".


When someone can get a massage from a deal site for $19 an hour why would someone spend $75 for the same type of massage from me? As soon as these thoughts creep in I no longer feel worthy of the money someone is giving me because someone else is accepting less for the same modaliy. This feeling of unworthiness leads to a dangerous line of questioning that pulls me deeper down the rabbit hole.
Am I greedy for asking "so much"?
Is the massage really WORTH it?


I stop asking the questions and slash my prices with everyone else. After all, I am a massage therapist to help people improve their quality of life by decreasing pain, not pad my pockets. 

Five years a therapist and not a single price raise, it seems I'm actually accepting less money per session now, half a decade into my career, than I did straight out of school. Discount here, Special Offer there. 
Less and less income means bills are the only things getting paid, sometimes not even all the bills.


Finally, I take a step back and realize that not only am I suffering with the lower prices but my clients are suffering with me. With the dwindling of funds upkeep of my supplies, sheets, and my own body have been pushed to the back burner. Even a great therapist needs great supplies, and personal care, to optimize their giving. So in essence, by shortchanging myself I really shortchange my clients and for that I'm sorry.

How these massage companies use deal sites and provide a decent experience for their clients I'll never know. I do know that I only want to give the best for my clients, and with a price that barely covers the rental of the room they are not getting it. With the new year coming I pledge to change.

I will stand firm in my fee because I know I am worth it. 
My clients are worth it; I will allow myself to get paid an amount that I can order the best oils, creams, sheets, aromatherapy, muscle therapies. 
My future is worth it; I will allow myself to be paid an amount so I can afford to get therapy for myself so my tools stay sharp and last longer.
My sanity is worth it; I will allow myself to be paid an amount that I can have a percentage to donate to great causes I believe in but are unable to support with today's finances.

But the question of WHY still lingers. So lets delve deeper. I am worth it because the massages I provide aren't fluff. The massages I provide are not only relaxing they are restorative. Every person I lay my hands on my intentions are to help cure them of an ailment, be it stress or pain. With each stroke of my hand I am waking up my client's body, and helping the body do what it does best, heal.

After every massage I am motivated because I see how much I can change someone's week, even life in some occasions, with a simple touch. Now before you think my ego is too big to fit in the doorway I wnt to express that every therapist is capable of such results. They just have to see it in themselves and understand the science of massage and how the body works.

Massage provides: movement in a world full of stagnation, silence of the mind in a life full of noise, relaxation in times of high stress. I could go on for hours about the benefits of touch and that alone makes me realize massage is worth it, every penny. Does knowing make it easier to accept money? No, it really doesn't. If I could do massage free of charge I would. But sadly that isn't the society I live in. Money is necessary for life.

Help me give life to my passion by buying local and staying away from deal sites and other companies that undervalue this beautiful and therapeutic career.

Why do I feel weak when working out makes you stronger?

Standing in my closet I try to plan my outfit for the day, 

I decide bending over to put pants on is impossible so I just reach for a slip on dress. 

Cute and no one can tell I'm babying my sore muscles. 

Winning!

Yesterday morning I broke my record time for a mile. 11 minutes and 23 seconds!

(Not impressive for most runners but for this lazy girl that's cause for celebration.)

After I recovered from that, yes I am that out of shape, I worked on abs, A LOT.

When I left the gym I was extremely proud of myself.

For 5 years my only exercise was doing massage. 

Progress!

Then the unexpected happened. 

My second job is taking care of babies and yesterday we were in a room without a rocking chair so when a sweet girl came in super sleepy I was left with the choice of letting her cry or sitting in the floor rocking her for an hour. My abs were screaming at me. 

Work out on top of a work out.

If exercise will make me stronger why do I feel so weak?

Thankfully due to my massage knowledge and a little of my boyfriend's Personal Training schooling I know that DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is normal and not something to run to the ER for but not everyone knows so I am going to take a moment and explain WHY you hurt after physical activity and HOW to feel better then you do hurt.

The WHY you hurt:

I could go into technical terms myself but I find this article sums it up nicely.

"Delayed onset muscle soreness is thought to be a result of microscopic tearing of the muscle fibers. The amount of tearing (and soreness) depends on how hard and how long you exercise and what type of exercise you do. Any movement you aren't used to can lead to DOMS, but eccentric muscle contractions (movements that cause muscle to forcefully contract while it lengthens) seem to cause the most soreness. Examples of eccentric muscle contractions include going down stairs, running downhill, lowering weights and the downward motion of squats and push-ups. In addition to small muscle tears there can be associated swelling in a muscle which may contribute to soreness."  Sports Medicine

The HOW to help:

In the same article from above I found a great list as to how to help.. here's the list with a little bit of my professional insight. 

• Use Active Recovery. This strategy does have support in the research. Performing easy low-impact aerobic exercise increasing blood flow and is linked with diminished muscle soreness. After an intense workout or competition, use this technique as a part of your cool down. - Great advice that I have seen and felt work time and time again.
• Rest and Recover. If you simply wait it out, soreness will go away in 3 to 7 days with no special treatment. - Beware of these words! Rest and recover does not mean sitting in a lone position all day, this will create more soreness. it means take it easier than the activity that caused the soreness not stopping all together. Your muscles can't repair correctly without movement.
• Try a Sports Massage. Some research has found that sports massage may help reduce reported muscle soreness and reduce swelling, although it had no effects on muscle function. - Of course this one is my favorite. Getting a massage RIGHT after a workout is the best! Not only do you leave feeling like a wet noodle, but your therapist is able to benefit your body better since your blood flow is already increased and nerves willing to relax. Plus who doesn't want a nap after a hard workout?
• Try an Ice Bath or Contrast Water Bath. Although no clear evidence proves they are effective, many pro athletes use them and claim they work to reduce soreness. - Having done it myself I can say that although uncomfortable at first you feel great afterwards.
• Use R.I.C.E., the standard method of treating acute injuries, if your soreness is particularly painful. - ALWAYS good advice for injuries.
• Perform Gentle Stretching. Although research doesn't find stretching alone reduces muscle pain of soreness, many people find it simply feels good. - gentle is the key here, don't overstretch already sore muscles.
• Try a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory. Aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium may help to temporarily reduce the muscle soreness, although they won't actually speed healing. Be careful, however, if you plan to take them before exercise. Studies reported that taking ibuprofen before endurance exercise is not recommended. - I personally HATE this one. Pills only cover the main problem not solve it. Use pain killers only as an option Z when EVERYTHING else has be exhausted and you are still in pain.
• Try Yoga. There is growing support that performing Yoga may reduce DOMS. - Only having recently tried yoga for shoulders I have a limited opinion but I have notices I feel looser on days I do my shoulder poses.
• Listen to Your Body. Avoid any vigorous activity or exercise that increases pain. - YES!
• Allow the soreness to subside thoroughly before performing any vigorous exercise. -YES!
• Warm Up completely before your next exercise session. There is some research that supports that a warm-up performed immediately prior to unaccustomed eccentric exercise produces small reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness (but cool-down performed after exercise does not). - I myself have a hard time with this.. I don't know the difference between warm up and exercise but thankfully my wonderful boyfriend is going to school to be a personal trainer so I'll figure that one out soon. If you are like me and don't know what to do, the internet is your best friend. 

** If your pain persists longer than about 7 days or increases despite these measures, consult your physician.

To learn more about exercise THIS LINK is the most specific as to what happens within the body during exercise I have found.

Bringing back the relaxation of massage.

Imagine with me: 

You've had a busy week at your desk typing and stressing everyday, you feel like your shoulders are more rock than tissue so you schedule a massage. 

You walk into a dimly lit room, soothing blue and rich purples surround you as the smell of orange and lavender fill your body. The soothing sounds of guitar fill your mind. 

You get undressed and climb into a table more comfortable than clouds ever could be. You pull the warm soft sheet over you floating almost to dreamland before the massage even begins. Aching muscles begin to let go as you sink into relaxation. 

Your therapist walks in and takes her thumbs straight into your boulder of shoulder. 

This serene place suddenly becomes a torture chamber. 

All the luxuries you felt getting onto the table are replaced with this epic battle of strength between your therapist and the stress in your shoulders. 

But it's okay, pain is temporary.... this therapist will whip your muscles into shape come hail or  high water. An hour later you leave feeling that the relaxing room is now mocking you and your now bruised shoulders. But that's what everyone said you needed... a DEEP tissue massage, right? 

Now imagine that instead of thumbs your neck received a broad stroke starting at the base of your head traveling down your shoulders. The session continues with pressure you wouldn't associate with deep tissue until you drift off to what I like to call massage twilight, where you can feel touch but your mind is relaxed so far as to where it's difficult to answer questions. After the session you get up feeling a little like a wet noodle all thoughts of pain gone replaced with relaxation and stability.

Which session would you rather have?

My goal is to take the boxing gloves out of the massage room. 

We cannot fight your muscles into submission, 

we must work with your own bodies rhythm to let it relax on it's own. 

Massage therapy is team work. 

I can't make your body do anything it does want to do.

 I use subtle touch on tight muscles to make the body aware of it's congestion.

 If there is a particular tense spot it may take a few sessions to remind the body it enjoys being lose instead of a rock but we will get there with mild intensity and never pain.

Infant Massage

I'm back! After taking a break from blogging to delve deeper into learning I have an exciting announcement. 

Drum roll please.....

I will be TEACHING Infant massage to parents starting Oct. 1st. 
That's only 2 weeks and 2 days away!

I'm so excited to share everything I have learned to help parents raise our next generation! 

Following is one of the most amazing studies I've found:

A is a group of first time fathers were shown how to massage their four week-old babies, and asked to continue for the duration of the study. A control group of fathers who did not massage their babies was also monitored. 

It was found that at 12 weeks old, babies who were massaged greeted their fathers with more eye contact, smiling, vocalizing, and touch than those in the control group. They showed more orienting responses toward their fathers and less avoidance behavior. The fathers showed greater day to day involvement with their infant. 

Baby massage allows fathers and babies to enjoy skin to skin contact that mothers often experience through breastfeeding, but fathers often miss out on. By massaging their babies, fathers come to understand their child's rhythms and responses, and become more confident about handling them.

Seeing that something as simple as touch can have such a profound impact on life makes me love my career even more. 

Know your limits.

Pain.
One thing that only you know how it feels.
Since everyone has a different pain tolerance how do we know when it's something to have a therapist work on or something to go to the doctor for?

I had to deal with this question myself this morning. I woke up out of a really deep sleep to a pain so sharp in my shoulder I couldn't stay still, at 7 in the morning. So through this blinding pain I had to follow my typical steps for dealing with minor pain and discerning which specialist to go to when the pain is too much; Massage Therapist or Doctor.

Step 1: Mind over matter. I tried to suck it up put an ice pack on my whole shoulder and go back to sleep. Every time I laid down the pain gets worse so I move to...

Step 2. Let someone know, or in this case wake up the boyfriend. Sometimes someone can see you more objectively than you can at the moment and be able to tell how much pain your in from body language to help decide what to do next. Thankfully my boyfriend was willing to give his crying girlfriend a massage at 7:30 in the morning when he's a night owl. This helped the pain a little with the aid of homeopathic oil. But I was still begging him to saw my arm off so on to...

Step 3. I ask myself a series of questions:

• Have I felt this pain before? (No)
• Did I do anything yesterday or the past week that could make me sore? (3 hours of massage yesterday, not enough to make me sore)
• How long has it been since I had bodywork? (Acupuncture 2 days ago)
• How urgent is this pain on a scale of 1-10? (At this point I was pacing, so I can easily say a 9)

This morning all the answers added up to an urgent care visit. As a massage therapist I felt a little bit of a sell-out. After bringing up that feeling to my great guy he reassured me that I needed a different approach. That got me started thinking; How many of my clients have this sort of pain? I know that I have a lot of anatomical knowledge and feel like I'm more self aware of what my body feels and why than most, but how do my clients who are of a different field of specialty know where to go. So I figured I would help y'all out with this post.

Here are a few of my guidelines as to who I go to for pain using the above series of questions.

Would I would go to a Massage Therapist if I...

• Previously felt this pain?
• Yes; or No if I know where the pain came from. i.e. working-out, yard word, sleeping "funny".
• Did anything recently that could cause soreness?
• Yes.
• Have gone a while without bodywork?
• Anytime longer than 2 weeks with normal activity, or 1 week with more active than usual.
• Measure the urgency of the pain?
• Anywhere from 1-5; Light to moderate pains

Would I consult my Doctor if I...

• Previously felt this pain?
• No; or Yes if it is more intense or frequent.
• Did anything recently that could cause soreness?
• No.
• Have gone a while without bodywork?
• Less than a week with receiving massage on a regular basis.
• Measure the urgency of the pain?
• 6-10; Intense to extreme pains

Massage is a wonderful tool but some pain may be caused by something deeper and more serious. It is always important to get it checked out by a doctor that has access to x-rays or MRIs. Sharp breathtaking or tear jerking pains can entice you into a doctor's office quickly, but even dull achy pains can be caused by something that muscle work can't diagnose or help.

So here I am, after having a shot in the butt thinking about actually filling that prescription for pain killers, telling you to know your limits. There is always a reason for pain,
 and if the internet just sends you into spiral of hypochondria, it is best to just call your doctor

Under Pressure

The most common complaint that I have heard about past massages is either they hurt from too much pressure or the pressure felt "as if the therapist was scared to go deeper".

I firmly believe that even though massage is great for everyone*, not all massage therapist are good for everyone.

 Understanding what you want in a massage when searching for a massage therapist will help you avoid getting a bad massage. 

I have created a flow chart with the most common reasons people get massages:

You may notice a trend, it all includes communicating to your therapist what you want. 

Remember this massage is about you and your body.

 If you are confused as to what your therapist is doing ASK them. 

I know I personally love talking to my clients and explaining what I'm doing and how it helps them.

If you're not the talking type, that's fine too but only after you are sure you're getting the massage you signed up for. 

 My teacher said once "We are all victims of our education" and it stuck with me and has helped me better understand that there may not be a wrong or right way, just a different way.

Every massage therapist brings a unique way of massage to the table. 

*of course there are always exceptions to the rule, there are several contraindications to massage and that's why it's important to fill out the medical form completely.

"You mean my undies too?!?!"

It's been asked a million times over. How much clothing should I take off when getting a massage?

Doing massage since '08 has given me plenty of insight on this matter. 

When I arrived at Massage School for the first time I had never received a professional massage and was told by my teacher to strip down and only leave a thong on if it's that time of the month. As a shy 19 year old I was terrified of that concept, and that white sheet we used as a drape felt very thin. But, as time went on and I felt how massage was changing my body for the better, I was willing to take everything off so my muscles could be manually worked on without restriction. 

Many massage therapists say "undress to your comfort level" and even though I would never want someone uncomfortable on my table I want to explain my 3 big reasons why I, as a therapist, prefer my clients to be fully undressed.

1) Muscles get covered by the clothing.

2) Loss of hand on time.

3) Choppy massage.

First lets talk about you females: You'll notice that the fascial waist line and Gluteals are the main thing covered by women's underwear but if you look closely you'll seen a lot of the attachments for the thighs and lower abdomen are also covered. 

Now you guy's out there: You're preferred boxers cover more than HALF the thigh muscles and Gluteals as well as the waist line of fascia.

Some therapist see this as no problem and just move the underwear so these areas are accessible, or just do some compression work over the sheet. I personally don't like doing that because to me touching a clients underwear feels more intrusive and creepy than massaging those areas. 

Other therapists just see clothing as caution tape and just continue with the massage avoiding these areas all together. I don't enjoy doing this either because not only is there a huge lump of Lymph Nodes right in the line of the hip but the gluteals and abdomen being tight is a huge contributer to low back pain and is seem frequently in those who drive or sit at a desk a lot.

Now I ask you to put on your Client hat and to think about the massage session you are wanting, if you're just coming in for some shoulder work then underwear won't be an issue but if you have low back pain, tight thighs or are coming in for lymphatic work then there is a lot conflict.

It is a personal requirement of mine to do FULL draping at all times, that means even if you choose to wear clothes I will uncover only the areas being worked on, the only exception to this rule is Ashiatsu where the back (and gluteals) stays undraped during leg work to allow full body strokes but even then your privates (as I have indicated as a black bar on the muscle man and woman) will stay properly and securely covered. 

Which brings me to point #2 and 3:

Clothing and sheets enjoy sticking to each other causing you to become a human burrito when being turned over. The fabrics sticking together also doesn't allow the sheet to stay securely tucked when draping the leg or low back. Not only is this highly frustrating it forces the massage therapist to spend more time to properly drape and make sure you are comfortable and unexposed on the table, which means you lose hands on time. 

With this extra time being spent draping and re-draping even the smoothest swedish massage will feel choppy. To those that get Deep Tissue massage on the regular this might not seem like a problem but I pride myself on being able to help clients drift of to sleep while working on their deepest fascial restrictions and muscular knots and messing with the sheet disturbs the flow big time.

In my eyes as a massage therapist, this muscle man and woman above are what I see in my clients. I do not have "hot" or "ugly" or "fat" clients: I have clients that need bodywork, and that comes in all shapes and sizes. 

Now, a few disclaimers before I end this ramble. I know some of you probably just can't get comfortable without underwear. I have a family member that feels that way, even with me as her massage therapist. I don't judge them better or worse than those who rely on draping for their modesty. I just ask women, please wear a thong if you want your gluteal worked; men, wear whitie tighties to allow your full thigh to be worked. 

Also, a few therapist prefer to have their clients wear some form of clothing, sometimes it's spandex when a lot of stretching is involved, or just underwear because that's just how they are comfortable. 

The most important thing is COMMUNICATION. If you are unsure or uncomfortable with something    let your therapist know immediately. Do not force yourself to spend the whole massage uncomfortable, you are the client and this is YOUR session, if a therapist isn't right for you move on never feel obligated to just take it because you think they know more than you. Every BODY is different and it's important to communicate what feels good to you and what doesn't.

Please feel free to comment or contact me with any questions.

Grumble Grumble Grump Grump

This morning I woke up in a foul mood. Alarm went off before my body was ready to get up, couldn't find my keys, couldn't find my purse: you know one of THOSE days. I'm sure that was the grumpiest my boyfriend has ever seen me, I hate losing thing because I forgot where I left them. I felt like that was a precursor of how the whole day was going to go.

Grumpy

But, since today is my only day off this week after a long week of massage, I couldn't allow myself to have a bad day. So, I pulled up my big girl britches and got out my aromatherapy oils. 

Aromatherapy

A lot of Orange, equal parts grapefruit and lemon, and a dash of Ylang Ylang and lavender; now my room smells wonderful and I'm in a much better mood. Amazing how a few drops of essential oils can alter a mood so greatly. The world we live in provides for us everything we need, we just need to pay a little bit more attention to what we need and if we can get it naturally at a low cost. 

I highly recommend trying aromatherapy for your own mood enhancers, or even just for your house hold scent. Whether it's to help get rid of the Grumps or to help with staying awake I'm sure there's an all natural blend that you will enjoy having in your home.

Now I wonder how do you recover from a bad mood?