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.
Amanda you are my hero! One of the reasons I tend not to practice much is that people have been brainwashed into believing the therapist will massage away all your tension, fix your misalignments, and erase all the knots. Not so. You have clearly stated the obvious. As MT we are there to assist the body to relax, and let go of stress & tension. Forcing the body to release does not allow the body's natural abilities to re-establish balance. Using the techiques you describe assist by re-educating & reminding the body to re-align, resulting in healing and wellness. Thank you, thank you, thnak you for posting this.
ReplyDeleteBeth Baker LMT
I'm so glad to hear your agreements on the subject, Beth. Don't get discouraged about misinformed clients. This is the time to show them your way. Let them decide after the massage which they prefer. My teacher always said "We are victims of our own education." I have to say this to myself often when dealing with the very stubborn misinformed clients.
DeleteMiss Amanda James insights and her personal techniques of MT go far beyond her years. Simply put she is incredibly Amazing!!
DeleteAwesome - well said and so important.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteGreat post!! I will try to follow your blog regularly. I do not use the Google Plus as much as I should, my social media is scattered in so many directions and needs consolidating. However, lets stay connected. I have a small and unique health & wellness publishing company. Google "Amos Soma Fuller" and lets stay in touch via FB, LinkedIn or something. Happy Monday!
ReplyDelete-Soma (Thump the World Publishing)
Thank you so much, I believe I found you on facebook. :D
DeleteAmanda, I am in total agreement with your philosophy. Thank you for expressing it so eloquently. Several years ago I was involved in a automobile accident where a person ran a red light at over 50 mph. I sustained severe whiplash injuries and torqueing of the spine. Being a massage therapist myself I looked to my community of fellow therapists during my recovery process. I was shocked and amazed at the number of heavy handed therapists and their no pain - no gain attitude. It took awhile but I finally found a like minded therapist and within a short time I started to notice marked improvement. It has been 3 years since my accident. Thankfully, I have recovered to where I am able to practice once again. I feel my accident taught me a valuable lesson and I am now better equipped to help my clients who are suffering from chronic pain. The knowledge I gained during my recovery has made me a more mindful practitioner and it helped me have a deeper understanding of my clients and their needs. When my clients visit me for the first time, I explain to them my philosophy and my reasoning behind it. It has been enlightening to hear the number of painful sessions that my clients have endured just because they thought that was what therapeutic massage was. How sad! Thanks for your posting and reminding us all that Less can definitely be More.
ReplyDeleteOhio LMT
Thank you for sharing your story, I love hearing from other therapists. I'm sorry you had to go through that pain, I'm glad you found a therapist that was able to help you. It's sad that there are so many therapists that do cause more harm than good and continue to misinform the population.
DeleteI'm glad to hear you are well enough to practice, I know the pain you felt in your recovery has helped you better able to help your clients.
Remember "We are all victims of our own education", all these therapists can still learn a better way, we just need to be the louder educator.
Absoltely!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear your support :D
DeleteThanks! I do relaxation, I do not think causing pain is helpful in relaxing a client. I do some "body work" upon request, but have found it unnecessary when you have the ability to make your client forget their knots and woes and drift blissfully and aimlessly while they are on your table.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful to know there are others who share my philosophy! thanks again for sharing!
Wonderful, a lot of times when you can get the full body to relax the body will fight the dysfunctions on it's own.
DeleteThank you -- your article is right-on! I have felt strangely inferior about my intuitive massage style ever since moving to another state, in spite of being licensed since 1987 and having many satisfied clients email me to "please come back!" for over a year after I moved away.
ReplyDeleteThe school where I completed the additional education required for licensing in my new state has a culture of "go deep to the bone or you're not being effective." I had a massage from someone who graduated from that particular school and I felt "beat up" for over a week afterwards. :-/
I, too, wait for a client’s body to relax and muscles to soften before working out tight areas. Painfully forcing a muscle to release is counter-productive in my opinion. You have inspired me to hold my head high and promote my massage therapy for “Relaxation” and “Stress Relief” knowing fully-well that’s what’s needed the most by so many, even though it doesn’t nearly encompass all that I do. I may need to add “Magic” to that list, as well. ;-)
Connie Joy,
DeleteNever let anyone make you feel inferior for doing something that in your heart and soul you know is right!! Funny that you stated in your last sentence that you " may need to add “Magic” to that list, as well. ;-) ". I've told Amanda since my first Ashiatsu session with her that her hands and feet were and are truly magical!!
It's too bad that so many CMTs and clients alike don't seem to know what Deep Tissue Massage is, and conflate "deep" with "hard pressure" . "Deep" just means "not superficial" and there are many non-painful techniques for reaching deep tissue without hurting the client. Any therapist who thinks it's a good idea to dig her thumbs into someone's tense shoulders before warming and calming the tissue should go back to massage school. I always explain the difference between deep and hard and explain that, other than a challenging sensation akin to what you feel doing a deep stretch in yoga, there should be no pain. I ask them to breathe through those and let them know that I will support their need to relax and heal above all else. I tell them that at first the pressure will be soft to medium until the tissue allows me to sink into it. I agree with you that pain need not be part of any session, but I also practice Deep Tissue when the body tells me it's needed. I just wish schools would teach proper Deep Tissue techniques.
ReplyDeleteAmanda,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right on the mark. You have to continually remind other MT's to
Remember "We are all victims of our own education", all these therapists can still learn a better way, we just need to be the louder educator.