Massage Session: What It’s Like
October 30th, 2019 by Stephanie Farrer
I put a pin in my Trigger Point Deep Dive posts to cover something that’s come up several times this week. I’ve gotten a couple calls from new patients who have never had a massage before. The whole process can be kind of intimidating if you haven’t ever had a massage! Common questions I get include: Are you going to beat me up? Do I have to undress? What are you going to massage, actually? So, I figured it would be nice to go over step-by step how a massage session works.
The massage really begins with choosing the TYPE of massage you want based on your goals. Is the goal to relax? Are you there for help with pain you’re experiencing? Do you view massage as a warm-up for another type of therapy, such as chiropractic care? Are you an athlete looking for help with an injury? There are many reasons why people want to get a massage. Being very clear with your massage therapist is most helpful BEFORE the massage begins. It’s important to talk about what it is that you want so you can get the most benefit from your session. Telling your massage therapist the amount of pressure you prefer is vitally important. Pressure feels different for everyone, so I always tell my patients to please let me know as I go if anything is too much—or too little. I am not out to “beat you up”, but I do want to provide enough pressure so you feel you have gotten the most from your experience if Deep Tissue Massage is what you want. This is all completely up to you. It’s also very important to be up front about health information on the medical intake form you fill out before your appointment—or to update your massage therapist before he or she begins your massage. Health conditions and medications may affect the type of massage you need. Be as clear and forthcoming as you possibly can be to ensure you get the most from your therapy.
Once you have chosen the type of massage you want—and have spoken with your massage therapist about your goals—the next step is getting ON THE MASSAGE TABLE. In my practice, I let my patient dictate undressing based on their personal comfort level, but I insist on draping. I have patients who prefer not to undress for their appointments, and this is completely acceptable. Most of my patients, however, take everything off except undergarments to allow me to massage their back effectively. No matter what level the patient undresses to, I ask that they get completely under the top sheet on my table before I enter the massage room to perform the massage. Anything other than this protocol is unacceptable, including beginning to undress before I have fully exited the room.
After I have verified that my patient is fully ready and under the top sheet of the massage table, I will enter the room and BEGIN THE MASSAGE SESSION. Massage sessions vary in length based on patient needs, and I will either begin with the patient face up or face down based on their massage goals. For a general full body relaxation massage, I usually begin with my patient lying face down. I will apply oil to the patient’s BACK and begin the massage by using long, flowing strokes. For most of my massage sessions, I use either jojoba oil or a coconut/shea butter mix. I prefer to use oils because they provide the optimal workability for me. I do not use any essential oils in my practice because I have patients who are allergic to various things and I do not want to harm them. After I have opened up the back muscles, I will apply heat therapy and/or use silicone cups on the back and continue massaging the back until it is time to move on.
After the back, I will next move on to work the GLUTEAL MUSCLES. Before working on the glutes for the first time, I will talk to the patient about their comfort level. If I have a specific reason to focus on the gluteal muscles, as in the case of a patient suffering from sciatica, I will ask the patient if they feel comfortable with me working on the glutes without the sheet. I only do this when the condition we are working on dictates it, and whenever a patient prefers me to stay on top of the sheet I happily do it. There is never a circumstance where my patient’s comfort level is not the priority. Think about it like this—if you are uncomfortable with me performing any part of the massage, how can you ever fully relax into what we are doing? There’s no way. The first thing we (subconsciously) do when we are tense is tighten our muscles. I never want to fight the muscles. There is no reason to—and it can lead to bruising or other damage.
After working the gluteal muscles, I next move on to working the backs of the LEGS AND FEET. I have no problem skipping the feet if the patient is ticklish or in any way prefers me not to work on them. After the legs and feet, it is time to TURN OVER. In order to do this, I will hold the top sheet so the patient can comfortably turn face up without exposure.
Once the patient has turned over, I will usually next work on the HEAD, NECK, and UPPER SHOULDERS. If the patient prefers that I work the face, I will do that here as well. Once the neck and shoulders have been worked, I will continue on to the ARMS and LEGS, ending with another massage of the tops of the FEET. I will often end the massage with some light stretching or a Cranial Release (a neck stretch that aligns the cranium and can provide relief from neck tension or headaches).
I say all of this to let you know EXACTLY what the massage therapy session in my office is like. I do not want my first-time patients to ever worry that anything inappropriate will happen in my office. My whole goal is to make sure that every patient feels comfortable. As a massage therapist, it is also important that I feel comfortable giving the massage. This is when I do my best work. I will let you in on a little secret. I am a modest person. I feel uncomfortable when a patient begins to undress before I can leave the room.
I hope that this post has provided helpful information for anyone interested—but intimidated—by the idea of having that first massage. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email me.
If you are in pain, I am here to help.
—Stephanie
Massage Session: What It’s Like
October 30th, 2019 by Stephanie Farrer
I put a pin in my Trigger Point Deep Dive posts to cover something that’s come up several times this week. I’ve gotten a couple calls from new patients who have never had a massage before. The whole process can be kind of intimidating if you haven’t ever had a massage! Common questions I get include: Are you going to beat me up? Do I have to undress? What are you going to massage, actually? So, I figured it would be nice to go over step-by step how a massage session works.
The massage really begins with choosing the TYPE of massage you want based on your goals. Is the goal to relax? Are you there for help with pain you’re experiencing? Do you view massage as a warm-up for another type of therapy, such as chiropractic care? Are you an athlete looking for help with an injury? There are many reasons why people want to get a massage. Being very clear with your massage therapist is most helpful BEFORE the massage begins. It’s important to talk about what it is that you want so you can get the most benefit from your session. Telling your massage therapist the amount of pressure you prefer is vitally important. Pressure feels different for everyone, so I always tell my patients to please let me know as I go if anything is too much—or too little. I am not out to “beat you up”, but I do want to provide enough pressure so you feel you have gotten the most from your experience if Deep Tissue Massage is what you want. This is all completely up to you. It’s also very important to be up front about health information on the medical intake form you fill out before your appointment—or to update your massage therapist before he or she begins your massage. Health conditions and medications may affect the type of massage you need. Be as clear and forthcoming as you possibly can be to ensure you get the most from your therapy.
Once you have chosen the type of massage you want—and have spoken with your massage therapist about your goals—the next step is getting ON THE MASSAGE TABLE. In my practice, I let my patient dictate undressing based on their personal comfort level, but I insist on draping. I have patients who prefer not to undress for their appointments, and this is completely acceptable. Most of my patients, however, take everything off except undergarments to allow me to massage their back effectively. No matter what level the patient undresses to, I ask that they get completely under the top sheet on my table before I enter the massage room to perform the massage. Anything other than this protocol is unacceptable, including beginning to undress before I have fully exited the room.
After I have verified that my patient is fully ready and under the top sheet of the massage table, I will enter the room and BEGIN THE MASSAGE SESSION. Massage sessions vary in length based on patient needs, and I will either begin with the patient face up or face down based on their massage goals. For a general full body relaxation massage, I usually begin with my patient lying face down. I will apply oil to the patient’s BACK and begin the massage by using long, flowing strokes. For most of my massage sessions, I use either jojoba oil or a coconut/shea butter mix. I prefer to use oils because they provide the optimal workability for me. I do not use any essential oils in my practice because I have patients who are allergic to various things and I do not want to harm them. After I have opened up the back muscles, I will apply heat therapy and/or use silicone cups on the back and continue massaging the back until it is time to move on.
After the back, I will next move on to work the GLUTEAL MUSCLES. Before working on the glutes for the first time, I will talk to the patient about their comfort level. If I have a specific reason to focus on the gluteal muscles, as in the case of a patient suffering from sciatica, I will ask the patient if they feel comfortable with me working on the glutes without the sheet. I only do this when the condition we are working on dictates it, and whenever a patient prefers me to stay on top of the sheet I happily do it. There is never a circumstance where my patient’s comfort level is not the priority. Think about it like this—if you are uncomfortable with me performing any part of the massage, how can you ever fully relax into what we are doing? There’s no way. The first thing we (subconsciously) do when we are tense is tighten our muscles. I never want to fight the muscles. There is no reason to—and it can lead to bruising or other damage.
After working the gluteal muscles, I next move on to working the backs of the LEGS AND FEET. I have no problem skipping the feet if the patient is ticklish or in any way prefers me not to work on them. After the legs and feet, it is time to TURN OVER. In order to do this, I will hold the top sheet so the patient can comfortably turn face up without exposure.
Once the patient has turned over, I will usually next work on the HEAD, NECK, and UPPER SHOULDERS. If the patient prefers that I work the face, I will do that here as well. Once the neck and shoulders have been worked, I will continue on to the ARMS and LEGS, ending with another massage of the tops of the FEET. I will often end the massage with some light stretching or a Cranial Release (a neck stretch that aligns the cranium and can provide relief from neck tension or headaches).
I say all of this to let you know EXACTLY what the massage therapy session in my office is like. I do not want my first-time patients to ever worry that anything inappropriate will happen in my office. My whole goal is to make sure that every patient feels comfortable. As a massage therapist, it is also important that I feel comfortable giving the massage. This is when I do my best work. I will let you in on a little secret. I am a modest person. I feel uncomfortable when a patient begins to undress before I can leave the room.
I hope that this post has provided helpful information for anyone interested—but intimidated—by the idea of having that first massage. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email me.
If you are in pain, I am here to help.
—Stephanie
