How to Tell if a Massage Therapist is Any Good

There are good and bad in every industry. The same holds true for massage therapists. And the good ones never seem to last in places that don’t pay well and take incredible care of their employees. You’ll find many go out on their own and succeed entirely on word of mouth. However, even those can be a hit or miss. SOO here is a cheat list that you can use to find if the therapist you are deciding to hire is going to take good care of you. Many of these you can ask before you pay a cent! Youre Welcome! Save you time and money and go to THE BEST, you deserve it!
1. The therapist will work on your abs. Can you guess why? Well, everything important is there! Benefits of massage include released tension, increased blood flow which increases healing and therapeutic properties. Exterior muscles are great, what about the interior ones? Several major organs, your metabolism, your gut health, and core are instantly accessible through your abdomen. As a massage therapist and a regular massage guest, abdominal are my favorite to receive bodywork as well as give.
2. The therapist will have an intuitive touch. You ever have someone hit a spot that feels really tender?, one perhaps that you didn’t even know you had? Well guess what, they should feel it too and address it either directly and immediately or indirectly but then return to the area of tenderness to check for change. It doesn’t mean they will feel everything you feel but there is a level or basic understanding. I believe in constant communication, so i commonly will work on someone and ask, is that tender? The next question from the client is usually how do you know? Knotted muscular, fascia tension has a different feeling then healthy tissue and molecularly is different. It’s important that your therapist can find these areas of irregularity and discomfort so it can be addressed. Can’t fix what you don’t know is there..
3. Full hands. This will honestly ANNOY anyone but sometimes people may not know why. There is nothing worse than feeling like you’re being pinched in a massage. Swedish especially which is the common comfort, relaxation massage, full hands are a must. A therapist is in the wrong business if they have an issue touching people. They should be committed to their practice and your wellbeing. Trust me it will make all the difference.
4. Elbows are not for digging into your bum or any other area of the body, it does not induce anything of benefit. What it does induce is pain. No pain no gain does NOT apply in massage. Even a deep tissue massage when done correctly does not require immense amounts of pressure administered through an elbow. Most Importantly: Your sciatic nerve runs right through the center of your bottom, an elbow in there will piss it off, cause inflammation and irritation which can translate to increased low back pain and leg pain. The best glute work will take place in the upper and outer portions where the origins and insertions are present.
5. The therapist will instruct you to breath and will breath with you. One of the best cues for inducing a deep breath from a client is a deep breath from the therapist. Breathing helps to release tension, and bring oxygen to the area being worked on. Breath alone has many benefits even without the massage, imagine when the benefits can be stacked.
6. The therapist will answer your questions. One of your best resources to be an advocate for your own health is knowledge. If you’re experiencing pain, or slight discomforts that have sparked your attention enough to be there in the first place, imagine your power when you can walk into a doctors office and tell them what is wrong or better yet understand what the doctor has to say about your test results, diagnosis or findings. Knowledge is power gain it, use it. Questions to ask include – what is that? Hit a tender point, what is that? Why could that be so tight? The response you’re looking for are what joint motions create tension to this particular area?, what do you do in your daily life that may be contributing to your discomfort?, what can you do to improve this?(stretch is not a sufficient answer)
I hope you find this helpful in finding your new favorite massage therapist!!How to Tell if a Massage Therapist is Any Good
There are good and bad in every industry. The same holds true for massage therapists. And the good ones never seem to last in places that don’t pay well and take incredible care of their employees. You’ll find many go out on their own and succeed entirely on word of mouth. However, even those can be a hit or miss. SOO here is a cheat list that you can use to find if the therapist you are deciding to hire is going to take good care of you. Many of these you can ask before you pay a cent! Youre Welcome! Save you time and money and go to THE BEST, you deserve it!
1. The therapist will work on your abs. Can you guess why? Well, everything important is there! Benefits of massage include released tension, increased blood flow which increases healing and therapeutic properties. Exterior muscles are great, what about the interior ones? Several major organs, your metabolism, your gut health, and core are instantly accessible through your abdomen. As a massage therapist and a regular massage guest, abdominal are my favorite to receive bodywork as well as give.
2. The therapist will have an intuitive touch. You ever have someone hit a spot that feels really tender?, one perhaps that you didn’t even know you had? Well guess what, they should feel it too and address it either directly and immediately or indirectly but then return to the area of tenderness to check for change. It doesn’t mean they will feel everything you feel but there is a level or basic understanding. I believe in constant communication, so i commonly will work on someone and ask, is that tender? The next question from the client is usually how do you know? Knotted muscular, fascia tension has a different feeling then healthy tissue and molecularly is different. It’s important that your therapist can find these areas of irregularity and discomfort so it can be addressed. Can’t fix what you don’t know is there..
3. Full hands. This will honestly ANNOY anyone but sometimes people may not know why. There is nothing worse than feeling like you’re being pinched in a massage. Swedish especially which is the common comfort, relaxation massage, full hands are a must. A therapist is in the wrong business if they have an issue touching people. They should be committed to their practice and your wellbeing. Trust me it will make all the difference.
4. Elbows are not for digging into your bum or any other area of the body, it does not induce anything of benefit. What it does induce is pain. No pain no gain does NOT apply in massage. Even a deep tissue massage when done correctly does not require immense amounts of pressure administered through an elbow. Most Importantly: Your sciatic nerve runs right through the center of your bottom, an elbow in there will piss it off, cause inflammation and irritation which can translate to increased low back pain and leg pain. The best glute work will take place in the upper and outer portions where the origins and insertions are present.
5. The therapist will instruct you to breath and will breath with you. One of the best cues for inducing a deep breath from a client is a deep breath from the therapist. Breathing helps to release tension, and bring oxygen to the area being worked on. Breath alone has many benefits even without the massage, imagine when the benefits can be stacked.
6. The therapist will answer your questions. One of your best resources to be an advocate for your own health is knowledge. If you’re experiencing pain, or slight discomforts that have sparked your attention enough to be there in the first place, imagine your power when you can walk into a doctors office and tell them what is wrong or better yet understand what the doctor has to say about your test results, diagnosis or findings. Knowledge is power gain it, use it. Questions to ask include – what is that? Hit a tender point, what is that? Why could that be so tight? The response you’re looking for are what joint motions create tension to this particular area?, what do you do in your daily life that may be contributing to your discomfort?, what can you do to improve this?(stretch is not a sufficient answer)
I hope you find this helpful in finding your new favorite massage therapist!!