Effleurage & the Flaming Snowplow Most massage therapists make a habit of getting massages, as do I. A good massage is always appreciated, but at times it is hard not to be a “back-seat” massage therapist. Recently I was looking forward to some relief for a strained deltoid when the effleurage began on my … Continue reading Effleurage & the Flaming Snowplow
A regular table massage client loves to two-time this massage therapist every chance she gets. I do not mind at all. My client has fibromyalgia, travels frequently and loves to get chair massages. The service she uses most often is at an airport near her employer’s national headquarters. She looks forward, especially on a day-hopper … Continue reading Seated and Ready
We massage therapists see a lot of people seeking relief. If it isn’t the upper back and neck, it is the lower back and legs. I’m a fan of giving people something they can do, on their own, to loosen up. Most people go from doing a lot of movement in their salad days to … Continue reading Playground Moves
We massage therapists pride ourselves on our abilities in touch – and that’s why I am so surprised when clients give me an earful about fingernails! This is a touchy issue for massage therapists – we figure we’re doing things like avoiding perfumes and warming our oils so we can facilitate relaxation in our clients. … Continue reading Nail It!
Treat Your Own Kinks… While we massage therapists are busy rubbing away knots, an industry has been developing of how-to guides to assist clients between office visits. The publications start with “Treat Your Own…” and I have always been a fan of the guru self-treatment book, Robin McKenzie’s “Treat Your Own Neck.” When I … Continue reading Treat Your Own Kinks…
I love the rag-mags when they have a page of psychic predictions, from the end of the world to when some celebrity will be married. But do we in massage therapy really need psychics to make spot-on predictions? I’ve been working up my own list of the future of massage therapy – wink, wink. Here’s my … Continue reading Predictions on Massage Therapy
Massage therapists learn many ways to push on trigger points and stuck areas. I’ve often wanted to see if pulling on these spots would help open them up. Yet, of course, we are taught that pulling is bad body mechanics. Massage therapists who pull rather than push don’t last long on the job. They … Continue reading Negative Pressure Massage
Is it OK to stretch a client’s adductors? What if the client is female, the therapist male, and the wind is whistling through openings in the drape? Oh my, the topics that come up for question in a massage clinic. One of my friends had a complaint from the husband of a couple whom had … Continue reading Best Intentions? Massage and Permission
The Adventures of Ana Log, Massage Therapist My alter ego in my massage therapist career has been “Ana Log.” She is a heroine of old school practices that simplify life instead of clouding it. Contrary to trends out there in e-land, Ana Log has her own schedule book, written in pencil, to give her … Continue reading Massage and the Past Perfect
Massage therapists are not all alike when it comes to their understanding of how to build a practice. I have heard lots of explanations as to why bookings stay low, very few explanations of why they are full. How to develop a practice is an art just as much as massage. It requires some close … Continue reading Practice Punts