Hey, it’s the time of year most massage therapists try to take a few days off, before the deluge of Christmas gift certificates and post-holiday injuries start piling up on the books. I like to practice something with therapist employees and therapist friends. It’s something that shouldn’t be so rare but we often forget to […]
Massage Opportunities and Life Learning Massage therapists have an excellent opportunity not only to meet extraordinary people but also to learn from them. I have met many, and they have taught me many things. After 20 years in massage therapy, many of my wounds have healed through touch, and I have tried my best to […]
Sometimes the best relief on a massage table is nice, firm Swedish efleurage. And with some clients, a quip is the best way to break the tension. This is my homage to Mad Magazine’s Snappy Answers to – Massage — Questions… Question: Been doing massage long? Snappy Answers: You’re my first. Ever since the parole […]
When I was new to doing massage therapy, I had a habit of getting lost. Lost in the neck, lost on the back, lost in the space-time continuum. I’d glance up at my clock and see that I had spent 40 minutes massaging the back and I had 20 minutes to do the rest of […]
Got Magnesium? Turns out that might be a great slogan for massage therapists – if they look both ways and proceed with caution. Magnesium as a topical aid, and along with ingested and intravenous magnesium, has been used for a very long time in the treatment of muscular cramps and spasms. Magnesium is the other […]
Sometimes a client just appears looking for a massage. Literally a walk-in. What can a therapist do to turn a lookie-loo into a booking? These potential clients may be trying to size up you and your spa. Offer a quick tour. If they like you and your spa, but are reluctant to make an appointment, […]
People who give massages hopefully like receiving massages. I know I do. When my therapist friends are out of town or otherwise engaged, I have a few places I will slip into to try their hands. I found one therapist purely by chance who really knows how to do meridian and nerve-based massages, something my […]
There is a time in every massage when the therapist begins to rub the posterior neck. For many of our computer-burdened clients, it presents an opportunity to relieve the congestion of technology. The head is supported by these many muscles, embedded with many layers, often adhesed, and near the source of many functions from sleep […]
Here’s my shortlist for what a good massage therapist needs to know: Talk to the client first, not during a session. Get enough information to know what the client seeks, whether they want a complete massage or spot work, and if they have medical conditions that should not be massaged. This communication takes only a […]
On a massage therapist’s first day at work, the training starts with how to say hello to a client. Easy? Oh heavens. I have had massage trainees stare at the floor. Roll eyes in a complete circle looking everywhere but at the client. Worst, a brief nanosecond of eye contact followed by staring over the […]