What do you want from a massage?
Massage therapy has been around for thousands of years. Probably since humans discovered it felt good to have someone rub their sore shoulders. It’s thought the term ‘massage’ originates from the Greek word massein, meaning “to knead”. Not every massage you’ve had in the past has met your expectations. How then do you choose a massage that meets your needs?
Know your objectives.
What are you looking to achieve from your treatment? Is it
- pain relief in a particular region of your body?
- treatment for a medical condition such as “Tennis elbow” or “carpal tunnel”?
- Or are you just wanting to relax and feel good?
The different modalities of massage aim to achieve different results and outcomes. If you have have been to a few different massage therapists, you would have realised different therapists are trained in any number of modalities. They also specialise in different techniques.
If you are a sports person you may be interested in seeing someone who is trained in dealing with injuries or reducing recovery times so you can improve your performance. On the other hand, you may be living through particularly stressful times and would like some general tension relief.
Learn about the different modalities available
When people call here for the first time looking for a massage I often ask them what they are looking for. The terms they most often use are:
| Remedial Massage: | literally, a massage that affects, or moves towards, a remedy |
| Sports Massage: | Massage that helps achieve particular objectives in line with sports. This may be a pre-even stimulating massage or a post event massage to normalise the body tissues . It may be a restorative massage given during training to allow harder training with less injury. Then there is rehabilitation massage, which is aimed at alleviating pain from injury. |
| Deep Tissue: | Actually, this is a popular term but there is no such thing as “deep tissue”. Usually, those seeking “deep tissue” massage are looking for something they can feel, as opposed to a soft fluffy massage. |
| Relaxation: | This is often what is described as Swedish massage. Basically it is a whole body rub using oils, which may or may not contain fragrant essential oils. Ultimately, all massages are relaxing. |
| Pain Relief: | This massage describes the objective of getting some relief from pain. Pain relief can be achieved using many different methods and styles of massage. |
All are massage. I may use several different techniques and technologies in the performance of these massaged so as to achieve our mutually agreed upon goals.
How much does it cost?
I can remember, in another life, looking for relief for tight shoulders while I was studying at Uni. As I rang around looking for a massage my first question was always “How much do you charge?”. While ‘costs’ are important, it shouldn’t be the first question. You get what you pay for. Don’t fall into the trap of selecting a massage provider only because they are the cheapest. They may not be qualified and may not belong to a governing association. That may leave you unprotected.
If an hour’s massage is out of your budget then ask to make it shorter. Discuss your objectives with our therapist to settle on mutually agreeable objectives that are affordable to you.
When was your last massage?
