{"id":35355,"date":"2015-10-26T16:23:14","date_gmt":"2015-10-26T20:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.massagebook.com\/marketing\/?p=35355"},"modified":"2016-03-28T11:59:29","modified_gmt":"2016-03-28T16:59:29","slug":"5-things-your-massage-therapist-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/massagebook.com\/massage-therapy\/5-things-your-massage-therapist-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things Your Massage Therapist Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every massage should be as different as the individual receiving it. While many experienced massage therapists are very good at discovering each body\u2019s unique set of muscular and physical issues, the quality of your massage is very much dependent on how well you inform your therapist of what\u2019s going on with your body.<\/p>\n

Massage therapists can achieve some amazing results with their toolbox of techniques, but if they\u2019re spending time figuring out what\u2019s going on, they won\u2019t have as much time to focus on addressing the actual issue(s).\u00a0 Here are some guidelines on what you should let your massage therapist know before and while they\u2019re working on you to ensure that you\u2019re getting the best massage possible:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n
    Tell your massage therapist about any past injuries <\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The first time you visit a massage therapist, you\u2019re going to have to fill out some paperwork about past injuries.\u00a0 Don\u2019t let it just be a first-time conversation however. If you feel an old injury flaring up (whether it needs extra attention or is extra sensitive or should be avoided), it\u2019s important to let your therapist know so he or she can help you feel better.<\/p>\n

    Injuries can create structural and muscular imbalances that can linger for years if not addressed. Cluing your massage therapist into these can help them in understanding where they need to spend their time to get you back in balance.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n
      Communicate current pain points or problem areas<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Do you know what may be causing your pain? Anything goes! Maybe you have a soft mattress, pulled a muscle while moving, or are just sore from running in unsupportive shoes.<\/p>\n

      If you\u2019re taking any medicine, are pregnant, have skin conditions, have high blood pressure or other health issues, be certain to share these as well. In some instances, massage may not be a good idea, or certain areas or techniques should be avoided<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \n
        Talk about your lifestyle<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Your lifestyle is very important to talk about with your massage therapist. The more your therapist knows, the better he or she can help you. After all, lifestyle stressors are often the reason you\u2019re in their office in the first place. An informed therapist can make great recommendations on how you can stay pain-free (think: fixing your posture while working at your desk or showing you how to stretch chronically tight parts).<\/p>\n

        Some lifestyle questions they may ask:<\/em><\/p>\n

        How is your day-to-day stress level?<\/p>\n

        How often do you exercise?<\/p>\n

        Are you on your feet all day? Sitting at your desk for work?<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n
          Be a semi-active participant<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Your massage therapist uses your body\u2019s feedback to better understand and address what\u2019s going on, but they\u2019re not clairvoyant.\u00a0 Letting your therapist know that the pressure is too deep, to light, or that the area they\u2019re working on is a \u201chot spot\u201d ensures that your therapist can adjust their approach to result in th best possible massage for you. Help them help you!<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \n
            Communicate your feedback<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Sometimes clients do not return and therapists are left to guess as to why. Help remove the mystery by giving constructive feedback. Every massage therapy and bodywork professional wants to make you happy and leave you feeling amazing, but too often we hold back our constructive comments for fear the therapist will be offended.<\/p>\n

            Nothing is off-limits; talk about technique, the office, the temperature, the music, the service offering, etc. It\u2019s better to hear it from you than see a lousy review on the Internet. Keep it professional and kind and you\u2019ll most likely find an eager audience.<\/p>\n

            Many people feel that receiving massage is a one sided affair. While it can be, and many times is, you\u2019ll find that you\u2019ll receive a better massage that\u2019s custom tailored to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Every massage should be as different as the individual receiving it. While many experienced massage therapists are very good at discovering each body\u2019s unique set of muscular and physical issues, the quality of your massage is very much dependent on how well you inform your therapist of what\u2019s going on with your body. Massage therapists…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[72,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-healthy-living","description-off"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Things Your Massage Therapist Should Know - Massage Therapy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What to tell your massage therapist before and while they\u2019re working on you to ensure that you\u2019re getting the best massage possible\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Things Your Massage Therapist Should Know - Massage Therapy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What to tell your massage therapist before and while they\u2019re working on you to ensure that you\u2019re getting the best massage possible\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/massagebook.wpengine.com\/5-things-your-massage-therapist-should-know\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Massage Therapy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MassageBook\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-10-26T20:23:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-03-28T16:59:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/massagebook.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/5-Things-to-Discuss-withyour-Massage-Therapist-2.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"627\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark Volkmann\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@massagebook\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@massagebook\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mark Volkmann\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/massagebook.wpengine.com\/5-things-your-massage-therapist-should-know\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/massagebook.wpengine.com\/5-things-your-massage-therapist-should-know\/\",\"name\":\"5 Things Your Massage Therapist Should Know - 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