We've all had them. You leave the treatment room feeling like you're on cloud 9 without a care in the world. And others leave you thinking "what just happened...". I get asked frequently if I get massages, which the answer is yes of course. I love being able to help people the way that we can, so I need to take care of myself. Like many others, I have had some amazing treatments, and others that weren't as enjoyable. To switch it up, I wanted to share the stories with you.
A few years ago, I was travelling down South with my family. At the resort they had a spa that offered massage services. It intrigued me as there were no regulations for massage in the country. So out of curiosity I booked an appointment for a deep tissue massage to compare techniques. I was given a small health history to fill out before my appointment. It wasn't as detailed, but I was happy to see that they had one. I was then led to the room and told to get on the table (with no discussion of treatment goals or areas to be treated). It wasn't what I was used to, but again I was there for the experience. I got on the table and the treatment began. The practitioner used very deep and rapid strokes over my back and legs without properly warming them up. Working over bones in my shoulder and stretching my limbs by quickly releasing and bouncing (also known as ballistic stretching). The experience led me to feel sore for the remainder of the trip without feeling looser or relaxed.
The best massage I had was at a clinic in Ottawa with one of my colleagues. I was feeling quite stiff and generally stressed, so I was very happy that I had the appointment. I told the therapist I was wanting to relax while helping to reduce tension in my upper back and legs. We then discussed and agreed on the treatment before they left. During the treatment, when the pressure was becoming uncomfortable, I ask to ease up to which they were happy to oblige. After the treatment was over, I felt amazing! my upper back and legs were moving easier and I felt very relaxed. Overall it was a great experience.
The purpose of sharing these stories is to highlight the importance of communication. In the later story, I felt safe during the treatment which allowed me to speak up when I was uncomfortable so that we could adjust the techniques. That is what I'm hoping to portray to my clients - to provide a professional and trusting environment. So that you feel comfortable with the treatment and comfortable having a discussion if things need to change.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and I hope you have great day!
Comments