How to Find a Great Massage Therapist
You’re not alone. Many people are unsure of the best way to find a great massage therapist, that won’t make them feel like they spent their time and money on a less-than-satisfying massage. If you are looking to get rid of your low-back pain, your carpal tunnel syndrome, or your frozen shoulder I have good news, almost any truly good therapist can help you with these complaints.
An experienced masseuse knows that the spine is where all health emanates from. The two main branches off of that spine are your shoulders and your hips. A “good” masseuse will massage that area of discomfort until they feel some release of tension, but not necessarily integrate that area with other parts of the body. But an experienced body worker will look at the whole body and realize where the main patterns of tension are and have some kind of strategy that will vary from client to client.
Are you coming in because you have a lot of stress or anxiety? Believe me, your masseuse has seen this before, and if they’re experienced, they know how to “ground” you and bring that tension level back to Earth instead of the stratosphere. The level of anxiety disorders, be it social anxiety, generalized anxiety, or situation specific anxiety has gone way up. I always try to make my clients feel as comfortable as possible, letting them know that they are in a safe place where they can relinquish control. They can lay down their armor for the length of the massage, knowing that an experienced professional has their back, or nervous system, or . . . well, it’s all connected!
Ashiatsu massage is a special kind of deep tissue massage. The massage therapist mostly uses his or her feet to massage. I’ve found this to be an amazing tool to help me work on clients’ shoulders and hips! I do have professional training using the original founder’s method. It’s okay to ask your body worker what kind of training they have and where they received it from.
That said, many people love the idea of someone “walking on” their back. I can’t tell you the number of people who have told me that they used to get their kids, wife, etc. to walk on their back. The difference between me and your kids is that you never asked your kids “When are you going to start using your feet?” when they already have.
A personal recommendation is the way to find a great bodyworker. I say use this phrase “body worker” because there are so many different types of methods that people have found to help their fellow humans release tension. Some are more spiritually based, some involve mainly stretching, others hot stones, it really is endless. This word describes anyone who works with the body through touch.
The main problem with finding a great massage therapist online is that they don’t always know how to market themselves! This may not be the best article I’ve written, but I believe that the key to finding a great massage therapist is in the words that I’ve used, at least that’s what my marketing people tell me! I hope to see you soon.
