Category Archives: Massage tips

Massage for Cancer Patients?

Posted on by
Reply

The prospect of having cancer is not a pleasant one. Our standard treatments while offering some hope for recovery  seemingly have a long way to go. The war on cancer started back in the 60′s when Richard Nixon was our president. Progress has been slow.

While we wait for the cure to work many cancer patients seek relief from all the stresses associated with being sick. Many have turned to massage for some help.

Some are concerned still that perhaps getting a massage will spread their cancer.  If you do a extensive web search, as I have, you will find not much reason for concern. It’s okay to get massage.

However, there are good guidelines to follow. One thing, deep tissue massage, indeed all heavy techniques should be avoided, not so much because it would spread the cancer, but that the person is already quite ill, debilitated, and just handle that much pressure. It what cause distress and more tissue damage. Like throwing gasoline over a fire,  It could be dangerous.  As such, all techniques must be gentle and encourage proper lymph flow. Also, areas receiving radiation must not be massaged, same applies to surgical incisions. 

Finally, It’s always a good idea to ask your doctor.

 

Nobody is perfect… On being hurt

Posted on by
Reply

One question no one ever asks when looking for a medical massage therapist. “Have you ever been seriously hurt yourself?”. It’s a great question and should be asked often. Who better to help you recover than someone experienced in all the obstacles to getting better.

As a young man, I felt invincible, and that any activity could be accomplished without consequence, but that turned out not to be true. At one point, through work exhaustion combined with a basketball injury to my back, I got laid out, big time. Standing upright was not possible; my right thigh spasmed severely. Because of stabbing low back pains, sitting  down was not possible, not even to go to the bathroom. Laying down helpless the thigh spasms would come and stay, locking me up so mercilessly that my whole body would shake and break out in a cold sweat. The pain was so intense I felt that I could pass out. I prayed to pass out!

Well, I ended up in a nursing home wearing a diaper. I will spare you all the indignities suffered during my stay.

Eventually, I recovered, fully. Although my Physical Therapist told me that I would not be able to play basketball again, I struggled for a different outcome. That prognosis turned out not to be true. Now, I still play at age 53. 

So when you tell me your story, you can bet I can relate at least to what your going through,           maybe even help you get back to health!

 

My hands hurt after I give a massage

Posted on by
Reply

How to give a massage without having to need one by the time you finish.

Over the years my clients often tell me….”You must have very strong hands how can you give so many massages and not get tired or injured.” When I give my ………………..a massage my hands always hurt!”If you can relate, don’t feel bad. Even professional therapists have this problem.

In my line of work, now days, therapists last about 1 1/2 years. Not good news. One big reason why is injury. So my advice applies to both the beginner, novice, and to those providing massage for a living.

Lets use a typical massage situation. “Honey, can you rub my shoulders?”

Okay, 1) Before you start massaging lets get warmed up up. Relax your arms, let them dangle comfortably at your side, making sure that your shoulders are not elevated( drawn up by your ears). Now shake your hands vigorously. This loosens your shoulders, arms, all the way down to your fingers. Repeat a few times. Take a deep breath and now stretch your fingers apart wide. Give another shake or two and we are ready to begin the massage

2) align hands with your forearms. In other words keep your wrists straight. If you massage with wrists bent your asking for trouble. It’s kinda of like watering your lawn with a hose that is kinked, the water just can’t get through. To accomplish this you may have to bring your body higher or lower in relation to the shoulders (person) you are massaging.

3) Now place your hands along that muscle on the top part of the shoulder. That muscle is called the Trap muscle. Many people make the mistake of trying to pinch that muscle between the tips of their thumbs and fingers. Instead, allow your hand/fingers to conform to the shape of the muscle, with as much surface to surface contact as possible. Instead of pinching, try rolling the muscle between the fingers and thumb, even lifting the muscle up a bit away from the shoulder.

4) Don’t go at it to long. Build up slowly over time. Just a few minutes. Stop before you feel fatigue.

5) Learn different techniques, learn to use other parts of your anatomy to deliver that massage.

 

How not to get hurt massaging your hubby or significant other

Posted on by
Reply

Ladies, so your new to massage. Maybe you learned massage from a book or some video on U tube.  That’s cool. Good for you, and good for hubby. Now I want you both to enjoy the experience. I want nobody to get hurt. That defeats the whole purpose, yes?

Okay, do you have a massage table? If this is going to be a regular event in your your home you may want to shell out a few bucks for a decent table. Let’s say you have a table. Most come with adjustable legs. So adjust the height. The rule of thumb is …..with u standing next to the table with your arms comfortably extended and the knuckles of hands resting on the tables surface. That is you initial adjustment. Now if hubby is a little more “thick” or bit “thinner” than the average guy then you might want to adjust up or down a notch to make up the difference.

Now the more hunched over you are while delivering massage the more likely  you are to hurting your back, conversely, the more your work (hubby) is jammed up near your body the chance increases of injury to your shoulders and upper extremities, up to the hands and fingers.

As you are new to massaging, remember, take it easy on yourself and build up slowly. Perhaps, your session should be only a couple minutes or so every other day as you slowly build up the stamina, strength and dexterity to give more. If he complains wanting more time just go ahead and blame me. You know, even after 20 years plus my clients want more too, but to finish the race you gotta pace. If you suspect your loved one has a medical condition, by all means, see a doctor.

 

It’s better to receive than to give….Massage hurts

Posted on by
Reply

It just seems ironic to me that in a profession like massage therapy, one that brings clients so much relief from pain, even bliss, that so few consider what happens to it’s practitioners.

 Contrary to the old adage “It’s better to give….”, for massage, the opposite may be true. While most folks enjoy the effects of a great massage, how they feel afterwords and all the health benefits, not everyone comes out ahead.

Massage therapy as a profession has it’s limitations. For one, the therapists just don’t last all that long. Why? In part, injury. Something they don’t tell you about when your trying to decide if you want to become a massage therapist, before your shell out a ton of money to go to massage school. I’m trying to run down the numbers, but I’m hearing, the average length of “career” is about 18 months. 

To be sure some therapists have lasted longer. Case in point, myself. Maybe I was lucky. More likely, I was good at my work. By good, I mean, I had a passion for the work. So I learned and applied myself. Most importantly l used good body mechanics which allowed me to practice my trade longer.

 

Before you Massage Part 2- Look ma no hands…

Posted on by
Reply

One of the goals of massage is to help your client (recipient) to relax. That just won’t happen unless you are already relaxed. So then how to prepare? In a word ……Ritual. Teach yourself a series of actions that you repeat over and over again before   each and every massage. Here is one of my routines. 1. Clear my mind……what are you thinking about right now? Drop it. You are now a Tabla Rasla (Blank Tablet). I’m thinking about absolutely nothing. 2. How am I breathing….I actually monitor  my breath. How fast, how deep, how smoothly I inhale and exhale. Just be observing, my breath, those qualities improve. 3. Start up my CD player setting the volume near it’s lowest levels. 4. Check out the room, is it to warm, or too cool. What about the lighting? What are my clients preferences? 5. Greet my client giving them all of my attention. Asking about how they are doing, whats hurting. Guide them to the table giving all necessary instructions. Finally, asking if they have any questions? 6. Wash my hands and mentally asking myself whats my game plan for this massage.

What do you do to get ready?