Tag Archives: finding a massage therapist

Top Massage Companies

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Many massage clients, and perhaps massage therapists,  often search the Web in quest of finding  the best massage companies. In both cases the quest is futile because there are no best massage companies. Why? because massage is a one on one endeavor. 

For example, after signing up for a health plan most people want to select their own doctor. They don’t want the assigned one. Pick one that you feel comfortable with, that you  trust, that you can work with, one that’s competent.

When your enrolled with a massage chain they give you a therapist, you did not select. In  big massage chain operations you end up having to pay for the whole operations, the owner,the staff, the facility, and the therapist. In these times, there is just not enough money to go around. The therapist is unhappy and cannot give you their best effort. They are often newcomers  to the profession, underpaid and overworked. Those same therapists are googling, searching the  Web, also, to find “top massage companies” because they are looking for a better place to work. Ah, we have come full circle.

 

 

Massage for Cancer Patients?

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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

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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!

 

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

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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.

 

How to find a good massage therapist

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Don’t be lazy. The effort you put into finding a good massage therapist will well be worth your time. Now think do I want to go to the big chain or find an independent?

For example, when you do a web search, to locate a therapist, don’t just read the first page or so listings. Dig deeper. Find a therapist who has his own web site, maybe he or she has a blog. This person is really interested in their profession, so much so they take time to explain it to the lay public. If they are a independent therapist with years of experience they can provide you with the kind of massage that rises above the mediocrity of the big massage chains. This is especially true if you want therapy vs just relaxation work.The skill level is different.

The experienced independent, just by virtue of there longevity, you can infer, has survived in a highly competitive market without the advantages of big advertising dollars. That means there work speaks for itself.

When I graduated the average therapist lasted 3 years. Now days it’s less. We do it largely by referrals, so ask your friends who they see. But don’t stop there your work has just begun.

Do your want a male or female therapist? Let me answer for you, because the answer to that question is well known in the massage community. You feel more comfortable with a female. Over 85% of the Masseurs are that gender. So the men who survive in this profession are among the best. They have to be. Interestingly, when you poll massage recipients who receive massage regularly they express no preference in the therapists gender. They just want the best massage. 

Top performing companies and massage therapy

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Successful companies like Google don’t get that way by accident. Even in these difficult times, the company thrives. Why? They think outside of the box. They throw  most  conventional thinking out the window. They always ask how they can improve what they are doing.  Of course, unlike most companies, their employees are highly motivated and very creative. Fortune magazine ranked them as the number 1 company to work for. It was no surprise to hear that all their employees can receive massage as a job benefit, right at their  facilities.

 Google’s Massage therapists are treated with the kind of respect not often afforded in the “real” world, working no more than 12 hours a week. Contrast  that with Massage Envy’s sweatshop- like conditions and meager wages that take advantage of under-trained and undereducated recent “graduates”. I bring this up because Massage Envy does a lot of the “massage” business  but they don’t really provide  much steak, just the sizzle. So, it is not really massage you receive and, therefore, it is more a luxury then a real benefit to your health. Don’t take my word for it…….here is what others think! The Massage Envy ?  or this spa site.

 At Google, the therapists are well trained and represent what massage is really all about. Does the company you work for provide massage for employees?  No? Well maybe they ought to think about it, think outside the box!