Tag Archives: first time massage

My hands hurt after I give a massage

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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

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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.

 

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. 

My first massage, I have a few questions…

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I know that there are many people out there who would like to try massage, but they are just not sure about what to expect that first time. Maybe,  I can provide a few answers to those unspoken massage questions.

Do I have to strip down completely naked? Well, no, the golden rule for massage therapists to follow is to create a safe, friendly environment for their clients. I will massage you fully clothed, if you like; that has happened several times over my career and it’s not a problem. Many folks want to wear underwear, some like to go bare. Along those lines, trained therapists always “drape” their clients, so that the only areas exposed  are the ones being worked on. This protects your modesty, as well as keeping you comfortably warm. When it is time for you to disrobe, your therapist will leave the room, and will knock on the door before re-entering.

Am I supposed to tip? Generally, it is up to you. If your therapist did a great job and you feel wonderful and would like to tip, go ahead. When you’re  at a medical office and receiving massage for an injury or condition, usually no tip is anticipated.  If you go to one of those Massage Envious- type places where the therapists are new, under-trained, overworked and underpaid, you may feel a subtle pressure to tip whoever provided your rub. That kind of defeats the purpose of getting a  low price, discounted massage, right?

What about talking to the therapist while he or she is working? Before the massage is a good time to talk. Tell your therapist of any health conditions you have. Also, ask any questions regarding concerns about the massage. After the massage begins you can talk or remain silent, whatever is more relaxing for you. Talking may help dissipate any nervousness you might be feeling. If you’re feeling any pain during your massage session, you must speak up and inform your therapist so that he or she can make pressure adjustments. Don’t worry about offending the therapist. Good therapists always want feedback so they can improve their massage skills.

I will add more ?’s to the list, shortly. In the meantime, if you have a burning massage question, hopefully, I’ll provide a good answer. Sincerely, Abe Alpert CMT

What massage question do you have?

Passion for Massage

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To really be good at something, anything really, requires a level of excitement, enthusiasm, in a word, passion. Without passion, your work, though acceptable, will never demonstrate excellence.  I had a crazy drive to become a Massage Therapist. Massage itself was not my passion,  it was the desire to help people heal:  massage became the vehicle to achieve that goal.

Of course,  18 year ago, when I began my career, the profession was much misunderstood,  many viewed massage as fluff, a luxury for the wealthy,  a palliative, or, at worst, a cover for prostitution. Today, the profession has advanced and made some inroads.  People are beginning to hear good things about the benefits of this old healing practice. At the same time, the popularity that many of us massage pioneers helped create is being lost in a flood of new under- trained, under- qualified recruits who through no fault of their own cannot meet the higher expectations of today’s informed client. The pressure to make big money has led to a decline in the quality of service provided. Substance and performance have given way to slick promos and empty promises.

Massage is more than what meets the eye. For Instance, each human body has it’s own unique topography. Each person has a quality of depth, composition, and complexity which is like  no other, and presents a different challenge.  Nowadays, the average massage therapist delivers a massage much the same way a house painter applies a coat of paint, uniformly, superficially, and repetitively, with no regard to the unique qualities of the individual. Witness the birth of “fast food” massage.

Select a Massage Therapist in Rancho Cucamonga using the Yellow Pages?

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Using the Yellow Pages to find a Therapist is probably not the best way to go, the reason being you don’t really know what your getting. The best place to start is with family and friends. They, at least can tell you about the experience they had with Massage.  Many of my clients have known me for years. They could probably tell you more about me than I could. It kind of feels like family, like a friend

Another good place to look would be medical offices. Chiropractors, especially often retain Therapists who know a bit more than the average about the human body and how it works. At minimum, they at least know when a Massage is the wrong thing to do. My background, before I attended Massage School, was in Physical Therapy. I was interested in helping people with real health issues, Accidents, Injuries, and otherwise serious conditions.  I then was inclined to work in Chiropractic offices.

In the city of Rancho Cucamonga,  where I work, the Therapist must have a minimum of 500 hours training. We are also required to carry insurance.