Wednesday 28 December 2011

How To Make Your Massage Clients Relax Fast

In order to give a great massage, it's imperative to help your clients relax as soon as possible. I've found that over the years of my practice, these techniques done in a certain order are very efficient and extremely effective in getting your massage clients to relax fast. Helping to guide your clients into relaxation quickly will enhance their massage experience and make your job much easier in the long run. If you perfect these techniques, your massage clients will know that when they come to you, they can count on you to take them away and to a better place fast! There are a few key points you want to implement and you'll find that if you do them in this order, things will run very smoothly and get you the results much quicker than if you don't.

1. Put them in the comfort zone. Whether your client is a first timer or a regular, always greet them and ask them what are their specific needs today. Do they need pain relief, to relax or a little of both? Tell them that you are going to give them a great massage or that you're going to take great care of them. Confidence helps to put clients at ease because you are telling them that their needs are going to be taken care of so they can stop worrying about it.

2. After you've discovered their treatment needs, ask them how much time they'd like for you to spend on those areas and then do it. In fact, work on those areas first so they know they've been taken care of. Working on the areas of interest first puts them in relaxation mode fast because they don't have to wonder or worry about when you're going to get to it. I can't tell you how many clients have complained to me about other therapist just doing a routine. Every massage client is unique and so should be their treatment.

3. Use visual words/cues to help them relax. I personally never ask my clients to "Relax". Asking someone on your massage table to relax can come across as a little condescending. Instead, I prefer to use words they can see. When I'm moving an arm or a leg around, sometimes they have trouble letting me. They want to help or they may be unaware of the holding pattern. When they are holding something tight, I will ask them to let that area to be soft. If that doesn't work, I'll gently shake it out, and this time I'll ask them to be soft and fluid. This usually works but if they need a little extra help, I'll throw in some humor. You can say something like "Hey you're on vacation, let me do all the work!" or "I appreciate the help but you're on break right now!" Come up with your own line but be careful not to insult your client while they're on the massage table. Sometimes a little light and tasteful humor is all that's needed to help your clients to laugh and let go!

Remember that your clients are coming to you for assistance with pain or stress and its our job as massage therapists to guide them and get them where they need to go. Try practicing all these techniques in this order and you should find your massage practice to be more enjoyable for you and your clients.

Friday 23 December 2011

Tips For Choosing A Massage Therapist In Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio is one of the best places to stay in America today. It has been fondly called "The Biggest Small Town in America." Its perfect mix of urban, suburban and rural elements makes Columbus a very attractive place for people to live and to do business in. This city is a confluence of many different cultures, thus many different therapeutic practices are available for you. In Columbus, choosing a masseuse based on your preferences is a very easy task; you just need to be able to discern the different kinds of massage and ensure that the massage therapist you choose is qualified to perform them.

The only thing that you really have to check for any massage therapist is that they have a license from the State Medical Board. Other certification from training and for the massage that they are specializing in is also a plus. Referrals from other massage enthusiasts and from the city’s health offices are also an integral part of your search process. Good massage therapists generally have good feedback readily available, so check online in places such as Google Places or Yelp for reviews from past customers.

Here are some of the common types of massage available in Columbus, Ohio and nationwide:

Swedish Massage

Swedish massage or classic massage is the most common kind of massage available. Swedish massage reduces pain, and may be able to relieve joint stiffness. Swedish massage is actually just simple hand movement and kneading.

Deep Tissue Massage

Unlike Swedish massage, deep tissue massage is aimed at the deeper structures of your muscle tissue and fascia (connective tissue). Deep tissue massage is more intense than Swedish and may actually cause you to be sore the next day. This type of massage can help relieve muscle knots and deep tension.

Sports Massage

Sports massage is any massage taken after an athletic activity to relieve any pain by stimulating the body’s production of endorphins, the natural pain killer. It can also be used to enhance warm-up and cool-down activities before exercise to ensure that you will not have any torn ligaments or muscles.

Hot Stone Massage

Hot stone massages makes use of heated round basalt stones placed above key points in the body to relax the muscles. While the hot stones produce an effect similar to the massage itself, adding reflexology or shiatsu massages will double the effect.

Reflexology

Reflexology is the use of massages to certain zones or regions in a person’s foot or palm to relieve the tension in another part of the body. It is commonly coupled with oils and aroma therapy to soothe the target body part. Reflexology derives its theory from the Eastern medical notion of meridians and qi, which basically states that the reflexologist redirects the flow of energy within the body to provide healing.

Qualified massage therapists may use any combination of the above techniques when performing massage therapy services. For example, you may be needing sports massage on a particular day, or maybe even some hydro therapy (hot and cold treatment) for a flare up of tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome. With the right massage therapist in Columbus, Ohio, the possibilities are endless!