Current Events > I'm a massage therapist ask me anything

(+) Yeah! (+)

Hmm

White or wheat bread?

Turbam posted...

White or wheat bread?

White

Do you like me

Is it awkward when people are talking about their feelings and get to a really emotional subject but their voice cracks because you just massaged a good knot out?

What's your biggest tip?

OldNastyBastard posted...

Is it awkward when people are talking about their feelings and get to a really emotional subject but their voice cracks because you just massaged a good knot out?

People don't really talk during their sessions

VeggetaX posted...

What's your biggest tip?

Haven't gotten any yet

do massages actually do anything? or is it just to feel good for a bit

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I haven't learned how to use them yet so I'm unsure.

Dungeater posted...

do massages actually do anything? or is it just to feel good for a bit

They can help but also you have to be realistic about what you expect from them. If you sit in a hunched over position for your job for 40 hours a week and all of a sudden your neck and back hurt will a 1 hour session really FIX it? Obviously not. But if you work towards correcting your posture, getting movement in throughout the day, and supplement that with massage it can really facilitate feeling better in your own body for long term results. I like how some of my instructors put it: a massage helps create space for your own body to do the healing.

There are certain pathologies that can be alleviated by soft tissue manipulation depending on how they are presented (eg thoracic outlet syndrome, piriformis syndrome). But generally if you want a massage therapist to "fix" you it isn't going to happen.

What are your political views?

Any awkward situations from a customer?

What is a massage therapist? Do you help your clients with their mental health as you place hot stones all over their body?

Scintillant posted...

People don't really talk during their sessions

Sounds like you're slacking on the therapist part of your job...

Do you have super strong hands? I have weak baby hands and after like 5 minutes of giving a massage to someone, it just turns into the same intensity that id pet my cat

Has Desean Watson shown up yet?

UnfairRepresent posted...

What are your political views?

i'm a strong proponent of the lgbtq agenda

CARRRNE_ASADA posted...

Any awkward situations from a customer?

old people don't care if you see them naked but nothing where people have been trying to push boundaries EXPLICITLY. I've had some odd comments here and there but it may have just been me reading into them.

Ivynn posted...

What is a massage therapist? Do you help your clients with their mental health as you place hot stones all over their body?

no, it's just the body work. massage is becoming a more recognized form of health care and (in the united states, at least) it's just the terminology here to differentiate between "masseuse" which has a sexual connotation.

Jiek_Fafn posted...

Do you have super strong hands? I have weak baby hands and after like 5 minutes of giving a massage to someone, it just turns into the same intensity that id pet my cat

I guess they're fine but most of the massage should be done from moving your own body rather than moving your hands themselves. stacking joints, using your legs to create motion, maintaining good posture are some of the body mechanics massage therapists employ to give good sessions but also protect their own bodies from fatigue, burnout, and injury

The-Apostle posted...

Has Desean Watson shown up yet?

no

Do you give massages?

Has anyone ever asked for a happy ending?

I'll stop being an ass, sorry.

Do you have a preference on giving chair or table massages? Are there any things you wish your clients would tell you that could make your job easier?

How much a session?

Are thai massage businesses actually massage clinics?

What's the airspeed velocity of an unladened swallow?

How many times have you been asked about happy endings?

https://youtu.be/YHFE6WZK71s?si=4Xsm6pLS7gEBtDb2

Has anyone had a particularly distinct texture to their skin in your experience?

Only thing I can come up with.

Does Justin Tucker at least tip well?

DrizztLink posted...

Do you give massages?

yup

lcampoy posted...

Has anyone ever asked for a happy ending?

nope

OldNastyBastard posted...

I'll stop being an ass, sorry.

Do you have a preference on giving chair or table massages? Are there any things you wish your clients would tell you that could make your job easier?

i prefer table just because i have more experience with it. As far as what clients would tell me... probably during the session if there's any changes they want. I try to not ask because it can disrupt the session but sometimes on feedback cards I'll get "i wish you spent more time here" or "i wish there were more/less pressure/lotion/etc". I try to incorporate something of a question during my session "hey before I move on should I spend more time anywhere?" or "hey is everything feeling good now? if you want any changes let me know" to try to put the ball in their court I guess. I'm not a mind reader and everyone is different even in their own bodies. The pressure that you enjoy on your back is probably different to what you enjoy on your legs, for example.

McmadnessV3 posted...

How much a session?

At the place where I work an hour is about $100

DodogamaRayBrst posted...

Are thai massage businesses actually massage clinics?

Not sure. Thai massage (as far as I'm aware, I haven't been trained in it) is best described as paired yoga - on the floor and usually clothed? I'm not entirely sure if that's accurate. Some modalities that are associated with massage (such as reflexology which is a feet thing) don't actually require a massage therapy license to practice. Most massage clinics usually have a menu of modalities available.

Tom_Joad posted...

What's the airspeed velocity of an unladened swallow?

not sure

Are a man or a woman and does this have any bearing on what clients you get?

jefffan posted...

How many times have you been asked about happy endings?

from clients never from my idiot friends a lot

TheShadowViper posted...

Has anyone had a particularly distinct texture to their skin in your experience?

Only thing I can come up with.

hmm none that i can recall

Complete_Idi0t posted...

Does Justin Tucker at least tip well?

who

McmadnessV3 posted...

Are a man or a woman and does this have any bearing on what clients you get?

i'm a man and i'm not sure, personally. i know and understand the reason people would prefer a female therapist but all the places i've worked have booking systems that have my gender known so no one is surprised when they show up. i don't know what i could have missed for being a guy but I do know it's something that occurs in the industry. So to put it more succinctly it hasn't impacted my ability to work so far

I'm curious about Justin Tucker as well.

jefffan posted...

How many times have you been asked about happy endings?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lyrrbcl328

Happy ending, happy ending, HAPPY ENDING!!!

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I've heard good things about rebel massage on YouTube but I've not watched their content

My wife is a non working licensed massage therapist so I wanted to help expand on some of the answers.

OldNastyBastard posted...

Is it awkward when people are talking about their feelings and get to a really emotional subject but their voice cracks because you just massaged a good knot out?

I know you're probably making a joke regarding the two words massage and therapist but there is a thing called an emotional release. Stress is stored in the body and many believe trauma is as well. There have been several times my wife has hit a particular spot in the body and it's caused someone to have an emotional response. Full on crying and accepting some sort of some trauma like sexual abuse that happened to them in the past. It's a really strange phenomenon.

Ivynn posted...

What is a massage therapist? Do you help your clients with their mental health as you place hot stones all over their body?

The term massage therapist is a protected job title in many states to separate the job from masseuse which as TC explained has a sexual connotation. In my state, a massage therapist is someone who is licensed and certified through the board of nursing. There is a lot of knowledge overlap between nurses and massage therapists.

Jiek_Fafn posted...

Do you have super strong hands? I have weak baby hands and after like 5 minutes of giving a massage to someone, it just turns into the same intensity that id pet my cat

You have to be in shape to be an MT. It works your entire body. When my wife was doing her MT schooling, she had to eat healthier and get in shape.

Scintillant posted...

Thai massage (as far as I'm aware, I haven't been trained in it) is best described as paired yoga - on the floor and usually clothed? I'm not entirely sure if that's accurate.

From what I know and have experienced, thai massage is an actual style that focuses on stretching and bending your body a lot during the massage. When we got one, we were on tables with sheets like any other massage. The poster asking you that might have been referring to those seedy businesses though.

McmadnessV3 posted...

Are a man or a woman and does this have any bearing on what clients you get?

Yes and no. Some people prefer a specific gender and others don't care. It's not uncommon for a woman with a history of SA to request a female MT for the sake of comfort.

Dungeater posted...

do massages actually do anything? or is it just to feel good for a bit

They do help alleviate lingering pain. Muscles can become tight and locked up for a variety of reasons like lack of movement, posture, injury, etc. These muscles can cause pain either at their location or cause referred pain. This is where you'll feel pain in your wrist for example but the cause is actually from a muscle behind the elbow cause all of these muscles are connected.

The "feel good for a bit" massages you're probably referring to are swedish massages which imo is more pampering and surface than anything. Deep tissue is where the real work is to correct muscle pain. Still at the end of the day, TC is correct in that if you don't change whatever habit caused the pain in the first place, you'll find yourself back in that pain soon enough.

BlazinBlue88 posted...

I know you're probably making a joke regarding the two words massage and therapist but there is a thing called an emotional release. Stress is stored in the body and many believe trauma is as well. There have been several times my wife has hit a particular spot in the body and it's caused someone to have an emotional response. Full on crying and accepting some sort of some trauma like sexual abuse that happened to them in the past. It's a really strange phenomenon.

I was being facetious for sure but I appreciate the extended explanation. We have a massage therapist come into the office once or twice a month and she does chair massages. Now I'm a bit nervous she's gonna hit a spot and all my childhood trauma is going to come flooding back and I'll have a nervous breakdown at work.

They do help though. I've never been fit but I always get the urge to stretch and be more active after I get a massage.

OldNastyBastard posted...

I was being facetious for sure but I appreciate the extended explanation. We have a massage therapist come into the office once or twice a month and she does chair massages. Now I'm a bit nervous she's gonna hit a spot and all my childhood trauma is going to come flooding back and I'll have a nervous breakdown at work.

They do help though. I've never been fit but I always get the urge to stretch and be more active after I get a massage.

No breakdown. Just a good cry. Lol
Actually my wife has produced one in me before while massaging. I don't really have any trauma to speak of. I was just overcome with emotion and tears started flowing. It didn't jog any memory in me though. I was more confused than anything.

Without looking it up, what is the capital of Delaware?

Orange_Ninja posted...

Without looking it up, what is the capital of Delaware?

no clue

how often do you get people who shittalk your job

anttttt posted...

how often do you get people who shittalk your job

I don't really have friends or go out or talk about myself so not often

evening bump (last one ever)

Do you think you could be the first to break into the market of massage therapist therapy, where you also get a degree in psychology and do therapy massage therapy sessions

Despised posted...

Do you think you could be the first to break into the market of massage therapist therapy, where you also get a degree in psychology and do therapy massage therapy sessions

I think it's a very odd ethical boundary to cross. If you think about it both positions require vulnerability of the client (either through their words or their state of undress) and being in a position of power over someone's mental and physical state at the same time seems a bit much. I can see why people could want them together but personally I would not consider it as a practitioner or as a patient.

Do you have a plan to sell high quality bed linens to Florida retirement homes?

BewmHedshot posted...

Do you have a plan to sell high quality bed linens to Florida retirement homes?

nope

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

If it's something that helps you then yes. Which I know is kind of a non-answer but to be more specific is that one of the biggest benefits (in my opinion) to getting a massage is stress reduction. Stress can exacerbate or even be the cause of a lot of illness in the human body so if massage helps manage it then of course. But if getting touched by other people makes you more uncomfortable than not then I would avoid it. I try not to oversell it.

Other things like range of motion issues, chronic pain, certain pathologies that involve muscles compressing on nerves can also be alleviated by massage, but as I mentioned in previous answers, the client also has to put in the work. It can be a great facilitator and supplement to wellness but it is not a cure for anything & not a replacement for medical care. Primary care should be consulted if there's any health concerns.

Bump

Tom_Joad posted...

What's the airspeed velocity of an unladened swallow?

What do you mean? An African or European swallow?

trentpac posted...

What do you mean? An African or European swallow?

What? I don't know that!

Waaaaaarrrrrgh!!!!