Deb T Massage Therapist

Topic 7 in the series of “Things your Massage Therapist wants you to know”, is about the language we use. As Massage Therapists we have extensive training in anatomy and physiology and can sprout off all sorts of terminology such as TFL (Tensor Fasciae Latae is a hip flexor muscle), medial malleolus (the inside of your ankle bone), plantar fasciitis (tissue on the bottom of your foot is inflamed) and the list goes on and on and on. If we are talking jargon and you do not understand, please ask us what we mean. We can get a little carried away with all the terminology but if you have no understanding of what we are talking about it isn’t going to help you. Stop us and ask, what are you talking about. It is important for you to comprehend what we are talking about, so you know what is happening with your body.

Moving onto topic 6 in the series, we drape your body during the treatment with towels/sheets to maintain your privacy and comfort. There are a lot of muscles in our bodies, and we are trained on how to properly drape clients to protect not only your modesty but also ours. We tend to work on sections at a time, exposing the muscles we need to massage. However, if you are ever feel uncomfortable, please let us know as we can work through the drape. On the other side, you might feel comfortable with nudity, but we do not want to see it. We work with soft tissue, which is muscle, but we don’t need to see everything.

Moving onto the 5th topic of the “Thing your Massage Therapist wants you to know” series is that you have no obligation to talk to us during your massage. If talking helps you relax, then by all means go ahead. If not, go to your happy spot and enjoy your treatment.

Please don’t think you will offend your massage therapist if you ask not to talk during your treatment time. We get it. It is good to have time out where you do not have to think and you can just be in that space. No thinking, just be.

The 4th topic in the series of “Things your massage therapist wants you to know” is about arriving to your appointment fresh and clean for your massage. Smells such as perfume can become a little overwhelming for us as we work in such close proximity to you. Generally, we like to smell nice which perfumes allow. However, some perfumes can have a strong fragrance that can linger in our massage space. Some of our clients have allergies to perfume and it can be hard to air out our massage space quickly. Wait until after you leave and put your perfume on. This will also save you from wasting it as the massage oils/creams are more than likely wear it away during the massage.

We want every client to feel relaxed, comfortable and welcome during their treatment. To help create a pleasant experience for both our clients and therapists, we kindly ask that you arrive feeling fresh and clean for your appointment.

We understand that life can be busy, so we appreciate your consideration in helping us maintain a comfortable and enjoyable environment for everyone. We thank you for your kindness and understanding as it can be a tricky subject.

Continuing on with the series of “Things your Massage Therapist wants you to know”, the next topic is about the stubble on your legs. We really don’t mind.

The number of times we hear “I’m so sorry, I didn’t shave my legs” from females is more often than not. We do not care about the stubble on your legs. We really don’t mind and will not flip out about leg hair. We massage plenty of males and they have hair which can be rough and wiry, especially stubble on their faces but it doesn’t bother us. They do not apologise for the hair on their bodies.

I think the more importantly is to be reasonably clean. The bigger problem, at least for me, is things like sand when you have come straight from the beach and haven’t washed off the sand from your body, mostly legs and feet. This is rough on our hands and can become irritating while massaging.

Please arrive on time. When booking and arriving for your massage treatment, be concise of your treatment time. We run on a schedule, like all appointments, and when you run late you shouldn’t expect your therapist to run over their time. More often than not we have another client coming in right after you, so, it is unlikely that we will work on you past the scheduled appointment time.

Ensure you allow time to park your car (or walk or cycle) rather than racing in and being all stressed and bothered about being late. Time gets away from all of us and unexpected things can happen on your way, so if you are going to be late to your appointment, please give us call and let us know. This can allow us to re-arrange things if we have the capacity to do so. More importantly, it lets us know that you are okay and still on the way.

Happy Father's Day to all the great dads. Have a fabulous day celebrating with all your families.

As a Remedially trained Massage Therapist, I liked to be known as a Massage Therapist. Over the years I have been referred to as a masseuse, masseur, one of those massage people, don’t you massage in a massage pallor. The connotations of these terms are not particularly pleasant, these terms sometimes carry unintended insinuation. Hence the reason why massage therapists like to be known as a Massage Therapist.

Traditionally this is what the following terms mean:
• Massage therapist – professional, gender-neutral, and commonly used in clinics and businesses.
• Masseuse – traditionally refers to a female massage practitioner.
• Masseur – traditionally refers to a male massage practitioner.

However, words can have different connotations depending on the context:
• Traditional meaning - a female/male massage practitioner.
• Everyday use - some people simply use it to mean a woman/man who provides massages.
• Professional setting - “massage therapist” is preferred because it sounds more professional and includes therapeutic massage.
• Sometimes - “masseuse/masseur” can be used in a sexualised or suggestive way, particularly when someone is not actually referring to a professional massage therapist.

The term Massage Therapist is clear cut and professional. Massage Therapists are trained professionals who uses hands-on techniques to work the body’s soft tissues (such as muscles, tendons and connective tissues). We specialised in techniques to help the body release muscle tension, improve movement, ease discomfort, support overall wellbeing along with placing the body in a state of relaxation.

Here is another quote from the Gentle Reminder I found on social media. Don't be in a hurry. Stop and let things happen naturally, no need to always be in a rush.

I came across theis Gentle Reminder series on social media and thought they were quite interesting so I thought I'd share. They make you stop and think and realise the importance of what it is saying.