endured a long sweaty day and you’re just about to go in for your massage, take a moment to stop in the restroom fi rst and wipe them down. And, if you’re able to shower beforehand and wash away the grime and energy of the day’s events, do so.
Consider Confidentiality Even though massage therapists aren’t
medical doctors, nor are they held to the same doctor-patient privilege, they do hold their knowledge of you, your issues, and your sessions in confi dence. If for some reason your therapist needs to confer with your primary or referring physician, he or she will have you fi ll out the proper release paperwork beforehand. That same confi dence prevents therapists from talking with you about your friend’s recent stone massage or what your husband discussed during his last session. So, make it easier for all, and don’t ask.
Get It Your Way If there’s one thing that will make your
massage both more enjoyable and more benefi cial, it’s communicating with your therapist. If the room is too warm, if the bolster under your legs isn’t in the right spot, if the music is driving you batty—whatever the issue—let your therapist know right away so you can get back to the business of enjoying your massage. “By all means, you should speak up about anything that diminishes your enjoyment of, or ability to focus on, your session,” says Nina McIntosh, massage ethics expert and author of The Educated Heart. Wiltsie agrees. “Communication is key to getting your needs met,” he says. Clients must take the lead and let therapists know if a particular treatment or something else within the session is making them uncomfortable. Your therapist will occasionally
check in with you during your session, checking on pressure and making sure you’re doing okay. Be sure and let the therapist know if you’re not feeling well, if that spot on your calf is too tender or even if you can’t hold your need for a bathroom break any longer.
Sobriety, Please
In resort settings, it can be especially hard to step away from icy margaritas on the beach to make that afternoon
spa appointment. But the last thing you want is to be “tipsy” on the massage table. There are several downsides to being under the infl uence during a massage, the most important being how alcohol plays havoc with the body’s systems. Combine that with the increased circulation from massage and you have increased absorption rates, potentially making you nauseous or outright “losing-my-cookies” sick. That’s no fun and a waste of good massage time and money. In fact, many massage therapists will refuse to work on clients who are intoxicated. Leave the alcohol for another time. Water, before and after a therapeutic massage, is what the body really wants.
Nope, Won’t Find that Here It’s unfortunate that massage therapists
even have to address this subject, but they do. So the answer to late-night callers is, “No, we don’t give happy endings. No, you may not pleasure yourself. Therapeutic massage has nothing to do with sex.” If a misinformed client somehow ends up in the massage room of a professional therapist and asks for something other than therapeutic massage, they will be asked to leave. Flirting, inappropriate touching and sexual innuendos will not be tolerated. Keep the relationship professional and above board and your therapist will be a valuable member of your healthcare team.
You’re Human The body can have a lot of responses
to therapeutic massage. While avoiding food at least one hour before your massage will help, there’s still the chance that you’ll have tummy gurgles or even pass gas. It’s okay. As the body relaxes and systems get moving, the body can play all kinds of tricks. Your therapist has seen it all, yet sees well beyond those kinds of issues. For men, there’s even a possibility that massage will cause an erection—a common response to nervous system activation. “It rarely occurs, but if it does, don’t panic,” says massage therapist and author Robert Chute. “Therapists know that this is a physiological reaction and will treat the situation accordingly.” He says the therapist might try to redirect your attention with a shift in the focus of the work, maybe altering
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