Deep Tissue Massage Firm Pressure or Not?

Last time I blogged, I wrote about licensing compared to certification for massage therapists in Kansas.  Now I'd like to tell you what I've learned in the last year since I opened May 1, 2012.  There seems to be too much weight put on how long a therapist has been in business compared to whether or not someone has been to an accredited school.  Just so you know if you haven't read my website about me, I'm a 3rd generation massage therapist, but more importantly, I attended an accredited school acquiring 750 credit hours of school for massage therapy and graduated with a 4.0 GPA with honors.  Going back to the weight of how long someone has been in business, there is a massage business that has been in Topeka for 31 years.  What I'm finding is that the clients I'm massaging don't believe me if they have gone to that place because of what they tell you that deep tissue massage is.  So here is what they tell people, based on what my daughter heard the owner say at a career day, which I tried to warn my daughter she was going to hear wrong info when she got there..."Deep tissue is going in as far as you can, then going as hard as you can."  Now, I have to also let you know the owner, to my knowledge, has not been to an accredited school for massage therapy.  Here is how I learned deep tissue at school...deep tissue has NOTHING to do with pressure.  With deep tissue massage, one only pushes hard enough til the tissue pushes back.  If any of you have had a massage, you know that when a knot or an adhesion is touched, especially with lots of pressure, it hurts, and it isn't effective no matter what you've been told.  Now, as you hold that tissue, it will change, one sinks into the tissue (This is why it is called deep tissue, BTW.), usually very slowly, and as it changes, the tissue will allow you to move.  The adhesion's or knots will jump away from the therapist with lots of pressure.  Another reason not to go in with lots of pressure.
Here is how I explain what it feels like to me as I'm doing deep tissue...if I could put my finger or thumb without burning myself on a piece of butter as it is melting, that is what deep tissue massage feels like to me.  Clients that have been to another therapist that does deep tissue any other way don't like me because I won't go hard or firmly over knots or adhesion's (Some of them even tell me, right when the knot is trying to jump away from me to go harder.).  Yes, I care that they don't like it, but I'd much rather break up that knot or adhesion the right way hopefully not making them feel sore than to leave them with a knot in there muscle and sore the next day.  So, let me ask you, which would you rather have...the knot still in your muscle and sore for a day or two or the knot gone with little to no soreness from the massage?  I realize some people love pressure.  Great!  I'm probably not the therapist for you and I hope you don't come to me.  I can do pressure, but I'd still rather give you what you need than only to give you what you want.  I tell people all the time, if you'll let my hands listen to your body, you will get what you need.  I've had clients tell me I'm hard to describe.  They tell other people that I have firm pressure, but I'm gentle.
I hope you've all learned something from reading this and will take into consideration in your next massage if you are truly letting your therapist give you what you need or what you want?  And, are they doing things correctly, especially deep tissue.  And, if you are paying more for deep tissue, but just lots of pressure, you are paying extra for no reason.  I charge extra for an all deep tissue massage, but I tell everyone not to ask for it because it goes back to that part I said if you let my hands listen to you, you are going to get what you need.  Everyone needs some deep tissue somewhere, usually around the neck and/or scapula.  So, with me, you'll get a mix of many things without the extra charge.  Looking forward to the next massage.

Licensure vs. Certification in Kansas

Most of my clients that walk through my door don't know that Kansas is one of only four states that don't require licensure.  If someone tells you while they are in Kansas that they are licensed (LMT), they are lying to you because even if someone has taken and passed the test, like I have, there is nowhere for a therapist to submit the information.  In Kansas, one can only be a certified massage therapist or a CMT if they belong to an organization that approves that title.  I personally am a member of ABMP or American Bodyworks and Massage Professionals paying a fee and meeting the requirements to meet the title of CMT.  Along with most memberships is our insurance coverage in case we have a lawsuit against us.  One should feel most comfortable with a CMT in the state of Kansas.

Having been in business for over a year now, I have seen personally many reasons for the law for licensure to pass.  You will see many reasons in future blogs from me as to why I believe that this law should pass.  Should anyone have any questions about this, feel free to contact me through my site www.greatlifemassage.com or by visiting my facebook business page www.facebook.com/backs2lifemassage.

In the last year since I opened May 1, 2012, I have figured out many different things about massage and massage therapy.  I wouldn't have even thought about trying to put anything into writing as everything the previous 10 months of opening had been a whole lot of information thrown at me in a very short amount of time-anatomy, physiology, mechanics, and many different modalities for massage therapy.  I remember thinking that I could never explain to someone why they needed a massage.  Funny when I think back about how scared I was thinking that I could never possibly write a blog.  Now, I fully feel like I can which is why you will start seeing me blog about things. 

In fact, there have been a few things in the last year that I've encountered that I feel need to be said.  I just hope the people reading are the ones that need to see what I'm saying and take some action if action needs to be taken.  For those of you who don't know what I'm sharing, I hope you'll be open to what I'm saying and learn a few things along the way.

For many of you who have come to me on a regular basis, you know I'm all about helping people.  I like to teach my clients some things that can be done on their own to try to keep them from feeling "bad, sore, or in pain" in between massages.  If I had my way, no one would ever have to experience that feeling, but that isn't realistic, nor is that life.  So, for me, I want to help the ones I can, the ones that will let me, and not worry about the rest.  I hope through this blog all of us will start to make a positive difference in Topeka, KS, at least, for now.  Some of you know, but some of you don't that I've talked about expansion outside of Topeka.  But, we'll cross that bridge when it happens.  

Last thing, May is my one year anniversary and a one hour or 60 minute Swedish massage can be booked with my employee or I for $35.  Book online at www.greatlifemassage.com.  I've thought about extending the special into June and will let you know if that happens.  Looking forward to seeing you!