The First Massage

The other day I was referred a new massage client and it so happened that this was going to be her first massage. I was instantly excited to learn her first massage would be from yours truly. I began thinking about the importance of a person's first massage. Most likely this would determine whether the person would continue with massage therapy. The benefits that can be obtained with massage therapy seem to be endless, but here's a few off the top of my head, stress relief, carpal tunnel and tendinitis relief, increased athletic recovery rate and athletic maintenance, knot reduction, I'll stop here for now. My point is that everyone should receive massages, regardless of what their first massage experience was.

As I said I was instantly excited when I found out I was giving a first massage. I also am always excited to find my friends that are L.M.T.'s; and there are many; getting client's who are receiving their first massage. This is because I can be assured that the client will receive the best possible care, and be hooked on massage therapy.

Of course there is the flip side of the story, the client receiving their first massage and being turned off from massage therapy. This can happen for many reasons, but here are a few I would like to hit on. The client is uncomfortable with the massage setting, the massage made them feel worse after wards, the massage hurt during, the massage did not feel like it did anything, and the big one; the massage therapist was sexually inappropriate. The question then is; What do you do if any or all of these circumstances happen to you? The answer is easy; Find a new massage therapist who is better suited to your needs. It may also be important to contact The Oregon Board of Massage Therapy if the therapist was sexually inappropriate. I say this because the therapist must be stopped, not only are they giving massage therapy a bad name, but they are not following the number one rule of massage, "do no harm".

The best way to find a massage therapist who works for you is by finding out about the therapist prior to making an appointment. For me as a therapist, this usually happens through referral, meaning someone who they trust has told them about my massage style and what to expect.

There are all different massage types and styles. If you want lymphatic drainage massage, energy work, or just a Swedish, ask around and study up on massage therapist around your area. Please give massage therapy a try if you have not, and have faith that you can have a pleasant massage experience if you already have had a negative one.