The Ins and Outs of Massage
FAQ’s about Massage….
There are many questions we get asked as a massage therapist, so we thought we would put them all in one blog.
We are hoping knowing the regular questions we get asked, will help you to feel more comfortable before you go into your massage treatment.
How often should I get a massage?
Everyone’s body is different and how people respond to massage is very individual. It also depends on your current health condition and/or injury.
If you have a major injury massage is recommended once a week until you can be moved out to fortnightly, every third week and then once a month. Receiving a massage once a month is the maintenance phase/minimum, that allows your body to stay in check and ensure you don’t get past that ‘breaking point’. Even though you will feel better after a massage and think that’s all you need, you need to trust the therapist to guide you and your body on a healthier path.
How often should I get a massage?
Everyone’s body is different and how people respond to massage is very individual. It also depends on your current health condition and/or injury.
If you have a major injury massage is recommended once a week until you can be moved out to fortnightly, every third week and then once a month. Receiving a massage once a month is the maintenance phase/minimum, that allows your body to stay in check and ensure you don’t get past that ‘breaking point’. Even though you will feel better after a massage and think that’s all you need, you need to trust the therapist to guide you and your body on a healthier path.
Why is drinking water after a massage important?
Hydration is key for your body just in general but very important after having a massage.
Making sure you hydrate yourself after a massage is very important, as a massage can be very dehydrating. Kneading and working the muscles gets the fluid pumping out of the soft tissue and into your circulatory system, which then heads towards your kidneys. This makes the body want to go to the toilet after a massage, therefore requiring you to replenish your lost water. There is also a metabolic waster factor. When your muscles are tight it reduces the circulation and your body cannot flush out the waste properly. Once receiving a massage your circulation improves allowing the metabolic waste to be dumped into your system.
Drinking provides the kidneys the water it needs to eliminate the waste through the urine, hence making your need to go to the toilet. So please make sure you drink water after each massage.
What do I wear during a massage treatment?
Your therapist will want to get to your muscles with ease and to ensure this the therapist will suggest to you to wear underwear only. Please ensure you keep you underwear on as it is not appropriate to lay on the massage table with no underwear on.
You are completely covered by towels and we will only adjust the towels to expose the areas on where they are working on.
Is it ok to tell your massage therapist if the pressure is to firm or not firm enough?
YES, of course.
We encourage clients to let us know this as everyone is different in how they like their pressure. We find a lot of people can be worried that they will offend the therapist if they speak up but all we want is for you to receive the best massage experience possible and if that means the pressure needs to be adjusted then that’s what we will do.
Why is after care important?
For you to get the most out of your massage treatment and for your body to recover sooner, we may advise you to complete exercises, stretches or foam roller work in between massage treatments. These are all very important to get the best possible results from you body.
If you get a massage every few weeks but go back to the same bad habits you cant expect for your body to get the results you want. Try to think about it like this- Even if you are seeing a personal training once a week, you will not lose the weight you are aiming for, if you eat poorly and don’t do any other exercise. It is the same concept with massage. You need to work on your body outside in your time with the massage therapist, to get the results you want.
How will I feel after getting a massage?
Everyone is different in how thy feel after a massage, mainly depending on their past and present medical history. Many people feel great after but some people can feel sore and tender from a remedial massage treatment. This is normal, as the muscles need to recover from the treatment.
Sometimes 24hours after a massage, some soreness can be felt. It can be likened to having muscle soreness from a workout or exercise. This is the muscles response to the massage and is completely normal. This pain will subside and you will feel better, have more movement and feel less tension.