How Does A Massage Therapist Handle the Yucky Stuff?

As a massage therapist, I am frequently asked how I handle people that are overweight, don’t shave or may have yucky feet. The answer is simple, I don’t notice. In massage therapy school, the students start practicing on each other from day one. A massage therapist focus is learning the muscles and tendons and how to identify the ailments and fix them.

What I See

When I am working on a client, my primary focus is identifying the knots and working on the areas that need the most attention. Basically, I have to see past the skin and the outer layers of what you see. When you approach massage from a therapy point of view, every body looks the same. I only have one goal and that is to treat my clients.

Part of training in massage therapy school is to understand how to create a safe environment in a studio. When receiving a massage, the client can feel vulnerable. It is always a personal goal of mine to let every client know they are safe and will receive 100% attention to their ailments. We do not discriminate against hairy chests, cracked feet and people that are overweight.

Apology Accepted

I have a lot of clients that feel the need to apologize to me for not getting a pedicure or not shaving before attending a session. While massage therapists appreciate the extra effort, apologies are not necessary. It is important that before getting a massage, you do whatever you can to ensure that you are comfortable before getting on the table. If getting a pedicure helps, then go get a pedicure. Understand whether or not you get a pedicure will not impact the level of service a massage therapist provides.

There is no need to explain or apologize to a massage therapist. We are not judging.

Comfort is Key

It is important to identify what you are comfortable with when visiting a massage therapist. As long as you are comfortable with your surroundings then we can perform our jobs. A few ways to ensure your comfort:

·         Strip down to your level of comfort when getting ready for a massage

·         Request an essential oil that you know will relax you

·         Ask any questions that you may have about massage

·         Point out your pain points

Asking and answering questions builds trust. The more a massage therapist knows about you and your ailments the better treatment can be provided. Massage therapists are available to perform a valuable service to any and all people no matter the skin condition or body size. However, if an individual is not comfortable with exposing any part of their body, bodywork options such as the Anma massage is available. Anma massage is a therapeutic way to receive a healing massage and is performed while the client’s clothes are on.