I went for a so called full body massage recently.
Missed out was anything above the knees to lower back whilst lying on my front and chest while lying on my back. Even kept underwear on as ordered.
Not bad massage for the areas she did but she made me feel uncomfortable being there and for that and not delivering a full body massage I won't be returning.
It was stopping at the knee caps that really amazed me!
CRIKEY! is this thread still going 😮
I see coolhandluke is still maintaining the UK standards 😀
The trend here seems to be 'full body' massage, especially with oils.
Alot of modern practitioners are fearful of 'attending' the more personal area's due to the ever increasing claims made by clients of 'inappropriate' massage.
I myself would ask a client to keep their underwear on, but massage of the whole leg and abdomen is the at times the most relaxing and effective part of the treatment.
Maybe there is a lack of confidence with some practitioners, especially those that have trained in the 'beauty' trade. I think it is fair to look at the teachers with this as they should instill confidence in their students.
I have an information sheet that clearly states what may or may not happen during a treatment given prior to treatment.
Maybe those of you that require a certain body part treated should inform your therapist first and discuss the outcome rather than undergo a treatment then rubbish it on this forum. WE ARE NOT MIND READERS!
Massage is the most effective form of healing treatment available to us, if you do not help by mentioning your concerns how is any therapist supposed to better themselves.
Another thing is trust! If you are attending a first treatment with a new therapist it is only right that they would be a little cautious, probably after the second or third when a relationship has formed they would be more confident in their approach.
Body to body contact is a very 'touchy' (excuse the pun) business to be in, just one wrong move (opps another) and it can destroy confidence and reputation.
If you find a good practitioner that works, stick with them and don't expect that all people and therapists are the same.
Peace.;)
She sounded like a salt of the earth type on the phone so it was a shock when the knee caps were done and no further. I would have felt uncomfortable asking her to massage my thighs too as it was included in the full body massage description of her web site as 'legs'.
All fair and reasonable points you make Indo but I just can't be bothered to go back and pay for her education in this case.
it was included in the full body massage description of her web site as 'legs'..
funny!
All fair and reasonable points you make Indo but I just can't be bothered to go back and pay for her education in this case.
:p
I see a new career for you here Luke! I can see it now " Luke the massage critic travels the great Uk in search of the ultimate massage. The man with the cool hand seeks the most effective treatment from Uk grown therapists. Be afraid....BE VERY AFRAID! lol 😀
At least you'll get free treatment!
If you are ever in the Gloucestershire area drop me a line, i'd love your feedback on my treatments . 😉
Interesting thread, and also scaring the pants out of me.
I'm currently studying to include Aromatherapy massage as a therapy that I provide.
Interesting on your experience of being oil slicked up. My understanding is that only enough oil be applied to allow the hands to move easily across the clients skin. I couldn't bear being lathered in oil and so I won't be doing that to my clients when I get to that point.
I'm currently in need of case studies and I will expect my lovely volunteers to be constructively honest with me, before, during and after a session. How else am I supposed to learn?
When I start my practice, I am also thinking of asking clients if they would mind providing me with feedback: for environment, my attire, the bed and provisions and also my standard or massage. I will also allow a section for them to provide suggested improvements. Especially after reading this thread it highlights the need for therapists to invite constructive feedback.
Thank you for the thread, I will continue to read peoples experience and learn from them myself. 😀
Interesting thread, and also scaring the pants out of me.
When I start my practice, I am also thinking of asking clients if they would mind providing me with feedback: for environment, my attire, the bed and provisions and also my standard or massage. I will also allow a section for them to provide suggested improvements. Especially after reading this thread it highlights the need for therapists to invite constructive feedback.
Thank you for the thread, I will continue to read peoples experience and learn from them myself. 😀
Good Shout, my advice do as many FREE treatments as possible, get your feedback, make the changes ,THEN start charging your worth. The opinions will be given with no expectations and honestly rather than cost related. Also Join FREEINDEX and get them to post up reviews it will help you in the long run.
GOOD LUCK 😉
I want to offer some advice for clients who have perhaps been in the same situation as Luke (ie only getting legs massaged to knee level).
First of all, I just want to mention that I am the most laid-back, relaxed person when it comes to working with naked bodies or just bodies in general, so anything I mention below is just a generalisation - and not necessarily how I would react myself.
I think that if clients began specifically asking, prior to their first massage, "Could you please massage my thighs/abdomen/buttocks/chest" or whatever, then some massage therapists are going to hear alarm bells (because in their narrow - or overly cautious - view, these are "danger" areas) and automatically ditch the client without seeing them.
So perhaps an alternative strategy would be to say something like:
"I don't like too much deep pressure on my calves, but could you work deeply into my hamstrings because I carry a lot of tension there?"
or
"Do you want me to wear loose-fitting boxers to make it easier when you massage my glutes, or would you prefer me to remove them beforehand?"
OR
"I like mostly firm pressure during the massage, but I suffer from mild IBS, so could you avoid too much deep pressure there. Just clockwise sweeping strokes will be fine. In fact, I find that beneficial."
OR
"I feel like my shoulders are hunched forward, and I've been told that my chest muscles are tight/shortened and perhaps causing this problem. Could you allow enough time during your routine to work on this area please?
Maybe I'm just being idealistic, but I believe that the above questions would be viewed with less suspicion than an outright "Could you massage my thighs please?" request.
Luke, I realise from reading many of your previous posts that you grudge paying a lot of money for a massage (I'm not trying to open up a debate about prices though!). So perhaps you are seeking out massages from therapists charging low prices? And maybe they are charging low prices because they are not suitably qualified and/or talented enough to be able to command higher prices? I believe that, for you anyway, this is a false economy. Sometimes, it is just worth paying that little bit extra to get the standard of massage that you want. That's not to say that everyone who charges a higher price is outstanding. But it's just something to ponder.
Kitten
x
Meaooooowww!.........Puuuuurrrrrrrrrr :p
Kitten, I'm paying £30 to £35 an hour, don't know if that's considered cheap or not.
I have had good and bad massage in that price range and you are right I wouldn't want to pay more without good reason so I don't think it's a question of price related to quality.
I think a lot of masseuses get red alert warnings when certain body parts are asked to be massaged which is why I look for confident massagers who will be happy to massage legs and abdomen on men as well as women. I appreciate your illustrations of ways to ask for what I or anyone else wants but then some would say they are just covert ways of asking for something which shouldn't be asked for even though they should if it really is a full body massage.
In my last example I guess if she had been a tailor the jacket would be full length and the trousers cut off at the knees, I found it more than strange especially as she asked me to keep my underwear on and I was covered with towels.
I've seen the occassional comment/confession from those with aromatherapy training that in their course the training stopped at the knee. and then was pretty much from the waist up. 'Legs' were done from the foot of the table. I actually think it was like that in my aromatherapy training, but since I was also doing lomi lomi and sports massage around the same time, any area not covered by one lot of training was covered by the other and I mixed them all together as soon as I no longer had to pass an exam. To a certain extent, I can understand legs stop at knees for someone with aromatherapy training - the essential oils are doing the work, you're primarily applying the essential oils to the skin, the massage is just a secondary factor, and some of those essential oils can be a major issue if they get near any senstive areas. .
Most people do go beyond the routine they were initially taught, but some do follow the textbook routine to the letter. I couldn't, but some people can.
Reasons why I havent gone back for a second massage, in no particular order, are:
[LIST=1]
I dont consider myself picky at all, but it is quite hard to find a good massage therapist (which is why I pride myself on most of my new clients coming from word of mouth recommendations!).
I've seen the occassional comment/confession from those with aromatherapy training that in their course the training stopped at the knee. and then was pretty much from the waist up. 'Legs' were done from the foot of the table. I actually think it was like that in my aromatherapy training, but since I was also doing lomi lomi and sports massage around the same time, any area not covered by one lot of training was covered by the other and I mixed them all together as soon as I no longer had to pass an exam. To a certain extent, I can understand legs stop at knees for someone with aromatherapy training - the essential oils are doing the work, you're primarily applying the essential oils to the skin, the massage is just a secondary factor, and some of those essential oils can be a major issue if they get near any senstive areas. .
Most people do go beyond the routine they were initially taught, but some do follow the textbook routine to the letter. I couldn't, but some people can.
My Aromatherapy Massage training, we worked the whole of the leg, we didn't stop at the knee as that is only half a leg! 😀 I wouldn't say that massage is secondary to the Aromatherapy training as its a different routine to what I learned from Swedish and Deep Tissue, although of course the routine I use now I have made my own and not verbatim to what I learnt. 🙂
Reasons why I haven't gone back:
1. The table and cushions were uncomfortable. One lady had a table that was too short, and din't have sufficient cushions under my knees. This causes big problems in my lower back. You can be the greatest massage therapist ever but if you don't get the client comfortable, your work is kind of all for nothing as they still leave achy.
2. Therapist is not thorough. Just a personal preference of mine. Some therapists work abs, glutes, and do more work on quads, hamstrings...others don't work these areas. Because I have fibro and still attempt to hike and such....I need a more thorough therapist.
3. This kind of goes with #2, but I need a therapist who is more laid back and easy going. I have enough stress, I don't want someone giving me a list of rules or who has the appearance of being up-tight. I'm there to relax...want someone who enjoys their job and just dives in, not someone who is hesitant.
4. Too many blankets/sheets. I dont' mind having several thin sheets, but if there is one thing I hate is when someone puts a quilt on me or several heavy blankets that trap in all the heat...to the point where I am sweating. This is why I don't go to spas much...they think we like all these fancy, heaving blankets and instead I am sweating. I want a therapist who asks about temperature and your comfort.
5. Therapist doesn't listen. Nothing more annoying than giving a therapist a list of a few concerns and have it go in one ear and out the other. Therapist must be able to adjust their routine and not be inflexible. If you need extra attention in an area and they don't listen, that's not good. I've had them spend way too much time on my neck and back when I said my problems were in my legs or elsewhere.
6. Therapist tries to push programs on me - I'm there to get a massage. I don't want to be sold anything, to be told to go on a diet, to get a lecture on areas of my life. I mean, a suggestion here and there is fine, but I'm mainly there for a massage. Some therapists try to give you unwanted advice for other areas of your life.
7. Cutting time short is a big no-no. If you go over on the prior massage because you are late, don't cut the time from me to make up for it. I once had a lady who was distracted but she cut a 90 minute massage and finished after about 70 minutes, if that. I was not happy and didn't go back.
8. Breaking contact all the time. Ruins the flow of the massage. Obviousy once in awhile to get lotion or to change the tape/CD/radio is fine, but when you reach for lotion and break contact every 20 seconds, the client gets less masage and it's not effective.