Massage Therapist
What A Massage Therapist Can Tell About Your Body From Your Massage Therapy Session
When Sherlock Holmes first met Dr Watson, his first observation was, ‘You’ve been in Afghanistan, I perceive.’ To which Dr Watson replied ‘How on Earth did you know that?’
Well, massage therapists are just like Sherlock Holmes. In fact, massage therapists are even better, because they have the ability to observe – and also – of course –to touch. Add to this their training and extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology and your body really doesn’t stand a chance of hiding much at all during your massage therapy session.
Here’s what we can tell:
You’re a naughty little raisin!
If you don’t drink the recommended eight glasses of water per day- it’s pretty easy for us to tell. Dehydrated bodies have dry, flaky skin that ‘drinks’ our massage oil like the thirsty little raisins that they are. Parched bodies also have tender trigger points especially in the upper back area.
You are chained to your desk
Tight glutes and legs, that tell-tale forward roll of your shoulders and a weak lower back are all signs that you sit at a desk all day staring – most likely – at a PC screen. If this sounds familiar, regular massages will certainly help and Ripple can deliver them right to your office while you remain seated and fully clothed. More on a massage in your office here.
You are super stressed
At times you are so stressed out about being stressed out, that you can’t even remember why you’re stressed out and that too stresses you out! Am I right?
When our a therapist arrives, it’s often quite obvious if the person is on edge and agitated. At other times however there are no outward signs – but, during the introductory chat, anxious clients will often give us information that indicates stress and worry are at play.
When the massage begins – as obvious as clowns at a wake – all the signs are there. Our poor muscles become taut and tense during stressful times, especially so in the shoulders, neck and head. Constant muscle tension causes aches and pains too so there are usually some tender areas as well. We’re about to sound very melodramatic – and with good reason – stress is a silent killer and finding ways to reduce it should be at the very top of your ‘to-do’ list. Some easy tips on how to ease stress are here.
Your knocker locker is too small
Ladies, your booby-hammock, your balloon cocoon, your breast-nest, your boob shoe… whatever you call it – it’s too small. Yup – we can see where your bra strap has been cutting into your shoulders and we can feel where those poor muscles have tightened as a reaction to the pressure. Take the opportunity to be properly fitted next time you purchase a bra – your shape and posture will benefit and your back and shoulders will love it too.
Taxi, truck or bus?
You drive for a living – that’s for sure – and you spend many hours a day behind the wheel. That far-forward posture is a dead giveaway as are the hunched shoulders.
You‘re blue
Oftentimes clients are open about their mental health and will mention that having regular massages forms part of their journey back to health. At other times they say nothing at all – and that’s okay of course.
Clients who are feeling blue are usually noticeably sad and sullen; they might also become confused, distracted or even emotional. Our role is to hold the space and to bring a few hours of peace and relaxation while they recover, an hour of holiday on the table.
You have a new (or an old) ‘Ouchy!’
The heat and inflammation from a recent injury are easy to see and feel during a massage and the same can be said for the aftermath of an old injury too. Lucky for you there is remedial massage. Remedial massage is the Chuck Norris of massages and it’s what you ask for when you need a massage that is therapeutic and targeted to heal specific health issues including muscle problems and old / new injuries, too.
You’re a wanderer
If you have recently traveled, it’s as easy to spot as finding Wally in a nudist camp picture. There are tan-lines and maybe some sun burn. There’s a cute Kabbalah bracelet around your wrist – from Jerusalem perhaps? Your hair is braided Jamaican style or perhaps there are traces of that gorgeous Henna tattoo you had in Dubai last month.
Out of all the world’s travelers however, recent backpackers are the easiest to spot. The weight of that backpack has unmistakably cut across their shoulder blades and the muscles in their scapula have tightened in response to that pressure. As soon as we notice this, we set to work with some deeper work in that area.
You should get that mole checked out!
Massage therapists can play an important role in early skin cancer detection. When we notice that something is amiss, like a bright red or oddly shaped mole, we don our Deerstalker hat and grab the nearest magnifying glass… no sorry – that’s a lie – but we couldn’t resist. What we really do is urge you to get it checked out as soon as possible.
You have lower back pain
It’s been estimated that around 4 out of 5 people will suffer from some degree of lower back pain at some point in their lives. Depressing thought isn’t it? In 2014–15, an estimated 3.7 million Australians had chronic back problems – that’s approximately one person in every six. Yikes! We usually know if you are a ‘one in six’, even if you don’t say so. Your posture or the fact that you one hip sitting higher than the other for example, are clues that point to a certain tightness in the lower back. Some more easy tips on reducing the pain in your lower back.
U txt (a lot!)
Every now and then a client will come along with a very sensitive neck and shoulder area. When they ask us to be gentle, we begin to wonder just how much time they spend texting. Why? Well, think of your posture while you text. That downward position with your chin almost on your chest causes the neck muscles, tendons and ligaments to strain has they hold the weight of your 5kg head. If u txt heaps – OMG – it shows! TTFN!
