How Much Clothing Do I Actually Need to remove for my Massage? FAQ part 2

I've had many first-time clients ask me about what they should wear (or not wear) during their massage. The short answer is that it's best to take off as much as you feel comfortable.

First of all, the point of being unclothed is for the massage therapist (me) to be able to interact with your skin to affect the tissues directly under it. Plus, it's far more difficult to do calming long strokes along a client's back if that person is still wearing a shirt and/or a bra. I'm trained to be professional. That means that there is no judgment about how the body on my table looks. I don't care about size, weird marks or hair. In fact, I (and many other massage therapists) usually have my eyes closed or I'm staring at the wall so that I'm not distracted from what my fingers are feeling, so I'm not even looking at you most of the time! 

It's important to understand that, as a professional, I will always keep you covered. The only parts of you that will be uncovered while you are on my table are your head (so you can breath) and the part(s) of the body that I'm working. Your genitals and breast tissue will never, ever, ever, ever be exposed. I use the thick sheets that I have on my table to cover you, and I'm also happy to provide a blanket if you get cold. 

For more information, watch the video embedded below or follow the link to my YouTube page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fUEvY5asPg

What Should I Expect When I Come for my First Appointment?

Here is part 1 of the FAQ series: What to expect for your first massage.  If you have other questions, leave a comment, and I'll be happy to answere it!

If the embedded video above doesn't work, here is the link to take you straight to youtube:
youtube link

Opening a Series: Frequently Asked Questions.

Good day to you! Monday, I'll start a series of blog posts on frequently asked questions about massage. From things you may be embarrassed to ask to common myths and misconceptions. Stay tuned! 

If you have any questions that you would like me to answer, please comment on the page or send me an email at abigailhmcook@gmail.com.

*shameless plug time:
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subscribe to my blog and check out my website! abicooklmt.massagetherapy.com

Touch: Power and Meaning

Hugging, caressing, touching, hitting, kicking, kissing, brushing, bumping, contacting, rubbing; the list goes on forever. There are so many forms of touch, and some are good and some are bad. As human beings, we crave touch. How much we crave it varies from person to person, but it is written into our instincts and basic desires to need physical contact with others of our species.

Today's headlines are being dominated by stories about domestic abuse, driven by a specific video which captures a scene of aggression and violence between a famous athlete and his wife. There are also bits of information deemed newsworthy about rape, child abuse, assault, etc. At their core, these stories all have one thing in common: unhealthy touch and the emotions and thoughts that drive it.

With this bombardment of information about negative touch and its motivation, it's easy to forget that touch can heal as easily as it can harm. There is a myriad of data about the effects of holding, hugging, kissing, and even hand holding (in other words, good touch that denotes personal attachment and a positive relationship). There have also been studies conducted about professional touch such as massage when done by licensed and trusted professionals such as massage therapists and nurses. These data have shown that touch can be healing and rehabilitory. Positive changes happen in various physioligical processes in the body.

For instance, one exciting result of research has been the understanding of the effects of massage with depression symptoms. Depression, with various causes and severity of symptoms, can be debilitating for some people. Massage has been proven effective in decreasing the intensity of the symptoms of depression, and has been shown as a promising avenue of treatment with PTSD, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses.

It is important to remember the importance of touch in human development and life in general. Isolation and a life devoid of touch is not only boring, but can be truly unhealthy. Negative images can form in response to disturbing media coverage of events involving crime and violence, but it's imperative to recall that the picture painted by those stories do not give an honest overall perspective of the human condition or of touch. Give a hug today. Shake someone's hand. Give a reassuring pat on the back. Hold someone. Get a massage. These are positive  avenues to give or receive touch. It's important.

To Ice, or to Heat? That is the Question

Ouch! My (name of body part here) hurts! What should I do for fast relief? There seems to be a long-standing debate about the benefits of ice or heat. Which is better? The answer: it depends.

In almost every case the best rule is: when in doubt, ice.

Ice helps decrease inflammation and numbs the area, which decreases the sensation of pain. After injury, the body reacts with inflammation. The blood vessels dilate (get bigger) so that white blood cells and repair cells can flood the area to try to heal the injured area as quickly as possible. The inflammation also serves to make motion more difficult to decrease the risk of further injury. On a small scale injury (like, say, a paper cut) this response is small and only lasts for a short time unless the area gets infected. On a larger scale (like a sprain or large gash) the inflammatory response generally lasts longer and is more extreme.

This response is a good thing until, of course, it no longer serves a purpose. We are creatures of habit, and that extends to our bodies too. Our bodies often maintain that inflammation longer than necessary, and that puts more pressure on the structures and tissues in the area which causes prolonged pain. Prolonged pain then causes more inflammation, and the cycle begins. The best way to interrupt that cycle is ice. Ice decreases the inflammatory response (eventually reverses it too) and decreases the pain.

The signs of inflammation are redness, heat, visible swelling, stiffness, and pain. When these are present, it's almost always best to ice the affected area.

Heat does have its place though. Muscle cramps and chronically sore muscles respond really well to heat. the big thing to consider is wether it will help decrease pain if blood rushes to the area. If the area is already inflamed, more blood will only make the situation worse.

The reason I became a massage therapist

I guess that I've always loved to make people feel better. When I was young I would make faces at people or do funny voices to try to make them laugh. As I got older, I began to realize that people liked to be touched. I then observed that specific types of touch could really make people feel better and even relieve pain. I started to watch others give and receive massage. I would make mental notes when I received massage that felt good and attempt to copy those techniques. My friends and family were rather appreciative of my efforts, and many would joke about me becoming their personal massage therapist. I didn't really consider it as a career option though, and many years passed. During my teen years, I gained a greater understanding of the human body, and when I gave massage, it was more effective. I pursued other interests I had though, and still didn't consider massage therapy a viable career option. I thought that massage was just a luxury and the economy wouldn't allow me to make a living.

Then I volunteered for a Christian outreach program. For  6 months my teammates and I endeavored to serve in any capacity available to us. We worked part-time jobs, spoke God's Word, and hosted bible fellowships. One thing that I did in addition to those things was give massage. I saw that massage was really effective in relieving pain from stress and injury. I also saw that God was willing and able to work in me to help heal people. My part in the healing process became more apparent and more exciting. Still, I wasn't totally sure that massage was something I wanted to do for a living. Sure I liked working on people I already liked,  but what about those people that come in smelling worse than a locker-room at the end of a season or the people that have foot fungus? Would I have to work on them too? With those reservations, I decided not to go to school for massage. I had other career avenues in mind, namely, political journalism.

Thankfully, I wasn't able to find a university near me to get the degree I wanted in journalism. However, there was a local college where I would be able to study massage, and the program, though expensive, was only 9 months. I had been considering massage therapy for several years, so after discussing options with my husband, we decided to get more information. We stopped into the school and spoke to an admissions representative. She brought me in to meet the program director who told me about the subjects I would learn in school. I started getting excited. I would be learning all about the body, and how to cause beneficial changes within a person's body. I got really excited. Not to get my hopes up too much, I did more research about job prospects before committing to going to school. I found out that I would be able give medical style massage in a health care setting and there were plenty of openings for someone who was willing to study hard. With that knowlege in mind, I signed up for classes and enrolled that spring.

I found that I really enjoyed my classes. Even though there was a lot of information to process, I enjoyed the subject matter, and didn't mind putting in the work. I ended up making a 4.0 grade point average throughout my time at school, and graduated with honors. I passed my licensure test with flying, vibrant colors. I had a job lined up at Edwards Chiropractic before I finished school, so as soon as I had my license in hand, I was able to start working.

I may be biased, but I they do believe that I have the best job in the world. My clients come to me in pain due to various ailments or injuries, and I'm able to either decrease or eliminate that pain. Some clients come to me with limited range of motion or difficulty moving, and their bodies receive relief and are able to move how they should. Not everything can be remedied in one session. Longstanding patterns take longer to correct. However, one session is usually all it takes to experience at least a little relief. I love hearing about pain going away and people being able to do their favorite things with no pain!

Did My Massage Therapist Break Me?

Few people would say that massage doesn't feel good. In fact, most people would say that massage always feels good. But what about those times that I feel sick or sore after the session? Did my massage break me? The answer: probably not.

Here's the disclaimer: If you haven't told your therapist about a recent injury or surgery, one of your medications, or a condition you have, the massage may not have been a good idea or healthy for you to receive.  Your therapist should know when massage isn't healthy (like when you were in a car accident that morning, started a new medication, etc) but you have to tell him or her these things. Barring these reasons, as long as you have a skillful and trained therapist, massage will not be dangerous or unhealthy.

In every other case, here's some reasons that you may not feel like the healthiest person alive immediately after the massage:

Muscles are one of the body's storage units. They store hormones, nutrients, some oxygen and other substances. If circulation is compromised in muscles for any period of time, those substances can go rancid or "turn" and become toxins. When massage stimulates the circulation in those muscles, those stored toxins are released into the blood stream and therefore into the rest of the body to be filtered. That filtration takes excess energy, and the body has to "divert power" to the urinary and lymph systems (aka. the filters). That is one of the reasons that your therapist will usually instruct you to drink water after the massage. The water helps those systems clean your blood faster and get rid of those substances.

In addition to the toxins being released (which really is a good thing, I promise), massage also helps your body get rid of stress hormones and release "feel-good" hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphines. These act as pain killers and help the body feel better, but they can also make you sleepy. If you have been under constant (or even frequent) stress, the switch in dominant hormones can leave you feeling a little "off." In some cases of extreme or chronic stress, the decrease in those stress hormones can leave you with mild withdrawal symptoms like stopping a medication could (though it wouldn't be as severe). In addition to the unfamiliarity, the switch in hormones also causes the body to begin focusing on healing itself, which can leave the rest of the body feeling drained.

Our ancestors had to deal with stress from predators, hunting for food, and other fighting-for-life activities. In today's society, stress is more likely to come from deadlines than deadly beasts or from climbing the corporate ladder than physically climbing mountains or trees in search of food, but the body still responds to all stress in the same way. Stress hormones are released. Blood and energy is diverted from secondary systems (things that the body can do without for a short period of time like digestion, filtration of the blood by the urinary system, and even immune function) to the primary systems like the brain, lungs, heart and skeletal muscles.

Massage, however, helps the body remove itself from that fight-or-flight mode and put more focus on those secondary systems again. If those systems have been ignored by the body because of long-term stress, there may be a period of "detox" as the body is finally able to get rid of the things that had been sitting and going bad. Therefore, it is not uncommon for the toilet to become your best friend for a while after a massage. You may feel nauseous, have mild abdominal cramping, have excessive gas, or even have diarrhea or excessive amounts of stool (think, "when is the last time I had corn?"). These are actually good things, even if it doesn't seem so, because it means that you are getting clean from the inside out, and your body is going to be healthier in general.

Especially if it's been a while since your last massage or you've been under an unusual amount of stress, it's a good idea to schedule your appointment on a day or time that you can rest and relax after the massage. If you can't schedule it for your day off, at least schedule it after you've finished your errands or after work rather than on your lunch break. If your lunch break is the only time that you have, talk with your therapist and see if it is available for you to do shorter sessions more often (like two 30 minute sessions in a week rather than one 60 minute session) to ease your body into massage again.


When in doubt, ask your massage therapist! You two can talk about how you are feeling, and possible ways to avoid those "side effects" of massage.

Massage Therapy Styles and Health Benefits

Here is a great article from webmd about massage and its benefits.

http://www.webmd.com/balance/massage-therapy-styles-and-health-benefits

I have pasted the content of the article below for your easy reading.

Massage has been practiced for thousands of years. Today, if you need or want a massage, you can choose from among 80 massage therapy styles with a wide variety of pressures, movements, and techniques. These all involve pressing, rubbing, or manipulating muscles and other soft tissues with hands and fingers. Sometimes even forearms, elbows, or feet are used.

According to a 2007 American Massage Therapy Association survey, almost a quarter of all adult Americans had at least one massage in the previous year. And, they have a wide range of reasons for doing so. More and more people -- especially baby boomers -- recognize the health benefits of massage. They choose from among many massage styles to get relief from symptoms or to heal injuries, to help with certain health conditions, and to promote overall wellness.

Here is information you can use to help you decide what types of massage will work best for you.

Which Massage Styles Are Best?

You may have noticed that different massage styles are popular at different times. And you may have wondered whether each was just part of a passing fad or the latest, greatest massage technique? Even more important is how can you tell whether the latest style will actually help you?

Styles used in massage therapy range from long, smooth strokes to short, percussive strokes. Some massage therapists use oils and lotions; others do not. Most massage therapists have clients unclothe for a massage, but some do not. A massage can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours.

Before you can decide which massage style is best for you, you need to ask yourself a question. Do you simply want a massage for relaxation and stresscontrol? Or do you need symptom relief or help with a certain health condition? Before booking a massage, let the therapist know what you're looking for and ask which style the therapist uses. Many use more than one style. Or the therapist may customize your massage, depending on your age, condition, or any special needs or goals you have.

What follows is a list of some of the more popular massage therapy styles. The first four are especially popular.

Swedish Massage

The most common type of massage is Swedish massage therapy. It involves soft, long, kneading strokes, as well as light, rhythmic, tapping strokes, on topmost layers of muscles. This is also combined with movement of the joints. By relieving muscle tension, Swedish therapy can be both relaxing and energizing. And it may even help after an injury.

The four common strokes of Swedish massage are:

• Effleurage: a smooth, gliding stroke used to relax soft tissue
• Petrissage: the squeezing, rolling, or kneading that follows effleurage
• Friction: deep, circular movements that cause layers of tissue to rub against each other, helping to increase blood flow and break down scar tissue
• Tapotement: a short, alternating tap done with cupped hands, fingers, or the edge of the hand

Neuromuscular Therapy Massage

Neuromuscular therapy is a form of soft tissue manipulation that aims to treat underlying causes of chronic pain involving the muscular and nervous systems. This medically oriented form of massage addresses trigger points (tender muscles points), circulation, nerve compression, postural issues,  and biomechanical problems that can be caused by repetitive movement injuries. 

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage is best for giving attention to certain painful, stiff "trouble spots" in your body. The massage therapist uses slow, deliberate strokes that focus pressure on layers of muscles, tendons, or other tissues deep under your skin. Though less rhythmic than other types of massage, deep tissue massage can be quite therapeutic -- relieving chronic patterns of tension and helping with muscle injuries, such as back sprain.

Sports Massage

Developed to help with muscle systems used for a particular sport, sports massage uses a variety of approaches to help athletes in training -- before, during, or after sports events. You might use it to promote flexibility and help prevent injuries. Or, it may help muscle strains, aiding healing after a sports injury.

Chair Massage

Ever gone to a county fair, music festival, or conference and envied other people getting chair massages? Or, maybe you're lucky enough to work at a company that offers 15- to 20-minute massages as a regular benefit. Onsite, chair massages are done while you're seated fully clothed in a portable, specially designed chair. They usually involve a massage of your neck, shoulders, back, arms, and hands.

Shiatsu Massage

In Japanese, shiatsu means "finger pressure." For shiatsu massage, the therapist uses varied, rhythmic pressure on certain precise points of the body. These points are called acupressure points, and they are believed to be important for the flow of the body's vital energy, called chi. Proponents say shiatsu massage can help relieve blockages at these acupressure points.

Thai Massage

During a Thai massage, the therapist uses his or her body to move the client into a variety of positions. This type of massage includes compression of muscles, mobilization of joints, and acupressure.

Hot Stone Massage

For this kind of massage, the therapist places warmed stones on certain areas of the body, such as acupressure points. The stones may be used as massage tools or be temporarily left in place. Used along with other massage techniques, hot stones can be quite soothing and relaxing as they transmit heat deep into the body.

Reflexology

Reflexology uses hand, thumb, and finger techniques to stimulate certain areas of the feet. These areas are believed to correspond to different parts of the body. The massage, then, is expected to promote health and well-being.

Pregnancy Massage

During pregnancy, your body goes through major changes. Pregnancy massage can help with these changes by reducing stress, decreasing arm and leg swelling, and relieving muscle and joint pain. Massage may be particularly helpful during a time when medication and other medical options may be more limited. Using specially designed massage pillows, the massage therapist will help get you into a comfortable position for this type of massage.

What Are the Health Benefits of Massage?

Many types of massage offer benefits beyond simple relaxation. Here are just a few of the health problems that may benefit from massage. Ask your doctor before using massage for any health condition, though.

• Back pain . More than one study has shown the effectiveness of massage therapy for back pain. In fact, one 2003 study showed it worked better thanacupuncture or spinal modification for persistent low back pain -- reducing the need for painkillers by 36%.
• Headache . Another type of pain -- headache -- also responds to massage therapy, as shown by more than one study. Massage therapy can reduce the number of migraines a person has and also improve sleep.
• Osteoarthritis . In the first clinical trial looking at the effectiveness of Swedish massage for knee osteoarthritis, participants who received a one-hour massage either one or two times a week had improvements in pain, stiffness, and function. The control group had no such change.
• Cancer. Used as a complement to traditional, Western medicine, massage can promote relaxation and reduce cancer symptoms or side effects of treatment. It may help reduce pain, swelling, fatigue, nausea, or depression, for example, or improve the function of your immune system.
• Anxiety. A review of more than 12 studies shows that massage helps relieve depression and anxiety. It lowered levels of cortisol by up to 50%. And massage increased levels of neurotransmitters that help reduce depression.

Benefits of Massage

Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress-related. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. Massage is an effective tool for managing this stress, which translates into:

• Decreased anxiety.
• Enhanced sleep quality.
• Greater energy.
• Improved concentration.
• Increased circulation.
• Reduced fatigue.

Massage can also help specifically address a number of health issues. Bodywork can:

• Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
• Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
• Ease medication dependence.
• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body's natural defense system.
• Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
• Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
• Improve the condition of the body's largest organ—the skin.
• Increase joint flexibility.
• Lessen depression and anxiety.
• Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
• Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
• Reduce postsurgery adhesions and swelling.
• Reduce spasms and cramping.
• Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
• Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body's natural painkiller.
• Relieve migraine pain.

Taken from abicooklmt.massagetherapy.com

Signs You Need a Massage

Most of the time, people only think about massage when their muscles hurt. While massage is great for muscle pain (and often the best treatment), it also helps with other systems and symptoms. 

Below is a list of signs that you may need a massage.

Chronic insomnia:

Several studies have shown that the relaxing effects of massage can help a person fall asleep faster and have better quality sleep, even when the insomnia is caused by an underlying condition like Fibromyalgia. There are two main components of the autonomic nervous system (the part of our bodies that control the things that we don't think about). One part is the sympathetic nervous system. This is in control of the "fight or flight" response that is great when we are in the midst of a dangerous situation. However, this system is also stimulated when the body is under stress of any kind whether it be pain, work stress, family/home stress, or any other kind of stress. Yes, pain is a stress on the body. When this system is dominating in the body, it cannot heal itself, digest food properly, or get true rest. The other part is the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is known as the "rest and digest" system. As such, it is in control of our digestive system and the processes in the body that allow it to heal itself. Massage promotes the dominance of the parasympathetic nervous system, and therefore allows the body to rest and heal itself.

Constipation/digestive dysfunction:

Now, most people don't want to talk about number 2, but it's an important part of our lives, and digestive dysfunction is a sign that something is wrong. Again, this goes back (in part) to the difference between the sympathetic vs. parasympathetic nervous system. Massage stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and therefore helps stimulate the digestive system too. In addition to the indirect stimulation of the entire system, abdominal massage is a comforting way to help "get things moving" when done properly. Now, if the constipation is a chronic symptom of something else, it's not a bad idea to talk to your doctor to make sure that it isn't more serious. In almost every case though, massage can help!

Chronic Neck/Headaches:

While these can sometimes be caused by something serious (and that should definitely be ruled out by a medical professional) often chronic headaches are caused by muscle tension which can really be helped with massage. Often, a headache will even go away or at least decrease in intensity while a client is on the table. For the people that think that they just have to live with it because it's "just a headache," remember, pain is stress on the body, and the body cannot heal itself when it's stressed.

Carpal tunnel symptoms/nerve pain:

Nerve pain generally feels like a tingling or burning sensation that usually comes and goes with certain activities. Carpal Tunnel is one of the most common forms of nerve pain these days because of the type of activities that most people do. True Carpal tunnel does exist, but usually the pain that most people think is carpal tunnel has nothing to do with the wrist. The large bundle of nerves that leaves the neck to innervate the arm and hand has to travel between two muscles in the neck and under two muscles in the upper chest before it gets to the arm. When these muscles are tights, that familiar tingling and pain is usually experienced in the elbow, wrist and hand. If tension in these muscles are the cause, massage is the best option for treatment since surgery will not help the cause of the pain anyway. Depending on the intensity and duration of the symptoms, the pain could be gone in as little as 1-3 appointments with your massage therapist.

Asthma/Breathing Problems: 

While massage cannot cure breathing problems like asthma, emphysema, COPD, or bronchitis, it can decrease the intensity of the effects of these conditions. When breathing is unobstructed, the diaphragm is the main muscle used, and the other muscles that assist only assist in breathing. When a person has trouble breathing, the muscles that assist in breathing have to work harder. This leads to those muscles being overworked and stressed, which leads to pain and further breathing dysfunction. Unwinding the tension in the muscles of the neck and around the rib cage (the muscles that help with breathing) can usually decrease the intensity, duration, and frequency of acute breathing disorder symptoms. 

Pregnancy:

This seems obvious, but pregnancy (while beautiful and a blessing) is a major stress for the expectant mother's body. Of course, all care should be done under the careful supervision of a woman's doctor if the pregnancy is high risk or if there are complications, but in a normal, healthy pregnancy massage can help with sleep, nausea, back pain, stress, headaches, etc. 

Massage has wide ranging benefits! If you have a condition or symptoms that you think could be helped with massage, ask your massage therapist or message me!