Lower Body OrthoMassage

Last weekend I received 20 hours of training in orthopedic massage for lower body conditions with James Waslaski.

I am now looking for folks with lower body complaints who are comfortable letting me practice my newfound skills on them.  Here are some details so you can make an informed decision:

• This will be unlike any bodywork you've received from me in the past.  It is very "active participant" and focused/clinical.
• You will be clothed for the session: underpants, loose stretchy shorts, t-shirt.
• No matter where your complaint, I will begin with your pelvis and hips and move down your legs to your feet.
• Some of the work on the hip flexors will be done by accessing them through your abdomen. Some folks find abdominal work to be sensitive; many of us hold a lot of emotion in our guts.  Rest assured that contact will be slow, patient, and at your pace.
• All work is meant to be pain-free, and even fairly discomfort-free.  It is quite slow, to allow the tissues to release at their own pace.
• Expect to spend about 90 minutes on a session, perhaps more.  There is a 12-step protocol for me to follow, and until I get it down, I will have to double-check my notes, my body mechanics, etc.  
• In order to participate, you must must MUST commit to self-care following.  
• The cost will be $50 for a session.
• Sessions will take place either on a Wednesday evening in Brookline or a Friday in Arlington.  

Why Your First Massage With Someone May Be Less Than Magical

I recently had a treatment with a massage therapist I hadn't worked with before. It was...ok. I had asked her to focus on a recurring shoulder complaint, which she did. I had specified to her that I love deep work, but that bodyworkers need to be slow and patient when applying deep tissue techniques, otherwise my muscles start guarding.

So I lay there on the table for an hour, waiting and waiting for her to go deeper. I didn't say anything, figuring she was perhaps just on the cusp of really going for it. Nope. As I got off the table, I certainly felt more relaxed and a bit looser, but she hadn't gone anywhere near my tolerance point for pressure and my shoulder still felt fairly bound up.

So I re-booked.

I recognize this isn't a choice that a lot of people would make. If you've spent money on a session and walk away from it feeling like you didn't get what you came in for, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to return to that therapist. Having been on the giving and receiving end of bodywork, there are many reasons why your first session with anyone might be less-than-fabulous and why you may want to consider a second chance:

• you are naked under a sheet or towel
  
• someone you don't know is touching you
• neither of you has a baseline for basic massage preferences such as style, pressure, pace, etc.
• a client may be less likely to speak up (as I was) because they are waiting to see what will happen
• there may be more miscommunication and misunderstanding because you don't know each other
• you may be comparing their work to your previous beloved (or behated) bodyworker
• you may be in so much pain or discomfort that precious little will make you happy at the moment
• you may be unhappy about your appearance and feeling self-conscious
• you don't know what to expect, or you have questions but are afraid to ask them and possibly appear "stupid" to the MT
  
• the receptionist may have been rude to you, and you're just livid (or intimidated, etc)
  
• so on and so forth

I've found as a bodyworker that the more I work with someone, the better and more effective the sessions. I always begin and end sessions with an interview to assess client goals and expectations, likes and dislikes, what worked and what didn't. With time, we develop a relationship of trust. I know my client's preferences and what works really well for their specific complaint. They know what to expect from me and so they let go more quickly. They speak up more quickly and confidently when something is or isn't to their liking because they know I welcome their feedback and won't be offended, and as a result the session is more satisfying to them.

As someone who receives regular bodywork, this is the guideline I've made for myself: I have 2-3 folks who are my go-to therapists; I know and like their work and regularly re-book with them. Every few months I pay a visit to a new therapist and see how it is they work. It's a system that has worked out really well for me.

Next time: either When to Not Re-Book Ever Ever or possibly How to Find a New MT.

Til then....

Chronic Pain and Happiness

I don't read the paper often, but I try to make time for the Boston Globe on Sundays. If you do, too, you may have seen this.

Firstly, I find the study of happiness to be fascinating, especially because many decades have been spent peering at the specifics of unhappiness and maladaptive behaviors.

Secondly, I'm intrigued by what such findings might mean for bodywork and bodywork research in light of their correlations between chronic pain and unhappiness. Would chronic pain sufferers find greater happiness if their complaints were addressed with consistent and regular bodywork?