Do This One Thing to Find Success in Your Massage Therapy Career

The career of a massage therapist is one where you must be giving and attentive. A massage therapist works to heal individuals from a variety of conditions from muscle tightness to injury or just the simple need to relax. To be successful, you will need to learn the techniques and skills needed during training to know how to treat your patients. Individuals who excel in training should see success. There are several qualities that a massage therapist must possess to enjoy their career as well as be successful. However, to find the most success, there is one trait that is a must.

Learning to Listen

A successful massage therapist knows how to listen. Every client you will see will be different. No two individuals are the same. You will have to deal with varying personalities, treatment needs, body types, etc. By learning how to listen, you will know how to apply your skills and knowledge to treat each individual appropriately.

A massage therapist that does not listen will try to treat everyone the same. The force of the massage, as well as method used, will not vary and clients may complain. While one client may enjoy a deep tissue massage, another just wants to relax and not feel sore by the next day. By not listening to your clients, they do not feel special and will not receive the treatment they deserve.

Open Your Ears and Mind

It is important to listen to the needs and wants of every client. Create a checklist that clients will fill out when scheduling an appointment for the first time as well as during random visits. You want to be sure that you are hitting the spots that need attention as well as applying the right pressure and providing the essential healing that your client needs.

Don’t just skim over this information. Take note of everything your client says and make notes after the session. By being conscious of what your client wants, you will be able to treat them accordingly. Of course, you may think you know what a client needs and you may be right. However, you have to introduce such information slowly based on the personality of each client.

The goal is to listen to each client and treat them as an individual. Take into account their problem areas or wants and use your knowledge and skill to provide the best massage treatment. At Academy Massage, we listen to each of our clients to ensure the right treatment is provided for a happy and repeat client!

Here’s a Quick Way to Reduce Tightness in Your Hips

Tightness in the hips is not uncommon, especially if you have back issues. Your hip muscles can become tight over time and need to be loosened for you to move with ease as well as sit for long periods of time comfortably. With a series of stretches and massage work, you can feel better in no time.

Stretch Those Muscles

The tightness in the hip area involves the muscles in the back and lower leg. These muscles need to be stretched to loosen up and provide relief from the tight feeling. Take time to sit on the floor and begin simple stretching. Sit in a cross-legged position but instead of crossing your legs, place your feet together. Use gentle force from your hands and press the knee of one leg towards the floor while your legs are in the butterfly position. The outside hip muscle will be flexed which can help to loosen up the tightened muscle. Do this to both legs, adding more force as you can.

If you have a partner, have them assist in stretching your hip muscles. Lie down on the ground with one knee bent, with the foot flat on the ground. You will be stretching the side that hurts, both if you have trouble with both sides. Take the opposite leg and lay your knee towards the opposite side, with your leg bent. Your partner should take this knee and push down, stretching your leg across as it is bent. This stretches the outside hip muscle but in the opposite direction.

Massage Therapy

If stretching does not do the trick, consult with a massage therapist. With massage therapy, the tightness can gently be released over time. Your hip will feel better as you begin to relax when the therapist provides pressure in the hip area.

Academy Massage can provide hip massage therapy to reduce tightness as well as pain. Modern massage techniques are used to help the body heal from injury as well as muscle tightness.

For more information on stretches, visit our website or watch our stretching video on YouTube