Full Body Massage

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Although I would agree that a 90-minute massage is preferable to a 60-minute massage if time and the client’s finances permit, I definitely disagree with Ray’s apparent suggestion that it is impossible to do a full body massage in 60 minutes.
I have had regular 60-minute full body massages from a therapist whose routine has included face, chest, abdomen and glutes. The London College of Massage teaches just such a routine. And there are examples of such routines on at least 3 videos:
‘Swedish Massage’ by IMC Vision
‘Basic Massage' by The London College of Massage
‘Whole Body Massage’ by Affinity

The obvious drawback of doing a full body massage in an hour is that it doesn’t give any spare time to do additional work on specific problem areas. I would suggest that this is where the client consultation is important. As I mentioned on an earlier thread, many of my new clients have a specific reason for making an appointment, eg shoulder pain or lower back pain. I explain what my normal sequence involves, ask if there is anything they would like omitted (usually this is the glutes and/or the abdominals) and if there is any area where they would like particular attention. I have the impression that where some of our newly-qualified therapists may be going wrong is that they are trying to apply a standard ‘one-size-fits-all’ routine to all clients, regardless of the client's needs. A client who has booked an appointment because of tight shoulders will want extra time on that area, and may well neither want nor need gluteal massage. Conversely, a client who has booked an appointment because of lower back pain will probably benefit from gluteal massage. Similarly, some people (particularly men) don’t want their face to be massaged and (as Rosie mentioned on an earlier post) some people don’t like abdominal massage.

Alan

 

[metime]

Alan,
I never used the word impossible, I just gave my own personal thoughts from experience, I know every one is different, from 90 plus years old to professional sportspeople, I do know because I have worked with them. As for your comments I found them very pessimistic. As for cost and time, you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. I personally prefer to listen, it is the best way to learn and get the right results.

 

[Cracked]

Hi Ray

I hope that you aren’t intending to suggest that all therapists who charge low prices are “monkeys” !!
Perhaps surprisingly, my experience is that as far as massage is concerned, there is not always a correlation between cost and quality. I think that the price of a massage will largely depend on where a therapist works: a therapist in a wealthy area can charge high prices, whereas a therapist working in a low-income area probably can’t. There was some discussion of this on the earlier thread ‘attracting new clients’. And there was a very interesting survey last year which purported to show the average income for each Parliamentary constituency. For example, the average income in Kensington & Chelsea was over £50,000 pa, whereas the average income in Croydon North was only £18,800 pa. I would expect that therapists working in Kensington & Chelsea would charge more than therapists working in Croydon North: it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are better therapists !!
For the benefit of any new therapists who may be uncertain how much to charge, it may be worth mentioning that in 2000 the magazine Runner’s World advised its readers:



(I assume that by ‘other specialists’, Runner’s World was referring to physios, osteopaths, etc., rather than to other types of massage. And according to the Retail Prices Index, £30 at January 2000 prices equates to £35 at current prices.)

I’m not sure why you consider my comments ‘pessimistic’, although I will readily admit that (as I’ve mentioned on earlier threads) my personal experience is that the standard of massage in the UK seems to be much more uneven, and generally lower, than the standard of massage in other ‘Western’ countries where I have received massage. It is clear from various posts in the training forum and in this forum that some UK tutors don’t bother to teach the appropriate techniques for abdominal or gluteal massage. There was some discussion of the differences in standards on the earlier thread ‘legalising massage’, where ‘Ruth 101’ gave examples of how some other countries require substantially more time in massage training than either ITEC or VTCT require:


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[Frost Gothic]

massage should be tailored to each individuals' needs, which in my experience doesnt always happen. I have had LOTS of massage, and found certain training organisations teach routines that the student/graduate takes away and performs on every single person, which I find a complete waste of time.

Regarding the financial aspect, I have graduates who's charges vary greatly, from £80 per hour in some areas, to as low as £20 in others, but I know from experience that their treatments will be just as good as each other, so I think that rebuts the 'pay peanuts, get monkeys' statement. In our bradford clinic we charge £30 per hour, which is a standard charge, but 30 miles down the roadin our clinic in Manchester we charge £40 per hour, for the same sort of treatments, by the same therapists.

 

[Pows]

I agree with "sportstherapy" that many therapists have a routine, and stick with it.

Also, I think that it is hard to find the right therapist (and therapy routine)for you.

The key thing for me is to find a therapist that has the skills, and shows a little empathy to me as a client. Some of them make it seem like a trip to the Dentist..........and that's not just for deep Tissue Massage!!!

KB