Swedish Massage and buttocks!

[Jeff Smith]

Hi there

When I did my training at college the tutor did mention that normally the buttocks are included in swedish massage. I think she may have done 1 demo right at the beginning of the course, but said we wouldn't be covering it on the course due to privacy of each student.

So i've tended to avoid that area when doing a massage, so I'm wondering whether I should be doing it, as I see quite a few of you seem to. If so, does that mean that clients should have no underwear on?

The tutor also said we should ask male clients to wear shorts and not go up too high on the thigh area. This would make buttock work quite difficult.

Another question related to this as well, do you ask the client if they want an abdominal massge at consultation, or do you automatically include it, or avoid it? Just curious on this one.

Regards
Deb

 

[barhopper]

Hi Deb

What a ridiculous thing to state on a course that you would not be covering the gluteals!

Around 35% of the people I treat have problems in the gluteals and everyone who has a back massage gets their gluteals massaged and checked for problems.

They are the largest muscles in the body and do the most work and are therefore more prone to accidents, IMO if you miss the gluteals then you might as well not do a back massage.

On my consultation sheet I have a diagram of the human body one for the males and the other for the females, I outline any procedures generally required for any particular treatment indicating the areas that will require treatment and ask them if they understand and would like to comment or ask any questions and that usually covers it for me.

 

[akluis]

paul, i totally agree... maybe the issue was to do with the fact that it's a swedish massage course and not remedial or sports?

deb, there's a book called "Basic Clinical Massage Therapy: Integrating Anatomy and Treatment" by James H. Clay, David M. Pounds, which has a great section on draping. failing that, use their underwear as an anchor point for the towel, so you can approach from a superior or inferior direction. done properly and respectfully, neither you nor they will feel uncomfortable.

x
henry

 

[demelo]

Paul I have to say I agree that a back massage should include the glutes. Though I did ITEC AP & M and we didn't massage the glutes, it just wasn't mentioned. I think your idea about the diagram in the consultation is brilliant so thanks for that.

Most of my clients though have underwear that I would struggle to move aside or tuck the towel into in such a way as to expose the buttock so I feel that in 95% of cases I'd have to ask them to remove their underwear. Can you give me your thoughts on this please, I'd be very grateful.

Sally

 

[Casey G- still has CRS]

Hi Sally

Most underwear can be slid down so you can get access, the most difficult item I find seems to be thongs, they are an absolute pain to move around, to tight to slide down and they are in the wrong place to get access unless you are coming up from the legs, you still need to slip them down when you do the back though

 

[miayswbr]

i was trained in australia so i'm not at all familiar with ITEC courses. am i hearing that the basic ITEC massage course does not teach you to massage the gluts???

 

[Gerald Cline]

That's right happyfingers glutes weren't even mentioned! Other than in Anatomy and Physiology. At least not on the course I did and I got full marks in my practical without so obviously not on the marking sheet.

What qualifications did anyone else do?

 

[Courtney Chaplin]

VTCT don't teach massage of the glutes, or at least they didn't when I trained three years ago.

I do, however, think, that as happyfingers says, it was because it is holistic or Swedish massage and not remedial or sports.

I don't always do it as a matter of course, although, I do work much lower than I was taught. However, if the client has specific lower back or hip problems, I always explain that it would be helpful for me to work the glutes.

Lesley

 

[Nosmo King]

We werent taught to work on the glutes either (VTCT) but when I had a sports massage recently the lady who massaged me worked on my glutes through the towel.

 

[ztnyshnr]

Now there you go!!

We did glutes on my VTCT Swedish Massage 2 years ago!! - through either the underwear or through the towel - a bit of effleurage and then a bit of kneading, followed by a bit of hacking & then effleurage again. I can understand why people might not want to have it or do it - but it is a really good treatment when you considered what that area has to contend with in terms of weight and mobility.

LOL

FBx

 

[Tino {20}]

Its Friday, and I am off for a week so I am feeling fairly relaxed and don`t care too much.

But if you feel that you need to massage any particular bit of me through a towel, then by the same logic as to both my and your total "body" shyness, you must massage all of me through a towel.

I might be polite on the day but I am highly unlikely to return.

Have a nice weekend everyone - with or without your towels, buttocks or other controversial bits.

 

[ygelphoh]

I agree; I also wouldn't return to a massage therapist who asked me to wear shorts and who was too prudish to work on the glutes. I assume that Deb has read the earlier thread on 'naked massage'. The London College of Massage website suggests advising new clients that it is preferable not to wear underwear for a massage; and while I realise that many clients prefer to wear underwear, I don't think that a therapist should insist on this.

Alan

 

[dood]

i always ask my clients to wear underwear of some fashion because i use their underwear for draping. i can get to any body part just as effectively as if they weren't wearing anything. if they insist on being naked, i ask them to find another therapist. it's just the way i operate.

 

[Imissidgegams]

Hi there

Been reading all your comments with interest. As someone pointed out, there seems to be a few differences between the different massages available.

I feel with remedial massage if you have a problem in and around the buttock area then you would expect treatment there, same sort of situation when you go to a physio.

Personally I would not expect anyone to be totally naked. I myself would not feel comfortable about being asked to remove all my clothes for a massage, but that's me.

Someone I know who had a massage by a man, said she felt totally uncomfortable about the whole situation, she said the towel kept falling out of place. Although the therapist took no notice, it made her feel uneasy and therefore not relaxed. Hence to say she didn't go back.

I suspect it's only a matter of time before someone claims to have been abused whilst totally naked under a towel. Personally I would not want to put myself at risk.

I have heard of a lot of stories from female therapist who have been asked to massage men. When you are a female and working alone you have to be extremely careful. I'm not saying all men are like this but there are unfortunately a few who think massage is for other purposes.

I guess it's up to the individual therapist to do what they think best.

Regards
Deb

 

[Price]

Hi Deb

I forgot to mention in my previous post that there is a very good Swedish massage video produced by IMC Vision (www.imcvision.com) which includes a demonstration of gluteal massage, with good towel procedure (towels covering the back and the legs so that only the gluteal area is exposed).
If you want your male clients to wear underwear for treatment, I would personally recommend pulling it down in order to work on the glutes (as suggested by Paul), rather than working through the underwear and/or a towel.

Alan

 

[Fadbfvjxvu]

Hello everyone. New here and from the US. I found this thread most interesting because it differs so much from what I learned here in school. We learn Swedish Massage with some Deep Tissue and learn how to perform full body massages including the glutes undraped. We're also taught how to give some massage over clothing if a client isn't comfortable removing all of their clothes. Here in Virginia it's most common that a person will remove all of their clothing for a full body massage and will be draped with sheets, not towels. I personally have issues with my glutes and lateral rotators, and if a massage therapist was uncomfortable working on them, I would not want a massage from them. If you're uncomfortabe with people being fully unclothed this wouldn't be the profession for you around here.

Take Care

 

[katiet93]

Hello gntlhnds

Welcome to the forum

You will probably use a sheet over there because it is warmer, we have a short summer over here and you have to keep people warm or they tighten up and defeat the object of the treatment.

I must agree that I would be put off by someone who was not comfortable working my body for whatever muscular/skeletal dysfunctions I happened to have which sent me for treatment in the first place.

If people go to the dentists they expect to expose their teeth for treatment, if they go to a massage therapist they should expect to expose their bodies or at lease the bits that are getting worked, midst you when it does get warm over hear, patients often throw the towel on the floor as it is uncomfortable when they are to hot

 

[Mayroitiado]

I hope we have got to the bottom of this now.....

 

[Lava Girl]

I have just completed ITEC Holistic Massage and we worked on the glutes - the tope part via the back and the bottom part via the legs. It seems to me that unless you find the right tutor you could have a problem - maybe it is the tutors enforcing their own opinions on their students, rather than following the sylabus!

Rainbow

 

[RAWRRR!]

SallyH, hi;
Am astonished that you didn't do glutes in your ITEC. Agree humbly with Paul that they are crucial if you're going to do any good to the back.
Our school was ever so keen about 'ethical' techniques, to the point that we wouldn't ever stand at the bottom of the couchfacing up for fear of seeing too much. Draping technique ensured we never glimpsed a nipple either.
We were trained to ask guys to wear briefs - you just can't stretch back shorts or boxers - and it is then easy to pull back the fabric to expose one glute at a time. I can see that having no underwear on a client would make it easier to work on the top of the glutes - I've not really experimented with this though, and am used to using elastic waistband to anchor the drapes.

I always discuss abdominal massage before the massage, I'd rather not run into surprises during the treatment. If someone suffers from IBS or colon problems - or indeed is having painful periods - it's better to know. I also have one friend who will vomit if you so much as touch his belly-button
Love and light
BV
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