After Care for Therapeutic Body Massage Services in Charlotte NC

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If you avail of therapeutic body massage services from professional massage therapists, it would be good to know of best practices in after care that you should expect from your therapist. These best practices are applicable for any therapeutic body massage services you avail of, including foot massage, back massage, Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage or reflexology massage. You might want to choose the services of body massage therapists in Charlotte NC who apply these best practices.

In her article titled “Aftercare or Afterthought? What Happens at the End of the Massage Session” at PositiveHealth.com, Su Fox writes of the kind of after care she gives her clients in her massage therapy practice. Su Fox is a psychotherapist and a massage and craniosacral therapist who is also a senior tutor and assessor at the Massage Training Institute. She is the author of the books “Practical Pathology for Massage” and “Relating to Clients: The Therapeutic Relationship for Complementary Therapists” and co-author of “Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology for Massage,” all from Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Fox believes that after care is a very important part of massage therapy and that a proper holistic massage session should be made up of consultation, massage treatment and after care.

The consultation before the massage treatment is when the massage therapist asks the client about his reasons for having a massage, his expectations from the massage session and any discomfort he has been experiencing in his body. All illnesses should be disclosed by the client at this point. The therapist, on the other hand, explains what will happen during the session and which of the clients’ expectations are likely to be met and which are not. It is at this point that the relationship between the therapist and the client is first established. That relationship is then cemented by the actual massage treatment, where the therapist earns the client’s full trust by the quality of the massage given. According to Fox, the relationship is then balanced off by after care.

Fox points out that holistic massage should take into consideration the needs of the individual “within the context of her whole life.” She, therefore, feels that the client should be able to take home something more than immediate relief for her discomforts from the massage therapy session.

Fox identifies after care as the method by which the therapist can teach the client how to integrate lessons from the massage session into her daily life so that its benefits become long term. She says the movements and stretches done by therapists on the client’s body can be translated into movements taught to the client to be done regularly at home. If bad habits in terms of posture and movement are observed or elicited during the consultation period, these can be pointed out by the therapist. The client can then be taught how to move correctly and hold his body correctly in different situations. Of course, Fox says, the client’s health, lifestyle and skill level should always be taken into consideration for all recommendations given by the therapist.

Fox further reminds therapists that they should be observant of signs in the client’s body that may warrant referral to other specialists. She cites an example of a mole on one of her regular clients’ back which she observed to be growing in size. She advised him to have it checked by a doctor.

If the massage therapists in your favorite massage clinic apply the aforementioned best practices in after care when you go for foot massage, back massage, Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage or reflexology massage, you might want to show them your appreciation by purchasing body massage gift cards to give as presents to your family and friends in Charlotte NC.