Massage by Julia's Health Notes--June 2006

Hello and welcome to this month's installment of my Health Notes!

In this month's issue, find my discussion on things that might not feel really great when you get a massage

Some people have made comments to me about massages they've gotten in the past with other thera-
pists. A few have felt sore during or for a couple of days after their session and weren't sure if this was
normal or what they should have said to the therapist. Let me address each of these ideas separately.

A professional therapist is supposed to ask the client what kind of pressure he/she is in the mood for today.
The therapist normally asks this before the session starts or in the first few seconds as she is spreading
the oil or lotion on your skin and doing some warm-up strokes. However, if you see your therapist regularly
and always want the same type of pressure each time, your therapist will remember your personal pref-
erences and may not ask each session. You may be in a different mood one day or have different goals
for your massage session, so do speak up and let your therapist know what pressure you want (light,
medium, firm). There are times when I go for my own massages and want a light, soothing massage and
other times I feel I need to be stretched and "wrung out"! But certainly, if your therapist is not using a pressure
that you like, please say so! We appreciate feedback. After all, it's your hour and your money. You should
be comfortable with the strokes the therapist is using, so much so that you are able to mentally zone out
and won't really pay any attention to what she is doing.

As for feeling sore a couple of days after a massage, again, too much pressure used on the table is one
reason for this. This is not normal and is not a goal. Be proactive with your health care and speak up during
your session, but keep in mind less is more when it comes to massage. If you continue to have massages
that just don't feel right, find a new therapist--one who is more tuned in to her clients' needs!

Other people have mentioned to me that they've felt dizzy for a few minutes when they get up from their
massage table or felt flu-like symptoms during the next several days. I asked if the therapist explained why
that happens and what to do about it. They said no. Surprisingly, there are a great number of therapists out
there who are either poorly trained or just don't care about their clients' health! Massage of any kind, even
a quick 10-minute chair massage, lowers one's blood pressure. Before getting up off the table or up from
the massage chair, stay still, take 3-4 deep breaths to come back to reality and infuse the brain with fresh
oxygen, then get up slowly. If you are on the table try rolling to one side for a moment, then push yourself to
a sitting position, take a few more deep breaths, then stand up. Don't rush putting on your clothes and getting
back to your busy life. Rubbing your palms together will help you feel grounded. Drink lots of water or juice
in the hours after your massage.

Water is so important, not only immediately after the massage to help you wake up but for the rest of the day
and the next day, as well. Massage pushes lymph fluid (the sewer system of the body) from where it has pooled.
The toxins collected in the lymph fluid must be flushed out of the body. The best way to do this is to drink a lot
of water so you can eliminate the toxins when you go to the bathroom. If you don't drink enough, you may feel
achy, flu-like symptoms, headaches, groggy, etc for a couple of days. Believe me, I forgot to drink water after
my own massage a while ago and felt really weird the next day. I finally figured out why!!! So drink up!

Take care of yourselves--body, mind and spirit!

Have a stress-free month,

Julia Morrow, CMT/LMT
818.421.0597