This is a quick one! Just a tiny alteration to shoulder petrissage that can make a big difference in client perception and (possibly) the physiological effects. By creating fascial traction or slack, plain old trapezius squeezing can feel new and interesting. Let me know what you think!
All posts by Ian Harvey
Massage video: How to give longer sessions (90+ minutes)
This one’s on how to give longer massages without being bored to tears. In fact, once you start “exploring the space” that longer sessions give you, you might never want to give an hour-long massage again.
In the video, I talk about slowing down (my favorite thing, as you may have gathered), reintegrating large swaths of the body after you do specific techniques, and altering your techniques to make them feel new again. While making these little alterations might require some conscious effort at first, you’ll find yourself doing them automatically over time. Allow yourself to experiment, and your massage will evolve and grow in ways that you might not expect.
What other ways are there for stretching out a session? Do you do foot treatment add-ons? Hot towel applications? Tapotement drum solos? Tell me about it in the comments!
Massage Malady #2: “Distractor Spinae”
Today’s massage malady: Distractor Spinae. This is the unfortunate condition in which massage therapists become SO ENTHRALLED by the spine and the surrounding tissues that other structures are all but ignored. Latissimus dorsi? What’s that? Rotator cuff… that’s in the ankle, right?
This happens for a reason, of course. There is a ton of feel-good muscle around the spine, especially if you count trapezius. When people think of massage, they think of getting their erectors ironed out and getting some superior trap petrissage. Your clients may have forgotten that they have other parts too.
All the more reason to branch out! If you can regularly include areas of the body that other massage therapists either glance over or skip entirely, you can differentiate yourself in a crowded market. If you’re just doing what everyone else is doing, why should a client request you specifically?
New video, finally! This one’s just a quick product review, but I think it’s a neat one: the T-wedge breast bolster from DevLon Northwest. If you’ve got massage clients who have breast discomfort while prone, this thing can be a godsend.
Have I mentioned my 80 Videos in 80 Weeks Slothathon? Because this is video 1/80.
Massage Malady #1: Invisible Jean Shorts Syndrome
Let’s talk about some common massage problems. First up: Invisible Jean Shorts Syndrome. This is where a massage therapist conspicuously stops massage techniques far before their logical conclusion, as if the client were wearing a pair of jean shorts from the 1990s.
Your massage therapist starts a lovely stroke down your back, your spine starts to decompress, the pressure is perfect and… they stop at L2, thwarted as if by a force field. They’re traveling up the hamstrings, really ironing them out, the world is wonderful, and… they stop 6 inches from your ischial tuberosity.
Now, I don’t mean to make you feel bad if you’ve got issues about the gluteal region. That’s fine, that’s not unusual, and it’s something that we’ll talk about in the future. If, however, you’ve got no issues with the glutes: There’s something uniquely frustrating, as a client, about a technique half-delivered!