How to distinguish a good massage therapist from a bad one - some useful tips. How to find a good massage therapist
"A good massage therapist should be a good teacher"
You need to feel very well the line that separates a competent master and a huckster. And it's out of stock medical education and lots of certificates. "Crusts" are now being faked everywhere, and most of them do not say anything. The main thing is experience and an impeccable understanding of physiology.
When looking for your massage therapist, you can trust the reviews of friends, or better, ask a neurologist. Call all candidates, tell briefly about your problem and ask how the master will solve it, how many sessions will be required, what is the cost. Feel free to ask questions!
I would not advise going to the master, whose business is put on stream. The work of a massage therapist is very difficult, and he simply cannot be conscientious if he receives 20 clients a day. And keep in mind that many masters deliberately extend the course in order to earn money.
A good massage therapist should give you homework, teach the basic techniques of self-massage and help adjust the lifestyle. I had a client who suffered from cholecystitis and hepatosis. I gave her a massage course, but I knew perfectly well that this was not enough - she would leave me and get sick again. It turned out that the lady eats mostly meat and fast food. I told her about yoga, vegetarianism and helped build healthy lifestyle life. And this is the task of every master.
And I’m always baffled by questions of the format: “How much does it cost for you to massage the collar zone?” Alas, in Soviet medicine it is customary to divide people into parts, as in a butcher's shop: here, if you please, the lower back costs so much, and the paravertebral zone so much. What the master really needs to work with will determine for himself. Run away from a masseur who, after listening to your complaints about a sore neck, will only massage this very neck.
Sergey Belyaev, massage therapist, author of the blog Mickey White:
"Reject the master who does not make you more beautiful"
Beginners usually have a lot of stereotypes about massage therapists and, accordingly, false expectations. Many believe that the master should look like a bodybuilder, and only then can he be trusted. I met fragile girls who were excellent craftsmen, and I myself am far from a jock.
There is a stereotype that after the first session there can be no result. This is not so: you should leave the master with a feeling of pleasant warmth and lightness in your whole body. If after one visit you feel heaviness, dizziness, nausea, and there are abrasions or bruises on your body, do not return. Massage should make a person happy, healthy and beautiful, so I always give fitness as well. For example, I advise and compose an individual set of exercises. After all, the master must help your body in healthy development, and it cannot be one-sided.
Natalia, 62 years old, associate professor at Moscow State University. Goes to the same massage therapist for 10 years:
“Massage is a dish to which a good master must add the right spices”
Find good masseur V big city — difficult task: the market is crowded, and getting to a hung with certificates, but a mediocre master is easier than ever. I have been looking for my own for many years, although my tasks were simple: relieve back pain and keep fit. I have been to expensive spas, where for fabulous money beautiful models stroked me indifferently for half an hour, and to Soviet sanatoriums, where I came across good, old-school, but very dissatisfied masters. They vigorously shared this dissatisfaction during each session: I refused a really good massage therapist, tired of listening to eternal stories about his daughter's unsuccessful marriage. It is very important that you feel psychologically comfortable with the master, otherwise each session will be a torment, regardless of the result.
Masseuse Olga was recommended to me by my hairdresser: if you have a proven person in the field of beauty services, you can trust his opinion. After the very first session, I realized that this was love forever: Olga perfectly felt my body, there was no need to give her any instructions. During the sessions, she told me about her trips to retreats, and proper nutrition. And quietly became for me a kind of wellness coach. I like that Olga is constantly learning and honing new knowledge on me, whether it be spa therapy. I trust her completely and the result is always excellent.
Daria, 22 years old, student. Goes to the same massage therapist for 8 years:
"He was the first master who did not refuse me"
I have a severe curvature of the spine and have always had excruciating back pain. By the age of 14, a real hump had grown on my neck, from which no one could and did not want to save me. I went to clinics, went to sanatoriums, made appointments - everyone, when they saw me, rolled their eyes and said: “At 14 years old! With such overweight! Be patient, you can't help."
I found Oleg through distant relatives, already completely desperate. He was absolutely calm and calm: “Well, yes, seriously, but we will cure everything,” and immediately inspired confidence in me. I think this is the most important thing when choosing a massage therapist. He worked not only with a sore neck, but with the entire back, explaining to me that otherwise it would be impossible to achieve an effect. After a six-month course - yes, painful and difficult - I straightened up and stopped suffering. And it was one of the most good luck in my life.
Anna, 39, owner of a soap shop. Goes to the same massage therapist for 12 years:
“For me, health and beauty are impossible without massage”
I travel a lot and have always tried to try massage in all parts of the world. Most often, I was disappointed until I found my masseur, fortunately, in my own city. It was so long ago that I no longer remember how we met, but I remember very well my impression of the first session: this is what I need! And I was not at all interested in whether he had certificates (although they are).
Massage is work, and for me personally it is very important that my master is never late and gives his best. I do the usual general massage, because I think that , and so on are nothing more than labels. A good master will help you solve all your problems without setting separate price tags. Yes, the services of my massage therapist are not cheap, but you can and should pay for the quality in this matter.
Massage is very popular medical procedure, which is recommended for both therapeutic and recreational purposes. Massage services are offered everywhere, but how to find a specialist in a sea of ads who is not afraid to entrust your health? There are several simple recommendations.
- First of all, a massage therapist is a doctor, which means that he has a secondary or special medical education. Like any physician, he is obliged to regularly (every five years) confirm his qualifications. The massage therapist must have a certificate from the regional ministry of health with the assignment of the appropriate category - second, first or highest. And if he practices privately, then he must also have a license to provide medical services. The office should have a special massage table or couch.
- If you came for a massage yourself, and not in the direction of the attending physician, then the masseur is obliged to conduct a consultation. He will ask you about the lifestyle you lead, what chronic diseases you have, whether there were any injuries, surgeries. If necessary, he will send you to additional examinations such as ultrasound internal organs or X-ray of the sections of the spine of interest to him. Otherwise, you risk getting injured right on the massage table or after the session you go to the ambulance with an acute renal colic. Therefore, it is useful to take the results of the latest results with you to the initial consultation. medical examinations, if they are.
- The massage therapist has the right to refuse you the service medical indications. Diseases of cardio-vascular system, kidney stones, neoplasms, injuries, exacerbations of chronic diseases - all these are contraindications to various types massage.
- Immediately before the session, the specialist washes his hands. He may ask you to remove rings, rings and chains that interfere with normal blood circulation, because during the massage, the volume of blood flow and lymph flow throughout the body increases significantly.
- The pain of the procedure depends on the state of your body and the type of massage. Discomfort during a session is normal, but qualified specialist knows how to minimize pain. And, of course, he reacts to your condition, especially if there is sharp pain: in this case, one should definitely not be silent and endure. Usually the peak of discomfort falls on the second or third session.
- After the session, a good massage therapist will help the patient slowly (to avoid a sharp outflow of blood from the head) get off the couch and watch you for about ten minutes, especially if this is the first visit: severe dizziness and even fainting after a deep massage is not uncommon. Unfortunately, the practice of many domestic sanatoriums implies a kind of massage conveyor, when a “freshly wrinkled” patient is immediately pushed out the door to receive the next one.
- During the massage course, alcohol should be excluded from the diet and heavy food, limit physical exercise, do not lift weights, refuse to visit the steam room and sauna. These are not formal restrictions, but mandatory conditions, non-compliance with which can nullify the entire effect of the procedure.
Of course, there are good massage therapists without a medical education, as they say, from God. But isn’t there a higher chance of running into a horseman that can cause serious harm to your health? Do not take risks - choose a specialist who has the necessary qualifications and is responsible for the results of his work.
traumatologist-orthopedist, doctor- chiropractor, podiatrist
The modern way of life is becoming less mobile. Stress does not let us go either at work or at home, which cannot but affect our health and often leads to pain, tension pain. Alas, despite all the attempts to be more attentive to their well-being, do fitness, diet and maintain sleep patterns (and all this with the help of various gadgets and applications), the number of people suffering from chronic pain and discomfort in the back and muscles is not reduced. Vice versa. How to be? by the most effective way Prevention of such conditions is therapeutic massage. But how among all the variety of offers to choose the right specialist? Let's try to figure it out.
Where exactly to find a good specialist?
As a rule, in search of a massage therapist, we turn to:
- in private and public medical institutions;
- to SPA centers, fitness clubs, massage rooms and beauty salons;
- to specialized Internet services;
- to masseurs who go to the house or host at home.
Do not be afraid to make a mistake with the choice, because you are in search, and it is not a fact that the first option will suit you. Many centers offer discounts on the first session or even a free trial massage - be sure to check for availability. Do not be surprised if you need to go through two or three specialists on the way to the massage therapist of your dreams.
Price
Enough significant criterion when choosing a specialist is the cost of the service. We have all been told and continue to be told that it is impossible to save on health, but not always high price is equivalent to quality, so you should look for the optimal ratio. Of course, the price largely depends not only on the skill of the massage therapist, but also on the location of the massage: if it is a SPA center or a beauty salon, then include in the price an extra charge for staff services, room rental, marketing ... Private masseurs are deprived of these extra charges, which does not always affect the quality for the worse: they work for their reputation, but often when you go to a massage therapist at home, instead of a smile from the administrator, you can expect a cat sharpening its claws on your favorite sheepskin coat, or flannel slippers not the first freshness.
Try to avoid masseurs with excessively low prices: it is quite possible that these Henry Fords are reinventing the pipeline, passing crowds of people through themselves, which, of course, will affect the quality of the service in a negative direction.
The average price tag for a massage in Moscow varies greatly. You can focus on 2000-3500 rubles, depending on the volume and area of work (although I came across ads where a general massage was offered for 600 rubles).
Renown as a specialist
- masseur education;
- experience;
- average number of clients per week/month;
- types of massage he practices.
Feel free to ask, ask and ask again! You should be interested in everything: from the received certificates to the place of work and the cosmetics used. Special attention pay attention to the entourage, even if it can be misleading to a certain extent. Of course, pleasant lighting in the form of candles, melodious tunes, aromas of lavender and sage are significant aspects the work of any massage parlor, but you are going to improve your health, and not eat Eastern culture. So try to highlight things that belong to the must-have category:
- a separate office with a massage table, a washbasin, ideally a shower and a bathroom;
- clean and fresh towels (naturally, each patient is provided individually);
- disposable fleece sheets;
- observance of hygiene by the specialist himself. Before the session, the massage therapist must wash their hands or treat them with an antibacterial agent.
All this is a priority for therapeutic massage. Of course, if you came for a full-fledged SPA procedure, then all aroma, audio and light supplements are no less, and often even more important factors, because massage in this case is just one of the components of a large relaxation complex.
Portrait of a massage therapist
Main features:
- Must (preferably) have a higher or secondary medical education. Just understanding how the hands move during certain manipulations is not enough for high-quality work. Knowledge of anatomy and physiology is required, which cannot be obtained in a monthly course home schooling by tutorials.
- Be sure to take an interest in the reason that prompted you to contact him (exactly the reason, and not the person who sent you to him). Find out indications and contraindications. In the presence of the latter, they will politely refuse to accept you, explaining the reason and answering all questions.
- May be asked to provide medical documents or statements confirming your health problems (they can be a source additional information for a massage therapist), will ask you about chronic diseases, will take an interest in the health of the parents (to clarify information about heredity). Treat going to a massage parlor like a consultation with a doctor.
- Many chiropractors also practice massage (or rather, these two areas are inextricably linked). If a specialist offers you something to “move”, “crunch”, put “in place” without first clarifying health problems (or even better, asking for X-ray or MRI images) - be careful and better refuse dubious manipulation.
- Doesn't suit you. The masseur does his job: there are times when you have to endure pain or discomfort, not the whole massage process is pleasant (you are not in a SPA).
- Must be experienced enough (it's not about age). In any case, practice is an important factor, and it is quite reasonable not to want to be a guinea pig, especially when it comes to health.
- At the next meeting, the massage therapist is interested in your condition after the previous session.
- Massage should not be symmetrical and limited to only one area. From the study of two or three muscles, the problem will not go away, but will only smooth out for a few days. For example, if your neck is bothering you, most likely the massage therapist will work and collar area, and blades with thoracic region spine, may well descend to lumbar area spine and even work out the gluteal (!) muscles (and again, do not forget to ask, a good specialist should explain to you the logic and reasons for his actions without any problems)
Additional characteristics:
- The ideal massage therapist is a "blind" massage therapist. The specialist has a well-developed tactile sensitivity. The main tool for him is his fingers, with which he objectively determines the zones of pain and hypertonicity, and not the cries of the patient. But this does not mean that you should not ask questions and show your reaction to the massage! What problems do I have with my spine? Where are the muscles tight? Why does it hurt here and not there? To all these questions, you should get a clear reasoned answer.
- Oddly enough, a professional never guarantees 100% result. Human body- the system is very complex and requires purely individual approach: where one patient needs 2-3 sessions of 20-30 minutes, another needs 10-12 hour sessions.
- During the session, he talks with you, shares his observations, the presence of your problem areas, will definitely give recommendations for Everyday life(this may include advice on sports, diet, and daily routine).
- Even if a massage therapist has certificates all over the wall of his office, he does not practice 33 types of massage. IN best case you simply will not feel the difference between "Spanish" and "Swedish" massage and this gradation exists only to expand the price list.
- Recording after the preliminary queue may indicate the professionalism of the master (but still try to share the demand for a massage therapist and his pursuit of work volumes!).
I hope that thanks to these tips you will be able to find a good massage therapist and solve your health problems with his help!
Today there is great amount a wide variety of courses that train people who dream of working as masseurs. All of them will then practice, but this does not mean that each such specialist can be trusted. There are several ways to distinguish good master from bad. Let's outline the most important of them.
So, the first thing you need to pay attention to is how the massage therapist works in the first session. An experienced master will not use unnecessarily additional funds that make his job easier. Creams, oils, talc should be used only in exceptional cases. Aroma oils, for example, are good for spa treatments, talc can only be used when the massage therapist needs to quickly dry sweaty hands. Creams in therapeutic massage are used to enhance therapeutic effect, but not so that the hands slide over the body better.
Currently, professional massage at home is in great demand. So, a bad massage therapist will agree to a session if the client wishes to lie down on a sofa or a soft bed. Ideally, the master should bring a folding couch with him, if there is none, the specialist will definitely ask the client to lie down on the floor. Only on a hard surface can you work out the necessary parts of the body well.
A bad massage therapist works out the body strictly symmetrically, as he was taught: three strokes on the right, then three strokes on the left, four rubbing on the right, four on the left. healthy person such a massage will not hurt, but it will not help the patient get rid of the disease. A professional feels tissues and sore muscles and works with them, taking into account pathological changes(the sick side is pressed harder and more intensely than the healthy side).
If, after the session, the client has bruises on the body, this is a sure sign of insufficient qualifications of the massage therapist. Most likely, he cannot properly capture the muscles, control the intensity of the impact. A real professional will not allow the formation of pain. He works closely with the client, constantly asking him how he feels, if necessary, a qualified massage therapist is able to easily change tactics and achieve maximum pain relief.
A bad master does not move at all. During the session, only his hands work, he does not move his legs, does not transfer his weight from one point to another. A professional tries to avoid static postures, so he makes his work easier and enhances the effect of his own manipulations.
A real master is not talkative, he fully concentrates on work and tries not to be led by the client. If necessary, it will work longer than the fixed time, if the situation requires it. A real master never massages strictly by zones, he will definitely work out neighboring muscles, the only way to achieve the expected result. What else? If you want to take a course of therapeutic massage, you do not need to call the spa salon. It is important to contact specialists, given their qualifications. Anyone who wants to know where to get a Thai massage, order the services of a masseur specializing in medical direction or cosmetology, can discover the portal - a convenient platform where they present their services today the best representatives their professions.