Many people find themselves hesitate to try Massage Therapy. Whether it’s through a registered or licensed practitioner or even at spa or on vacation. If you are one of those people, or know someone, I hope this helps calm some anxieties.

I’d first like to start off by saying that MOST people that provide massage therapy (particularly health care professionals) are not judging you in anyway. We are looking past your exterior to try to figure out what is occurring below your skin to make you feel pain, decrease your range of motion or whatever other issue you are experiencing. If you feel judged or uncomfortable you have the right to stop or modify your treatment at any time — even before it begins. And if you experience these feelings try a different practitioner or new location.

Now, let’s move on to my list of common fears that I hear:

• Is massage painful?

No way! Massage therapy treatments should totally be within each individual’s personal pain tolerance levels. If you were to look at a pain scale of 1-10 (1 being no pain and 10 being the most excruciating you can imagine), any technique performed should not surpass a level 7. Generally, relaxation-focused treatments are pain-free. Therapeutic treatments may however have instances where techniques and movements may be uncomfortable. But therapists should always work within your level of pain tolerance and communicate effectively throughout the treatment. Soreness or DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) can be quite common 24-48 hours post-treatment.

• I’m self-conscious about _______.

We all have parts of our body we’re self-conscious about. A few examples could be: your weight, scars, acne/skin blemishes, body hair…

Please don’t let this stop you from getting help from a massage therapist. If you’re sensitive about a particular area, ask them to avoid it. There’s also always the option to have a massage over your clothes.

Weight can be a tricky hesitation. Therapists try their damn-hardest to make clients feel as safe, comfortable and supported as they can in their environment. Any professional is looking much deeper than your exterior to find a solution to your current complaint. When I am treating a client I am visualizing muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, nerves etc, and I feel this is a very large consensus among health care practitioners.

If you ever experience any form of shame, judgement or negativity from myself or another practitioner, let me know so we can fix the situation!

Whatever your concerns, know that your therapists are friendly, supportive and judgment-free.

Hairy Legs: Women will always apologize for their hairy legs. There is a 95% chance that we didn’t even notice and there is a 100% chance that we don’t care. We massage men all the time…they have hairy legs and never apologize for it…ever!

Bad Breath: Bad breath happens. Let us all just agree to breath through our nose and hope no one can smell it! Plus wearing masks during treatment currently really solves that issue!

Body Insecurities: Cellulite, scars, ugly feet, body hair, jiggly bits, and saggy stuff — everyone has their thing. Be glad that your body allows you to do what you love. Some people have it far worse with physical impairments and manage to be able to live a some what ‘normal’ life. It’s not always easy but changing the dialogue helps. When you give positive and caring attention to those bits you learn to love them a little more.

• Is it okay to ask for more or less pressure?

Absolutely! This is YOUR treatment. You decide how it will look and feel. Your therapist cannot read your mind and thoughts so communication is key.

• What if I pass gas during a massage?

When you’re in a relaxed state, you might pass gas during your massage. It may even occur when the therapist applies direct pressure to a particular area.

Any massage therapist will let you know this is normal and just shows you’re relaxed. You’ll get zero judgment from your therapist. Farts happen! Have you ever thought that maybe your therapist is spending just as much time hoping they don’t let one slip while they are massaging you? Most of us are uncomfortable farting in front of others but it just happens sometimes, have a laugh/excuse yourself and move on. If you can’t bear to let it happen, just excuse yourself to go to the bathroom.

• What happens if I’m ticklish?

Let your massage therapist know before your session. We can use firm, slow pressure or, if you’re extremely sensitive, they can avoid your tickle spots. With this said, you can absolutely ask your therapist to avoid any area, for any reason. We may suggest eventually working on it (for a therapeutic reason), but allow yourself to build trust in your therapist first.

• I don’t feel that bad, do I really need a massage?

Every BODY needs a massage! Whether you think you have an issue or not, there is always something to work on. No matter what type of massage you get, they can always help decrease levels of stress — which we all deal with in life. However, no one is perfect, so I do believe that if you think hard enough, you can come up with a few things that aren’t 100%.

Do you have: headaches? decreased mobility in a shoulder/hip/knee? low back pain at work? leg cramps while sleeping?

Any of these can be improved with massage therapy treatments. And the list doesn’t just stop there; trust me, if can go on forever!

Massage therapists are just regular people. We have pimples, we fart, have body image issues and insecurities just like the rest of you.

One thing that makes massage therapy such an amazing profession is that we completely understand the level of trust that you place in us to create a supportive and healing environment. If you ever feel anything other than compassion, support, and acceptance from your massage therapist then you should move to a new one.

I believe myself to be very open and understanding to all people and all situations. Learning from all different people and their experiences is truly a fantastic opportunity.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to pop it in the comments below, or contact me directly if that makes you feel more comfortable.

Please share this with someone you think it could help as well!

Take care,

xoxo Amy