How to Choose the Right Massage Therapist

| October 1, 2015

How to Choose the Right Massage Therapist

In these times of stress, a massage can be a little slice of heaven to relax and soothe you. People have realized the benefits of a massage and are flocking to salons and parlours to get a good treatment from a great masseuse. However, choosing the right therapist isn’t as easy as it sounds. In fact, in many cases, people have developed a life-long distaste for the therapy. You want to get the best benefit from your massage but don’t know what would work for you? Here’s a brief guide that can help.

Decide your Purpose

That sounds too lofty for just a simple massage but you need to set a goal. Do you want a nice and gentle massage just to relax? Or do you want to address a deep pain or tension that would need firmer hands? Depending on the requirements, you’ll have to pick different massage therapies.

For example, a good entry-level massage is a Swedish massage that aims to relax you and ease mild tension. However, if you need to address something serious like muscle pain, trapped nerve, etc, Swedish massage won’t work for you.

Learn about Massage

There are different kinds of treatments out there that might work for you. If you just stick to the popular, you might never find the treat treatment. As we mentioned earlier, Swedish massage is great for entry level therapy where there’s no specific issue to address.

There are other, more targeted therapies available too. Deep tissue is a well known targeted therapy. Similarly, neuromuscular therapy, myofacial release, Rolfing, etc, are very efficient but not very well known. Try to learn as much as you can about these therapies. They might prove to be more effective on you than other, well known techniques.

Get to Know the Therapist

You need to be very comfortable for the massage to be effective. First timers are usually very tense and it takes some time for them to relax and trust the masseuse. The more confident you are in her skills, the better you’ll feel. So you can give them a call and conduct a small interview session. Note these points:

  • Their level of training and education
  • How much experience they have
  • If they have a license and are they certified?
  • What kind of clients do they focus on? Do they primarily massage athletes? Elderly? Children?
  • How do they approach massage? Are they gentle or do they believe that some pain is necessary to give the right results?

If you know these points, you’ll be able to choose the therapist that might prove to be an ideal match for you. The key word here is might. To know for certain that it’s the right fit, you need to get a massage and experience it personally.

If you find that the masseuse hits the right spots and you feel great after the therapy, you should stick with her. If you want to hire a good and reliable massage therapist, start looking by browsing through the Hotfrog New Zealand’s Massage Therapist page. You’re sure to find someone that addresses your needs here.