What types of massage are offered?
There are many different types of massages offered, including:
Chair massage is clothed and seated in a specially designed chair that alleviates the weight on the spine and opens access to the neck, back, and shoulders.
Therapeutic massage uses modalities that are designed to address and relieve muscle pain, stress and tension.
Swedish massage is a gentle form of massage that can use long strokes, kneading, and circular movements. The goal is a deep state of relaxation.
Deep tissue massage uses slower, more-forceful strokes to target the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. The goal is to address and help relieve muscle pain.
Sports massage is geared toward people involved in sport activities to help prevent or treat injuries.
Prenatal massage can help to decrease the muscle pains associated with pregnancy and can help to improve sleep quality.
Reflexology massage is commonly applied to specific points on the hands and feet. This type of massage is believed to bring relaxation and healing to correlating areas.
Custom massage. A blend of modalities listed above, customized for the client’s goals for the session.
Massage benefits can include:
Reducing stress and increasing relaxation
Reducing pain and muscle soreness and tension
Improving circulation, energy and alertness
Lowering heart rate and blood pressure
Improving immune function
While more research is needed to confirm the benefits of massage, some studies have found massage may also be helpful for:
Anxiety
Digestive disorders
Fibromyalgia
Headaches
Insomnia related to stress
Low back pain
Myofascial pain syndrome
Nerve pain
Soft tissue strains or injuries
Sports injuries
Temporomandibular joint pain
Upper back and neck pain
Beyond the benefits for specific conditions or diseases, some people enjoy massage because it often produces feelings of caring, comfort and connection.
What are the benefits of massage?
What are contraindicated conditions for massage?
Most people can benefit from massage therapy. However, this type of therapy may not be appropriate if you are experiencing any of these contraindicated conditions:
Bleeding disorders or take blood-thinning medication
Burns or healing wounds
Deep vein thrombosis
Infections
Broken bones (fractures)
Severe osteoporosis
A very low platelet count (severe thrombocytopenia)
Is there an age limit for massage?
No, massage therapy is suitable for all ages. Children, teens, adults, and seniors can all potentially benefit from massage therapy.
What should I expect from an in-home table massage?
On the day of your scheduled appointment, your massage therapist will reach out to you when they are on their way and give an ETA. On arrival, let the therapist know where you’d like them to set up. Set up takes about 3-5 minutes. Once prepared, the therapist will ask pertinent questions relevant to what the client needs/wants from their session. The therapist will then ask to be directed to a restroom where they will wash their hands and arms while the client disrobes and gets on the massage table. During the session, please let the therapist know if you’re uncomfortable in any way, and if the pressure is too much, or not enough. At the conclusion of the session, the therapist will return to the restroom to wash their hands and arms while the client gets off the table and dressed. Payment is typically taken at the end, your massage therapist will be able to accept cash, Paypal, or Venmo payments.
Can I use my HSA to pay for massage?
Massage Therapy is eligible for reimbursement with a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) with flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRA).
Massage Therapy is not eligible for reimbursement with a dependent care flexible spending account (DCFSA) or a limited-purpose flexible spending account (LPFSA).
The massage therapist will bring all necessary supplies to support a calm and relaxing environment, but they will need a space to work.
A space prepared that is large enough to accommodate the massage table (roughly the dimensions of a twin bed), with room to walk around it on all sides is necessary for any in-home massage service.
Also, many clients have found it to be convenient when getting on and off the table to be dressed in a robe when the massage therapist arrives. This is not necessary by any means, do what is most comfortable for you.
What do I need to do to prepare for my in-home massage appointment?
How often should I get a massage?
The most common and generic answer is once a month. But, to find what’s best for you in your body and situation it’s best to receive an initial massage session, then wait and see how long it is before your body begins to feel tight or sore again. Lets say this takes three weeks; then the ideal time to have your next massage session scheduled would be in between 14-21 days.
The idea here is to schedule your next massage session before you begin to feel tightness and tension setting in again. It’s best to take 2 steps forward (massage), and only one step back (daily stress, tension, etc) than starting from scratch each time (waiting until you’re sore before receiving another session).
As the sessions progress, you should begin to notice your symptoms are subdued and more time passes between feeling tension and soreness. If this isn’t the case, it may be best to seek advice from your medical practitioner.