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 Minute Massage for Back to School Parents
- Chauffeur Stretch: Many parents spending most of their waking hours taking kids to and from school, to games, to practice, and to extracurricular activities. Eventually, they start sit and stand like they are permanently in the car. The head goes forward, and the shoulders rotate in. Take your arms and stretch them out to the side. If you’re in the car, hook your right arm behind the passenger head rest and stretch out your shoulder. Lean your head back, to each side, and down, letting the weight of your head pull you into a stretch. You can also do this while taking something away from a child in the back seat.
- Harried Parent Head Rub: Too much to do with your own schedule and all the kids’ stuff? Drop your head forward and relax it. Reach up with your hands and rub your scalp. Press deep into the scalp, and move your fingers in small circles, covering the entire scalp, from the base of your skull to your forehead. Breathe deeply while you do this. Ignore the screaming kids.
- Helping with Homework Neck Work: With all those nights to come spent sitting at the table helping with homework, do a little work on your own neck. Take your right hand and grab your left trapezius muscle (the large muscle at the corner where your neck joins your shoulder) and squeeze. Take both hands and place your fingertips near the top of the shoulder blade close to the neck. Use your fingers to massage, pull and knead the muscles near the base of your neck on your back. With one of your hands, grab the back and side of your neck on the same side and squeeze there as well.
- Spectator Sore Back Rub: Sports games will be starting soon with the new school year. If you find yourself sitting on a lot of bleachers getting a sore back, you can try to massage your own back. Use both fists and place them on either side of your lower back close to the spine. Move your fist in small circles to massage the area close to the spine. Move your fists outward across the hip crests, then back in toward the center. Alternately, you can have your spouse sit behind you and use their feet or knees to press into your lower back. Also, cross your legs (as a woman would do) and pull your top knee close in to your body – that will stretch out your hips.
Remember, if you experience chronic pain or soreness, or a severe injury, be sure to see your primary care physician for treatment. Enjoy!
 Gift Ideas
Give a gift certificate for massage and relieve the stress and tension of a friend or loved one.
Gift ideas:
- Wedding
- Birthday
- Anniversary
- New Baby
- Host Guest
- Mother's Day/Father's Day Gift
 2007 Rates & Hours
- 45 min - $60
- 60 min Swedish/Relaxation - $70
- 60 min with Deep Tissue, Muscle Release Therapy, Craniosacral or Reflexology - $75
- 90 min - $95
Tuesday: 9 am to 6 pm
Wednesday: 11 am to 7 pm
Thursday: 9 am to 6 pm
Friday: 11 am to 7 pm
Saturday: 9 am to 4:30 pm
*by appointment only (Call 615.294-6672)
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| August 7, 2007 |
| Heather's Note |
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Welcome to the Dog Days of Summer!
A Change in my Practice
Some of you I’ve already notified via email or snail mail. For everyone else, I am writing to inform you of a change in my practice that will hopefully be temporary. I am currently having some health issues that are exacerbated by standing for long periods of time. Unfortunately, massage requires that I stand to work. Working with my doctor, I am reducing my work load through the end of August in order to give my body time to heal. This means that instead of doing 4 – 5 massages per day, I will do no more than 3 a day.
Unfortunately, this means that I will have to cancel some of my appointments. Some days, I will be asking clients to come in for a shorter session – reducing 90 minute massages back to 60 minutes. In most cases, I will be canceling either the first or last massage of the day, but in order to make sure I’m not always canceling the same people, I will sometimes be canceling or shortening appointments in the middle of the day.
There are three massage therapists whose names I am sharing with you if you need to reschedule an appointment. All three are wonderful therapists.
- Margo Coppinger, 406-3830 in Green Hills
- Candi Dove Benward, 300-5894 in my office in Brentwood
- Andrea Mindigo, 243-3230 in my office in Brentwood
I have every intention of this being a temporary measure while my body heals and I build up strength and stamina to return to a full schedule. I apologize in advance if I need to cancel or reduce the duration of your upcoming appointment. Let me know as soon as you can if you need to cancel an appointment so that I can adjust my schedule for that day and avoid canceling someone else.
This Month's Newsletter
I apologize for the lack of a July newsletter, but with the health issues, I didn't have time to write for you. But, this month, I've included some information on how to find a good massage therapist when you're out of town. This includes lessons learned from my husband's attempt to schedule a massage while we were at the beach. Next time I'll follow my own advice!
- heather wibbels (615.294-6672)
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| Mistakes to Avoid When Getting Massage on Vacation
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While on vacation in July, my husband decided he needed a massage. Because we were in a new vacation spot, we didn’t have the names of any massage therapists in the area. The selection of a massage therapist through the phone book didn’t turn out as my husband expected, and there are several “lessons learned” that we can take away.
The best piece of advice: Find out where the locals go
If you’re renting vacation property, ask the main office for several suggestions of massage therapists to call. If the person you’re talking to doesn’t get regular massage, ask to speak to someone else in the office who does. Chances are someone there gets massage regularly or knows of a good massage therapist. Getting more than one name is key – good massage therapists tend to book in advance and you may need a couple of names to call in order to get a massage that fits your schedule. If the massage therapist you call can’t take you, ask him/her for some suggestions.
Our mistake: He just used the phone book and looked for names with “deep tissue” and “injury work” in the ads.
Do you need relaxation or therapeutic massage?
If you’re seeking a relaxation massage or some extra-special pampering, you may want to look for a spa. However, if you’re looking for a deeper massage, or a session to work on some particular problem, you probably want to look for an independent massage therapist or a wellness clinic/massage clinic rather than a spa. Spas are great for pampering their guests, but many times the massage you get in a spa will be lighter and more geared toward general relaxation than specifically tuned to your needs. This is not always the case, and sometimes you can get exactly what you want at a spa, but be aware that not all spas are the same, and there is always a wide variety of skill, professionalism and personality at a spa.
Our mistake: None here, we knew to look for an independent massage therapist because he needed specific therapeutic work.
Take some time to talk to the massage therapist.
Even if you only talk to them for a few minutes, taking the time to communicate your needs and expectations to the massage therapist (if she/he is available) can give her a good feel for whether or not she can meet your needs. This also helps build rapport and gives you a better feel for their personality and professionalism.
Our mistake: While my husband did discuss specific areas where he needed work, when he initially contacted the therapist, he didn’t ask about extra fees and charges. The massage therapist arrived, gave the massage, and then expected a $10 gas fee for coming to the beach house with a mandatory $25 tip on top of her outcall fee, neither of which was mentioned when he booked the appointment.
Seek licensed or certified massage therapists
In some states, massage therapy is not a licensed profession, and standards of education, ethics, and professionalism are not set for those calling themselves massage therapists in the state. Some conditions and symptoms contraindicate massage. Make sure you’re going to a massage therapist who has had formal training and enough medical training to know how to deal with any conditions you have. In states with licensing requirements, any spa, wellness clinic, or resort will require their therapists to have training in order to keep their business license valid.
Our mistake: We did this correctly.
Communicate your expectations and needs
Make clear your needs in terms of pressure, areas of focus, and specific types of massage, and don’t be afraid to ask for anything that would make you more comfortable. This is your massage; make sure your therapist knows what you want. Therapists appreciate knowing what you like and knowing details on how to make you more comfortable.
Our mistake: His idea of deep tissue and the massage therapist’s idea of deep tissue were two different things. He asked several times for deeper pressure, but it became obvious that she didn’t have the strength to work his muscles deeply.
The biggest surprise: She asked him to carry her table
Beach houses in Alabama are built on stilts and there’s a set of stairs to get up to the first floor. The massage therapist wanted my husband, her client, to bring her massage table up the steps for her before the massage, AND wanted him to carry the massage table back down the steps for her after the massage. In my eyes, this is completely unprofessional. The massage therapist should never ask the client to help with her table, and should not ask the client try to move any furniture or lift any heavy objects right after the massage.
Take some time on your vacation this summer to get a massage, but spend a little time to make sure you get a great massage while there. Usually, just talking to locals and checking in with the massage therapist to set expectations beforehand ensures a great massage. Good luck, and please learn from our mistakes to ask about any additional charges and if stairs will be a problem for the massage therapist handling the table.
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