Real-Life Communication -- Solution
Your talk on the benefits of massage might run something like this:
"I'm
here tonight to let you in on a secret. It's not a new thing. In fact,
for thousands of years, people have known about its health benefits. But it's
a secret just the same.
"Many people know how massage can reduce stress
and aid relaxation. That's only the tip of the iceberg. Over the years,
there have been dozens of studies conducted on people who undergo regular
massage therapy. Those studies reveal many other health benefits of massage.
"Let's
start with the blood in your body. Blood flow is important for the health
of our organs. Well, massage can help increase overall blood flow and can
boost the blood's ability to transport oxygen by 10 to 15 percent. This
helps create the revved-up feeling that many of my patients say they get after
one of my massages.
"But it doesn't end there. Massage also helps
muscles. I regularly treat several bodybuilders who say massage helps their
overall muscle balance and gives them better posture. It also helps them recover
faster from workouts.
"Massage can even help skin problems. By stimulating
and improving the function of the glands that produce oil and sweat, massage
helps keep skin lubricated and cooled. I know patients who swear they are
cooler in the summer heat thanks to the massages they get.
"Finally,
there are also benefits for internal organs. By stimulating the nerves that
supply internal organs, massage helps the blood vessels within these organs
handle more blood.
"Anyone can benefit from massage. Young and old
can reap the benefits of this treatment. And then there's the fact that
many people find it fun. When's the last time someone said that something
good for you was also fun?"
Claude Gagnon is the immediate
past-president of the American Association of Massage Therapists Council of
Schools. He says communication skills are absolutely necessary, since massage
therapists deal with both clients and other health-care practitioners.
"Typically,
a massage therapist needs to do a health history of a new client...so sometimes
it requires some articulation between themselves and the physician," says
Gagnon.
He adds that it's important to interact skillfully with
each client, since the atmosphere of massage therapy is quite intimate. "There
has to be really good communication skills so that proper boundaries are explained
and demonstrated and held throughout the session," says Gagnon.