The benefits of massage therapy are easily seen by both patients and therapists
alike.
"I had a new client when I first moved into this area who came to me two
days in a row," says Christina Barrett-Reid. She is a registered massage therapist.
"When he came back a week later, he told me he'd gone ice skating
the day after the second massage -- for the first time in 10 years! He hadn't
gone before because his legs had hurt so badly for that length of time."
It wasn't the first time Barrett-Reid had helped someone so dramatically.
And it wasn't the last. "I have a female client I see from time to time
who first came in for a headache treatment. Her doctor had told her he couldn't
help and that she'd have headaches the rest of her life," she says.
"She was going through 100 pills a week! After her first treatment, she
didn't have a headache for three weeks. Now I see her every three months
or so, and she's fine in between times. That's what excites me about
what I do."
When new clients first come in to see Barrett-Reid, they
fill out a case history so she can learn more about their general health.
Each client then discusses their specific reason for seeking treatment.
"We go through an assessment, during which I get right into the problem,"
says Barrett-Reid. "I ask them, 'What's the problem?' How long
have you had it? Did something specific happen to start it? Have you had chiropractic,
medical or physiotherapy treatment for it?' Then we get into the nitty-gritty
details."
Those details might include doing range-of-motion testing, assessing muscle
strength and flexibility, or putting a particular joint through tests. Only
after this thorough assessment does Barrett-Reid tell her client what she
believes the problem is and how she intends to treat it.
But occasionally, she won't be able to help the client. "Sometimes,
people come in with something beyond my scope of practice. That's very
frustrating."
But being unable to help isn't the only challenge massage therapists
face. They also have to deal with the misconception that massage therapy is
recreational and has nothing to do with health care.
"I'm fortunate enough to have a very educated and knowledgeable client
base that keeps me from dealing with such issues," says Kevin Lunney. He is
a certified massage therapist in Boulder, Colorado.
"But I certainly know a number of therapists who are still fighting to
break from the old ideas of massage."
Luckily, the rewards of the profession typically outweigh the potential
drawbacks. Often, however, those rewards don't include big money. "If
money is your motivation, stay away from this career," says Paul Kohlmeier.
He is a massage practitioner.
"To make lots of money, you have to work way too hard, and you'll
burn out mentally or physically or, worse, both."
"Anyone going into massage therapy because they think the money is good,
or for some other motivation, will not do well," Barrett-Reid warns.
"Your intention comes through your hands, and if, bottom line, people don't
feel that you care and don't feel better after being under your hands,
they won't come back."
You'll be much better off staying focused on how your work as a massage
therapist will help your clients. "I don't know that I'm helping
to change the world, but I like to think I'm having an impact," Kohlmeier
says.
"My patients leave my clinic relaxed, with less pain in their bodies, feeling
good about themselves. I think this translates to the people around them --
and hopefully, they pass it along, too."