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Satisfaction in life has mostly to do with things turning out about how we expect, or better. When things happen below our expectations, we tend to be dissatisfied. I train my industry leading massage therapists at Bodyworks DW on intake and outtake with new clients. A lot of that training goes into how to help clients have realistic goals and expectations for a medical massage in New York. In general, that means helping some clients realize that massage has a lot more to offer than simply relaxation and stress relief. And also helping other clients realize that for most pain issues it takes more than one session to completely relieve their issue.
Massage in New York can help relieve pain for the long term
If your experience of massage is limited to the occasional hotel spa massage while on vacation… You likely view it as a form of relaxation and stress relief. And no more. If you are in real pain, you’ll go to a chiropractor, physical therapist, or straight to the hospital. And for most massage therapists working at a hotel spa, you are not wrong to think of massage in this limited way. The training requirements for massage therapists vary greatly from state to state. Not to mention country to country.
MBLEx is the “massage and bodywork licensing exam” and is used by many states in the US. NCETMB is the “National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork” test. Both are multiple choice question tests of a massage therapist’s knowledge. This includes anatomy, technique, and professional ethics.
New York Massage Therapists Have More Training and Experience
Notice that New York State has double the required training hours as most other states. And I can tell you from personal experience that the state licensing exam is way more difficult to pass than either the MBLEx or NECTMB tests.
The difference between the 500 hour training requirement and the 1,000 hour requirement is huge. You go way more in depth in massage techniques. For a 500 hour program, the goal is to get a massage therapist ready and able to work in the spa industry. They are capable of giving a great full body relaxation massage and maybe mixing in a bit of deep tissue massage. And that’s about where the training ends.
500 hours more training makes all the difference for a massage in New York
Conversely, a New York massage therapist spends that extra 500 hours of training honing those techniques. And learning to apply them to specific treatments for pain issues. They are far more likely to have worked with clients during multiple sessions. Which builds a greater understanding of how cumulative treatments work to relieve pain in the long term.
So, you may go into a massage in New York with the same lower expectations you have at a hotel spa. Ie, “hopefully this will be decent and maybe last a day or two.” I invite you to change your idea of what’s possible with a massage. A great deep tissue massage therapist in New York can do much more focused work to relieve specific pain. The effects should last several days to weeks for a first session. And if you are willing to let them create a series of sessions, potentially go away for good.
However, Massage Therapists are also not miracle workers
On the other side of things are those clients who set their expectations for a first massage too high. And wind up never satisfied despite receiving an excellent massage. After 13 years in the business, I routinely get called a “miracle worker” by new clients. I’m known for exceeding expectations and getting results far outside of what most clients think is possible with massage. And I can count on one hand the number of clients whose pain issues got “fixed” in just one session.
Sure, it happens from time to time, but it’s really rare. Most clients get immediate relief from their pain after a first massage, but it usually comes back within 4-14 days. If the client commits to a series of about 4-7 sessions, with less than 2 weeks between each, they usually find long term relief from pain. After each session, the pain takes longer and longer to come back, until it simply doesn’t come back again.
Once you reach a place where the pain doesn’t come back, then we stop massage for a while until some other issue crops up. Or we work together to incorporate maintenance massage into your routine to keep you from getting new pain. For folks with super stressful lives involving long hours at work or lots of travel we recommend a massage every 2-3 weeks. For others, a massage every 4-8 weeks usually keeps everything running smoothly.
In between sessions, we’ll give you exercises and small lifestyle changes to help avoid new pain and also better deal with it if new pain shows up.
Incorporate Massage in New York into your Healthy Lifestyle
Whether you are looking for a deep tissue massage in midtown or in the Financial District, you have access to a highly trained group of therapists at Bodyworks DW. Each of our therapists are licensed in New York State with over 1,000 hours of training. And additional regular training with me, the owner.
Would you like to schedule a professional deep tissue massage in New York to help you reach your goals and that will defy your expectations? Contact Bodyworks DW today or click on the button to book online at either of our locations!
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