Massage Therapy: Finding The Perfect Pressure

How Much Pressure Is The Right Pressure?

This is a common question, yet no matter how many times you answer it or your massage therapist tries to address your question with a proper answer, it is simply just impossible to give one single answer for this complicated question. You see, pressure is subjective. What may be a lot of pressure for one person may not be a lot of pressure to another. A masseuse can apply a specific amount of pressure on one person and they may fall asleep during the session due to extreme relaxation. On the flip side, the same masseuse can apply the exact same amount of pressure on another person and he or she may walk away bruised and beaten.

Pressure lies in the concept of pain. As an output from the brain, there exists a psychological, biological, and physical component that can be very different from one person to the next. It is because of this that makes pain, and pressure, very subjective and unique from person to person. Beyond the difference simply being about one person to another, there are a few other factors that can also spell the difference or threshold of pain. Past experiences could either magnify or nullify pain, depending on how you relate that pain from an old memory. Your state of mind may also play a role in that if you are emotional or anxious, your pain could seem more severe than it actually is. Even your surrounding may play a role in how your brain acknowledges the discomfort that you feel.

So bringing this back to a nearby local massage in your area, different people may have varying degrees of pressure that best suits them based on a number of factors. However, once your therapist finds the right pressure, the exact amount you want, and need, the quality of the massage will increase ten fold. As a matter of fact, the job of a massage therapists is to provide their clients with the right amount of pressure the entire duration of the massage session. Therapists are more than welcome to speak to their clients prior to starting to find out what type of pressure they prefer and what areas of their body they want concentrated on.

How Your Massage Therapist Should Conduct Your Session

It is very important for your massage therapist to check in on you within the first five minutes of the massage to determine if they are applying the right amount of pressure. Your non verbal cues are definitely helpful but they are simply not enough for your therapist to fully appreciate exactly how much pressure you want applied. By checking in on you, they are also showing attentiveness to your needs as well as incorporating your feedback into the work that they are doing.

Massage therapists typically ask how the pressure is and from there, they can make adjustments to the pressure that they are applying. It also happens at times when a client is not so sure of how much pressure they want so your therapist can start to re-apply pressure while asking if that is enough pressure or if it is too much. Your massage therapist should always give you the option to lighten or strengthen the pressure of the massage. Clients must have a feeling of empowerment to offer feedback in order for him or her to receive the best massage possible.

A wise time frame for checking in should be every three to five minutes though if you and your massage therapist are able to establish the proper amount of pressure early on, then there is no longer a need to keep inquiring. This also offers a better overall experience as there is now absolute peace and there is no need to break the silence and tranquility of the massage.

Giving Cues Without Speaking A Word

While we fully recognize the importance and absolute need to give verbal feedback during a massage, we also acknowledge the necessity of having to also give non verbal cues to your massage therapist.

Some of the most common non verbal signs that clients show to their massage therapists include (1) when they hold their breath or stop to breath for a few seconds, (2) if you see their fingers or toes starting to curl, and (3) when their hips move about as the massage therapist massages your feet or other parts that are far from your hips.

The best non verbal cue that a massage therapist should look for is very simple, if he or she sees that his or her client is relaxed during the massage, then you know that you are doing it right. A client should be open to your touch and the last thing you would want to see is your client contracting due to your touch.

Massage Therapists Applying The Perfect Amount Of Pressure

Every now and then, clients find themselves lucky to be able to find the perfect massage therapist. Some of these professionals have learned the fine art of combining a clients non verbal cues with the clients feedback therefore offering their clients the perfect amount of pressure regardless of whether they are working at the top of your head or the bottom of your feet.

This mastery makes for a perfect massage and clients are in turn able to achieve maximum relaxation while their massage therapists help their bodies rejuvenate to their optimum level of performance.

When Massage Therapists Get It Wrong

The worst and last thing that a massage therapist can do is to not ask their clients for any feedback. Knowing the amount of pressure being given is the number one most key ingredient to a proper massage so not knowing how the client feels about what is being given is an absolute no no.

However, the sad truth is that many clients experience many of massages where their massage therapist does not check in on the client even once during an entire session. Many simply apply an amount of pressure that they think you want, or your body needs, or worse, is based on how much pressure they want to give relative to how fresh or tired they are. Why this does not work is simply because more often than not, this results in the massage therapist either going too deep or not going deep enough.

If the pressure that is being applied onto you is not equal to that of which is desired by the client then you may end up being bruised and find yourself with soreness. On the flip side of that, not applying enough pressure just isn’t a massage at all and may not even be beneficial for you in any way.

Massages Can Indeed Be Perfect

Now that we have established that every person could have a different desire as to how much pressure they would like applied to them during a massage, it is important to note that massage therapists must adjust to their clients needs in order to provide the perfect massage.

Not only should a massage therapist know how much pressure their client needs, but he or she must also realize that this pressure may vary from week to week and session to session. A massage therapist cannot do a perfect job if that massage therapist is unable to adapt to changes.

In turn to the jobs and duties of a massage therapists, clients also have a responsibility in order to help achieve the perfect massage. Keep your communication lines open. If your massage therapist asks you a question, it is your job to answer honestly. You don’t have to expound much, a simple message if it is too much or too little will do. If it is already where you want it to be, you can simply address that the pressure is already perfect.