Understanding the needs of your client, and respecting those needs, is one of the best ways a Massage Therapist can help to build a regular client base.
Disrespecting those needs, or “doing what you feel is best” is not going to fly.
Every Massage Therapist can tell you the story of the monster truck sized man who whimpers with even a hint of pressure, or the petite Asian woman who will pound the table and say, “harder!”
It is usually the monster truck man who will say “Oh, I can handle a lot of pressure” ...until you bring him to tears because, as a good therapist, you tried to give the client what they thought they needed. Key word “thought.”
Many clients receiving a massage for the first time, or have had a few massages, expect that a massage is not “good” unless it is deep, they feel worked on, and they feel sore the next day. It is not easy to explain to a client that deeper, is not always better.
If the muscle is not responding well to deep pressure, then it will guard and resist the pressure applied. It is possible that the muscle can bruise, feel sore the next day, and possibly have some limited range of motion. Pushing past these barriers is not going to help the muscle. A great Massage Therapist will explain this to the client, and even though it can be difficult to not give the client what they want, it will look better on you and the profession for doing so.
Some clients may have experienced a massage where they did feel “beat-up” afterwards and had to seriously think about trying massage therapy again.
It is common for a client to ask for deep pressure, but then they look at me (5’5”, slim build, 125lbs) with some uncertainty that I will be able to deliver the pressure they want. It is always nice to prove them otherwise.
After any massage, even if it was fairly light to moderate pressure, it can be very common for the client to feel sore up to 48 hours after a massage. This is not usually because of something the Massage Therapist did, but how the body is reacting to the massage. It’s just like after you exercise, the muscles may feel a bit tight and sore, but you are proud of yourself because that feeling means you actually worked out! Telling your clients ahead of time that they might feel sore, and that drinking water and having a hot bath with epsom salts can reduce the likelihood of muscle soreness, will mean less angry clients storming into your clinic accusing you of malpractice.
Finally, as a Massage Therapist, if you reach your capacity for pressure with a client, but you know that another R.M.T. can give them the type of depth they really want, please refer them.
Ask the client if they could have used more pressure in the massage? If the answer is yes, admit that you are at your limits physically, but you know a great therapist who would be able to give them the type of massage they are looking for. You are not doing anyone a favour if you continue to keep them as your client.
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