What differentiates MD's Medical Massage from other places such as Massage Envy is that my practice focuses on long term relief rather than short term relief. Swedish massage, Shiatsu, and other massage modalities that allow people to relax for 30, 60, and sometimes 90 minutes are great! HOWEVER, more often than not, the people who receive these amazing, relaxing massages will inevitably leave dissatisfied. It's because a myriad of people go in to their massage sessions with muscular problems that need to be corrected, not just worked on to enhance their blood flow.
If you have ever left a massage session and were disgruntled because you knew that by the time you left your massage therapist and got in to your car the tension in your muscles were already returning, then you are someone who would benefit from MD's Medical Massage. For all new clients I do an assessment one day and the initial massage on a separate day.
The purpose of this is because the assessment takes roughly an hour in itself. When new clients come see me for their assessment I do a thorough run down of their medical history; what their goals are from receiving my massages; what they are doing in their daily lives that might be perpetuating the pain they feel; evaluate what muscles are weak or need work and plan accordingly for their initial massage.
I ask my clients to come in with thin clothing so I can do Trigger Point Therapy. My work is very specific and targets muscles that are in dire need of being released from either a contracted or elongated state. My work can be very intense at times and will activate your sympathetic nervous system, this is your fight or flight response. This is a normal reaction to the work I do, and it gets easier with each session.
Moreover, I remind my clients to keep an open communication with me, as to whether or not I'm using too much or not enough pressure. My massages may not be relaxing, but it is effective. My massages are for people who want to work towards reducing, if not eliminating their pain. Some people might be turned off at the idea that they have to "work," or do their own part in relieving themselves of their pain, but that's why businesses such as Massage Envy are still around.
