By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB Different pressures are used in massage. Some pressure is light, some can be very hard. But is there a pressure that is best?? This is a very personal and subjective perspective. It can vary from person to person, and even …
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT, BCTMB Self-care. We hear about it all the time. It brings up thoughts of hot baths with candles and a book, or maybe a spa day with large white fluffy robes with massages and facials oh my. But what specifically is …
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB
Last week, I wrote about how I’m big on having my clients tell me about what is going on in the moment when they are in the massage room with me. About communicating when something is too much or not enough for them on that day.
As someone who works in the wellness business, I love being able to help people through their health journey. It can be a wonderful thing. It can also be very difficult. I have worked on people who have absolutely nothing wrong with them, as well as working with people who are not as well off in their health. People who struggle with cancer or other illness. (No, having cancer is not a reason to not have massage. It is perfectly safe when performed by someone who is trained in Oncology Massage.)
There are many reasons people don’t seek out medical help. They don’t think the (pain, issue) is that bad. High deductables and insurance rates. Pre-conditions. Maybe they are afraid of being called a hypocondriac. Or being told time and again that their issue is in their heads. Or that they just need to lose weight and everything will go away (and yes, I”ve been told that one several times in my life, and I know just how darn frustrating this particular one can be).
But you know what? Your health is important. Because it’s yours. You deserve to have a good quality of life. Illness happens. It can be tough. But being proactive with your health can help so much. Getting an illness in its early stages is so much more easy to treat than something that has been there a while. (I.E. treating stage 1 cancer is much easier than treating stage 4 cancer, if we use the oncology example above).
Now yes, our doctors can be overworked and it can be frustrating on all ends. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting a second professional opinion. See a specialist if need be. Your health is why they are there in the first place.
On that note… make sure that you and your PCP are compatible. Not every doctor is going to get along with every person they see and vice versa. Just no one massage therapist is right for all of the people all of the time. You are allowed to take control of your health. Learn what your body feels like healthy. Know how to describe the pain when it comes across. (And yes, this particular skill can be difficult, even for those of us who do this all the time, when we are in pain). Learning how to describe what you are experiencing can help your doctor to better help you and your health.
You and your doctor are a team, there to make sure you have your best health possible.
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB Massage therapy, for many, many decades has been seen as the ultimate feel good nicety. Something that rich people did for themselves for no other reason that to treat themselves to something decadent. But massage therapy can be so much more. Studies …
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB I took a yoga class recently, trying to become comfortable in my very stiff and unpliable (at the moment) body. With each movement and every breath, I tried to become aware of what was going on within my brain (thoughts) …
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB
Everyone, I’m sure, has some knowledge what professional licensing means to a profession. If not, it means that said person has a minimum standard of understanding that everyone in the profession should have to be able to practice in their profession. Licensing typically means hours upon hours of study, both in school and out of school for said exams. Most licensing happens from state to state, which means that for every state that person wants to do their thing in, they need a license for each state. Things like the American Medical Association and American Dental Association are just that, associations that help bring the respective professionals together.
Most states in the US have licensing requirements for Massage Therapists. Kansas, Minnesota, Vermont and Wyoming right now are the only states not requiring any licensure (ABMP.com/practitioners/state-requirements). Each state has a requirement of minimum education (typically starting at 500 hours), and the taking of an exam called the MBLEx (mblex.com). They also need to upkeep continuing education hours every few years to maintain their license, including education in ethics. Most massage therapists are either Licensed Massage Therapists (LMT) or Registered Massage Therapists (RMT).
Practitioners can also become board certified in therapeutic massage and bodywork, initialled BCTMB (http://www.ncbtmb.org/). Although many therapists now take the MBLEx exams to become licensed in their respective states, the NCBTMB helped bring awareness to the need for standards among massage therapists, and brought in testing to show that a therapist had a certain standard of practice.
There are also several other types of bodywork certifications that I won’t get into here and now, but they are out there. It provides safeguards for both clients and therapists. Do some research. Find a therapist that works for you, because we are all different. Some of us may work better for you than others, and that is good to know. If you have questions of us, please ask. And, if there is something you don’t like, tell us. Communication is always essential, for you are the expert of your own body.
Why is it important to know that your therapist is licensed? Knowing that your therapist knows what they are doing, that they have gone to school and have shown competency is a good thing. Massage can also be used in human trafficking(1). All therapists should be able to produce their licensing certificates. You may also be able to check online with the states licensing board to check licensing.
by Jet Rupar Living with cancer is not an easy thing by any means. Stress can run high during treatments. Stress relief can be found, however. Massage, yoga and exercise can be utilized. There are people in all of these fields who are trained to …