Registered Massage Therapist

A registered massage therapist is a licensed professional who addresses massage that is non-sexual.

Can you tell the Difference Between a Registered Massage Therapist and a "Masseuse" ?

A masseuse is a female who provides a professional massage. The term for a male massage provider is masseur. The term masseuse has come under a bit of a cloud in the past few decades, since prostitutes often masquerade as masseuses.

Therefore, most legitimate professional masseuses and masseurs today refer to themselves as registered massage therapists, licensed massage therapist or simply massage therapist.

What Does the Registered Massage Therapist Do for You?

Now a days, massage is no longer just for the rich and affluent. Regular visits to the massage clinic for various physical treatments are available to everyone.

There's no sin in occasionally pampering yourself after a week of stress and anxiety from work and home. In fact, doctors even recommend getting regular massages as a form of complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) for certain conditions like chronic pain, insomnia, stress and so on.

Based on my own well-established massage clinic, clients come for regular therapeutic massage because of certain conditions. Some of the most common conditions of my clients are chronic back pain and insomnia. All professional massage therapists agree that there is such a thing as the "pain cycle".

The pain cycle is a complex chain of events which reinforce each other. It can begin with injury, illness or even stress, but each element can trigger or amplify another, creating a self-perpetuating cycle. One way of breaking the cycle is undergoing Massage therapy.

Addressing Chronic Pain and Insomnia
Through Massage Therapy

Certain massage techniques cater to specific conditions. For instance, deep tissue massage is the most recommended treatment for chronic muscle pain. From experience, I can inform you that deep tissue massage penetrates the deeper layers of muscle that are often clogged with lactic acid and other toxins that cause pain and incapacitate muscles.

Other massage techniques like acupressure (similar to acupuncture, without the needles – the pressure is applied with the thumbs) is often recommended along with the deep tissue massage to address chronic muscle pain. Acupressure focuses on stress points like the joints, while the deep tissue massage targets major muscle groups. Trigger point therapy also releases chronic muscle pain with great results.

Swedish massages are also recommended for chronic pain. One massage per week is the recommended frequency for treating chronic pain. This is a less intense massage. It aims to soothe sore muscles and reduce anxiety. Swedish massage is, in fact, the most popular treatment in massage. This type of massage therapy is also ideal for insomniacs because it increases endorphins and serotonin. - Endorphins reduce anxiety levels and serotonin induce that feeling of sleepiness. - About 30% of Americans are insomniacs. In fact studies done on insomnia have shown that a 30-minute massage therapy twice a week for 5 weeks can increase the quality of sleep and increase the number of sleeping hours on a person.(I do Esalen massage which is derived from the Swedish.)

For people who lead active lives like athletes, chronic pain is no longer new to them. The best treatment for this is to get a sports massage before and after any game. The sports massage does not actually address the pain — it only helps in preventing its occurrence. A sports massage conditions the muscles for strenuous work, therefore reducing muscle tears and sprains. It also helps stretch and warm-up the muscles so it can perform better and longer.

Special physical conditions like pregnancy are also a common cause of chronic pain and insomnia. This can be addressed with pregnancy massages. I have been offering this treatment for my clients and it has been gaining popularity among mothers-to-be. Massage is done with the pregnant woman lying on her right or left side as she prefers, then on the other side. Support pillows are placed on her back, hips, and legs. Massage therapists generally avoid your feet and hands because it could induce labor.

Before-Massage Recommendations:

• Don't eat a heavy meal before the massage.
• If it's your first time at the clinic or spa, arrive at least 10 minutes early to complete the necessary forms. Otherwise, arrive 5 minutes early so you can have a few minutes to rest and relax before starting the massage.

Set an appointment with a registered massage therapist - or a masseuse or masseur - nearest you. At least now you know what to ask for and whom you should contact for your specific need.