Communication is key between massage therapists and their client, both before the session and while the client is on the table. Despite great technique delivered with care, it’s not unheard of for a client to feel like the therapist almost addressed their primary complaint, but they would have liked a little more work on the problem area. Or the client would have liked the therapist to spend some time on the area or to have focused a little higher or lower along the muscles.

Imagine a client who comes in with a chronic condition, or an injury. The therapist determines where the issue is and starts their massage plan. They work diligently on that issue, and after 20 minutes they feel confident that they’ve done a good job, they’re are ready to move on to the rest of the body so that the client can get an overall effective massage. Question: did they do their best for the client and did they address their primary complaint? Most likely they did, but sometimes not.

When the therapist thinks they are ready to move on from the primary area of complaint, a simple question increases the likelihood of getting results and having a truly satisfied client who is going to not only come back to see that therapist but also refer others to them, and that question is: “Do you feel that we’ve gotten good results? Do you need me to spend any more time here?”

A satisfied client will simply say “yes, you can move on,” but in those occasional situations where something is off, this gives the client the opportunity to speak up for their needs, and the therapist gets instant kudos for caring enough to ask and to check.

End result: happier client, better massage, and a busier clientele.

One of my pet peeves, as someone who receives massage regularly, is getting what I call “the wrong massage.” That’s when you’re there on the table, being worked on, but you don’t get the work you need. You know what I mean, like when you want full body, but instead get work on just your back and legs. Or, your shoulders really hurt, but you end up with a lot of time spent on your feet, head, and hands. It can be really unsatisfying. It’s a key responsibility of therapists to tune in to communication from their clients so that the right places get the attention that they need.

So what happens to cause a massage therapist to ‘get it wrong?’  A lot of therapists during massage intake ask clients if there are areas where they want focus and then they create a massage plan that treats just those areas. That can be a mistake, especially if the client’s general stress level is contributing to their discomfort or if they are not aware of tension in other areas that is contributing to the pain in the primary area.

It’s necessary for massage therapists to connect with the client’s true goals by asking their clients plainly and straightforwardly if they would like to work exclusively on their problem areas, or if they would prefer a full body relaxing massage with a little extra focus in their area of concern. The results can be surprising. Just because a client speaks at length about a particular condition doesn’t mean that’s the only place where they want work.  Taking the time to ask, to really listen, and to act on the answer ensures a more effective massage for the client and a more satisfied client for the therapist.

All massage therapists know that we prefer our clients to speak up during a massage if anything feels uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the necessity of this message leads us to repeat ourselves so often on this score that, if we’re not careful, the discussion about feedback becomes rote, almost robotic, as in: “by-the-way-if-anythhing-doesn’t-feel-right-please-let-me-know.”

The trouble is that when we sound insincere or automatic about this, the client hears that their comfort doesn’t matter on our table, and that’s the last thing we want to communicate. This can be especially true for our clients who are new to massage therapy. Unless we have actively invited them to speak up, they can be genuinely reluctant to provide us with feedback during the session because they don’t want to upset their therapist with what might be interpreted as negative comments.  Realizing that just because we’ve said a million times to our clients that we welcome their feedback, doesn’t mean that a particular person has heard it a million times; this may be only their first or second time. Slowing down and really putting our heart into it and explaining to our clients that, not only are we open to feedback, but we count on it and appreciate it, will go a long way toward letting them know that we mean it, that their comfort matters.

Here are some examples of how to do this:

“It’s really important to me that you let me know if anything could be better or is uncomfortable at all for you.”

“Feel free to speak up. I really count on feedback from you to make sure that what I’m doing works for your body.”

“There are so many styles and techniques, and I want to be sure that the ones we use are the right ones for you. So, go ahead and let me know what’s working, or not, or is at all uncomfortable, while we’re working.”

Next time you greet a client, make sure you tune in and pay attention. Are you just speeding through this important part, or are you genuinely inviting your clients to give you that vital feedback?

Before a massage session begins, it’s not uncommon for a massage therapist to palpate their client to get a feel for the quality of their muscle tissue and where to focus their treatment. This allows the therapist to understand what techniques to use and perhaps get an indication of the underlying problem. However, palpating without also engaging the client is a missed opportunity.  If the client says the pain is “in my neck,” or “my lower back,” those are broad regions that involve a number of muscles. For example, I have a shoulder injury, where my main tension is right in my supraspinatus, but if I only say “shoulder,” therapists will work on the interior angle of my scapula, or even my lats, and barely focus at all on the supraspinatus, which is right on top of the shoulder.  While palpating, asking the client to confirm where they feel their aches and pains not only allows you to be more specific in understanding where a particular injury may be, but also gives the client confidence that you are really attuned to their issues, which will make them feel more trusting and comfortable about the massage that’s about to follow. Asking a few questions lets your client know that you care by showing them that you are actively investigating their needs, rather than just going “hmmm, mmm-hmm, I see…” which can inadvertently come off as uninterested and dismissive.

Some easy questions to help you clarify & confirm your client’s needs as you palpate:

“Is this where you are feeling the pain?”

“Does it ache anywhere else?”

“How far down does it go?”

“Is it tender here, too?”

When you palpate, give yourself kudos, but don’t miss the opportunity to communicate with your client and involve them in dialogue while you’re doing so. An engaged, trusting client will experience your work far more positively, making for a better experience, and better outcomes, for both of you.

Every field has its own language or lingo, and massage is no different.  We all know about the importance of genuinely inviting feedback during massage.  You can further connect with and engage your clients by empowering them with the appropriate vocabulary to comfortably and confidently give you actionable feedback.  Shared vocabulary is what makes communication work.  Rather than leave them stumbling for phrasing like,

“uh, the place that hurts is kind of y’know, down underneath where you’re working, I guess. Uh, could you push a little harder?”

A more effective method is establishing  comfortable vocabulary for your client. You can let them know to tell you to go “deeper” or “lighter” so that they know how to convey their preferences. This can be done ahead of time, as part of your invitation for feedback, and it can be reinforced during the session as you mirror what you heard, by simply replying

“Oh, so you’d like me to go deeper here.”

One more thing you can do to really take your feedback to the next level is to invite your clients to speak up not only when things don’t feel comfortable, but also when what you’re doing is getting great results.  You could say,

“Of course I want you to let me know if anything is uncomfortable, but please know that I’d also love to hear if anything’s really working for you.  This really helps me to adapt my style and technique to what is most effective for you.” 

You can say this either during the session or afterward.  With the right words and an open invitation, your clients will be delighted to know that they can now have dialogue with you about the session and will grow in their appreciation of you for caring enough to connect with and educate them.