Lavender Holistic Therapy

Massage Therapists Need Massage Too: The Cruel Irony

As a massage therapist, I spend hours helping other people relax, release tension and feel better in their bodies.

And yet…

I will never truly know what my own massage feels like.

I know which techniques I’m using. I know where the tension is and what should feel good. But I can’t lie on the couch and experience my own hands working their magic.

Tragic, really.

The Limits of Self-Massage

I do try sometimes. I can somewhat massage my own upper traps, although it usually requires movements that look less like self-care and more like slightly unhinged yoga.

I regularly work on my own palms and forearms, so I know exactly how firm my pressure is. Useful knowledge, perhaps, but it still doesn’t feel the same. Your own touch is rarely as relaxing as someone else doing the work while you properly switch off.

I’ve also attempted my calves and feet. Feet, to be fair, have probably been the greatest success.

For my back, a foam roller usually gets called into action. On truly desperate days, I end up rubbing against a doorframe, trying to reach that stubborn spot between my shoulder blades like some kind of forest creature.

Very professional. Very elegant.

Massage Therapists Need Massage Too

Spending all day helping other people with their tension doesn’t make massage therapists immune to developing some of our own.

Our hands, forearms, shoulders, backs and legs all work hard during treatments. We may know plenty of stretches, techniques and self-care tricks, but sometimes we also need to stop trying to fix ourselves and let somebody else take over.

So yes, massage therapists need massage too.

Preferably one that doesn’t involve a foam roller, an awkward yoga position or a suspiciously useful doorframe.