Thursday, October 9, 2008

How May I Help You?

I offer my massage skills in a clinic setting or on an out-call basis at your home, office, or event. When having me come to you, please be aware of what amenities are available and what your goals for the session are to determine the best type of massage for you. I can pamper you or help you heal or a combination of the two. How we proceed is up to you.

Are you looking for a therapeutic or relaxation massage? I employ multiple modalities when giving a massage including Swedish long strokes, shiatsu acupressure, pretissage, and deep tissue techniques. Different people and different muscles on the same person react differently to these techniques. Your last bodywork session may required invigorating deep tissue or trigger-point therapy to release localized tension (a knot) but this time you may need a more soothing Swedish style to reduce post-workout inflammation or you might need to be stretched to realign you body and repair damage from poor body mechanics or repetitive motion injuries.

Do you have privacy? A private space that is at least 8'x11' is needed for a full body table massage. This allows you to maintain your modesty while getting on and off the massage table. While I keep my full body massage clients draped (covered by a sheet), Los Angeles law requires that you wear underpants even under the drape. A private area also allows you to focus on enjoying your massage instead of worrying about who can see you. Chair Massages are done fully clothed and require less space; approximately 7'x7' is usually enough.

What is your pain tolerance level? Some massage therapies are more invasive than others and will cause discomfort, even bruising (like cellulite reduction massage). This does NOT mean "no pain, no gain!" What it DOES mean is you may have to use mindfulness strategies (like deep breathing and visualization) or schedule more than one session so the massage will help you recover and not cause injury.

How much time do you have? How long do you want the results to last? I put these questions together because some techniques work (provide relief) faster than others. Unfortunately, how fast a technique works can have a directly proportional, inverse relationship with how long the results last. My first massage school instructor presented this dilemma to us as the pain-time-value pyramid; while all three are important you have to be able to sacrifice one to achieve the other two.

Example: Your back is in complete spasm and tender to the touch.

If the immediate goal is to quickly reduce the pain (Pain+Time), we may have sacrifice "Value" in the form of the pain may return and require multiple treatments. If your goal is release the spasm to restore your range of motion and you can live with the pain, then a more aggressive technique can be used to get you moving again, but you will be sore.

The course of treatment is ultimately determined by you.

1 hour full body massage = $90
each additional half-hour = $30
in clinic discount = $10 off session

Chair Massage (2 hour out-call) = $65/hr
Chair Massage (4 hour out-call) = $60/hr
Chair Massage (6 hour out-call) =  $55/hr

I will work hard to give you what you want as well as what you need. Call or text me at 818-634-7925 to schedule you appointment.

No comments: