Did you know massage is not a one-squeeze-fits-all solution? As massage therapists, we have to ask a lot of questions to make sure we’re creating the right treatment plan for you, and that all starts with an intake form.
Everyone always shudders when they fill out a massage intake form. Why do I have to fill out this stuff? Why does she have to know my job? Why would she care? Well, your job tells me more about you than you know!
A Pilot:
This tells me so much more than free ticket perks and the fact you have a lot of travel size shampoo bottles. It tells me that you sit down A LOT. In fact, you probably have to sit down more than the average desk jockey. This is especially true if you fly on long haul routes. Not only that, you have to stay mentally alert even if you’re tired because when something goes wrong in your job, it can go REALLY wrong.
This is why I would automatically work on muscle groups in the low back and hips. Those are the muscles that are the most affected when people sit down all day. So, even if you came in with shoulder tension, I’d still spend a lot of time on your lower back. Not only that, but I’d recommend a 90 minute massage every month just for maintenance so that you don’t get to the point where getting a massage is more of a necessity because you are in so much pain that it hurts to put your bag in the overhead bin.
A Copywriter:
You sit around all day in front of a computer making everyone’s websites, Facebook Ads, or newsletters shine. You live on coffee and might get frequent headaches due to neck tension or eye strain. On top of this, you sit with your shoulders slumped over a keyboard and have horrible posture because you’re also this thing called a human and go back to old patterns. And your wrists…you know you should take longer breaks and massage them, but your clients are on a deadline!
How do I help with your specific aches and pains? Again, I spend time on your low back and hips. However I’d also want to suggest a cold stone face massage to help relieve the tension in your neck and face. And even if you just scheduled a 60 minute massage, I’d make time for a lot of arm and wrist work.
A Police Officer:
You lead a stressful life that very few people can imagine. Aside from some short bursts of adrenaline and some fence scaling, your life is mostly spent sitting behind a wheel or at a desk filling out the day’s paperwork. On top of that, you carry 40 pounds of equipment on your shoulders.
This tells me, once again, to pay attention to your low back and hips. (Can you see a pattern here?) It also tells me to do some focus work on your pectoralis to help combat the hunched shoulders from carrying around all that extra weight.
Now you know what I can determine about your body from your job and why we massage therapists ask those all important questions.
I’ve left off thousands of jobs, and yours was probably one of them! Go ahead and tell me what type of job you do in the comments, and I’ll recommend a massage just for you.
