FAQ's:

What can you expect?

The first appointment generally begins with you filling out a form and the massage therapist asking what prompted you to get a massage, your current physical condition, medical history, lifestyle, stress level, and painful areas. The massage therapist may ask you about your health goals and what you hope the massage will do to help you achieve those goals. The massage therapist should ask questions about your reasons for getting a massage, current physical conditions, medical history, lifestyle and stress level and experiences with specific areas of pain.

For a full-body massage you will be asked to remove clothing to your level of comfort. Undressing takes place in private and a sheet and or towels are provided for draping. The therapist will undrape only the part of your body being massaged, insuring that modesty is respected at all times. Your massage will take place in a comfortable atmosphere and on a padded heated table. You should expect a peaceful, relaxing experience with soft music in the background and with lights dimmed. Many times a heated gel pad will be place over your feet for added warmth.

A person receiving a massage should give the therapist accurate health information and always report discomfort of any kind -- whether it’s from the massage itself or due to room temperature, volume of music, or other distractions. Feel free to tell the therapist if more or less pressure is required for your comfort.

The therapist has your best interests in mind at all times. The goal is to make your visit the best it could possibly be and to have you back for repeated business.

How often should I receive a massage?

We suggest a massage at least every 3-4 weeks as a minimum to keep your body in tune. Massage to the human body is what a tune up is to your car. If a client comes for some injury relief, and to relieve chronic tightness that is interfering with their daily lives in some way, weekly sessions may be necessary for a while to build on each session's improvement in their relief and healing.

For those who use massage as preventive care and managing the daily stress in their lives, once a month is about the norm. They may shorten the time between massages during stressful periods. Some come more often just because they enjoy it that much. For most people, the frequency of the massages they receive is limited by their pocketbook and that is an unfortunate fact. Once many people realize the benefits that massages provides them, and the pleasure they receive from it, they find a way to incorporate a regular session into their budget.

Where Will My Massage or Bodywork Session Take Place?
Your massage or bodywork session will take place in our warm, comfortable, quiet room. Soft music will be played to help you relax. You will lie on a soft heated table especially designed for your comfort.

Who Will Perform the Massage or Bodywork?
You can be sure your session will be conducted by a professional who has received proper training and licensed by the State of Texas. All practitioners at BYIMassage.com are fully qualified through the State of Texas with a current active LMT license recorded with the State Of Texas. As a condition of membership, BYI Massage verifies the training and credentials of every one of its practitioners. Although no two massages are exactly alike, you may request a certain technique or style of massage such as Swedish, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy ect. from your therapist.

Must I Be Completely Undressed?
No. Most massage and bodywork techniques are traditionally performed with the client unclothed. You should undress to your level of comfort. You will be properly draped during the entire session.

Will the Practitioner Be Present When I Disrobe?
No. The practitioner will leave the room while you undress, relax onto the table, and cover yourself with a clean sheet or towel. The practitioner will also leave the room after the session is over for you to dress. You will have a door chime that you will use to let the therapist know that you are ready for the therapist to enter the room of if you physically handicapped, the therapist can assist you in getting on and off of the table if you so request. If this is required, you will be asked to be properly draped with a sheet until secured on or off the table. If you need help getting off the table, the therapist may assist you, but once you are able to stand on your own, the therapist will then leave the room.

Will I Be Covered During the Session?
You will be properly draped at all times to keep you warm and comfortable. Only the area being worked on will be exposed.

What Parts of My Body Will Be Massaged?
A typical full body session will include work on your back, arms, legs, feet, hands, head, neck, glutes and shoulders. No genitals (male / female) will be massaged.

What Will the Massage or Bodywork Feel Like?
Many massage therapists use a form of Swedish massage. If you have chosen a Swedish massage, your session will start with broad, flowing strokes that will help calm your nervous system and relax exterior muscle tension. As your body becomes relaxed, pressure will gradually be increased to relax specific areas and relieve areas of muscular tension. A light lotion is used to allow your muscles to be massaged without causing excessive friction to the skin and to helps hydrate your skin. You should communicate immediately to your therapist if you feel any discomfort so that another approach may be taken. Massage and bodywork are most effective when you work with your therapist rather than resisting.

Are There Different Kinds of Massage and Bodywork?
There are numerous types of massage and bodywork; various techniques utilize different strokes, including basic rubbing strokes, rocking movement, posture and movement re-education, application of pressure to specific points, and more. Ask the practitioner about the methods that they often use.

How Long Will the Session Last?
The average full-body massage or bodywork session lasts approximately one hour or an hour and a half. Anything less than that will only allows time for a partial massage session, such as neck and shoulders, back or legs and feet. Many people prefer a 90-minute session for optimal relaxation. Always allow relaxation time prior to and after the session. Hot tubs, steam baths and saunas can assist in the relaxation process.

What Should I Do During the Massage or Bodywork Session?
Make yourself comfortable. The practitioner will either gently move you or tell you what is needed throughout the session (such as lifting your arm of what he or she is doing with the draping or undraping of your body such as legs and arms.) Many people just close their eyes and completely relax while others like to talk during their session. Feel free to ask the practitioner questions about massage and bodywork in general or about the particular technique you are receiving.

How Will I Feel After the Massage or Bodywork Session?
Most people feel very relaxed and many experience freedom from long-term aches and pains developed from tension or repetitive activity. People often report that they experience increased energy, heightened awareness, and greater productivity which can last for days. Since toxins are released from your soft tissues during a massage, it is recommended you drink plenty of water following your massage.

What Are the Benefits of Massage and Bodywork?
Massage and bodywork can help release chronic muscular tension and pain, improve circulation, increase joint flexibility, reduce mental and physical fatigue and stress, promote faster healing of injured muscular tissue, improve posture, and reduce blood pressure. Massage and bodywork is also known to promote better sleep, improve concentration, reduce anxiety and create an overall sense of well-being.

Are There Any Medical Conditions That Would Make Massage or Bodywork Inadvisable?

Yes. The therapist will ask about your general health. Questions will help the therapist to offer you the care possible through massage. If you are under a doctor's care, it is strongly advised that you receive a written recommendation for massage or bodywork prior to any session. Your therapist may require a recommendation or approval from your doctor before proceeding with your session.

When should I get a massage?

Any time is a good time to get a massage. You don't need to wait until you're stressed or injured. Too often I see clients who wait until they reach this state to see me. Massage works wonders as preventive care for a person's body and mind. Don't wait until your back hurts from overwork or stress, or the headaches that start at the back of your skull begin to pound, or the stress of every day life makes you want to jump out of your skin. Get a professional massage before these things happen.

A regular massage is a wonderful way to cope with stress, both physical and emotional, and to keep if from causing discomfort or harm to your body.

When should I NOT get a massage?

There are several contraindications for receiving a massage. If you have any of the following conditions, you should not get a massage:

Any type of infectious disease
Fever
Systemic infections
Severe cold
Fracture, bleeding, burns or other acute injury
(Ask your doctor) (therapist may work around them if localized)
Internal organ dysfunctions (Ask your doctor)
Blood clot or clots in lower legs (Ask your doctor)
Pregnancy-induced diabetes, toxemia, etc... (Ask your doctor)
High blood pressure
(unless under control with medication) (Ask your doctor)
Heart disease (Ask your doctor)
Cancer (Ask your doctor) Massage is a great way to help cancer patients to feel better but again, ask your doctor.
Open skin lesions or sores
(therapist may work around them if localized)
NOTE: The guidelines for massage are pretty straightforward. You don't want the massage to make an underlying medical condition worse, and you don't want to pass anything contagious to the massage therapist.

If you're unsure about whether a minor condition should prohibit you from getting a massage, call your therapist before your appointment. If you have a chronic medical condition, check with your doctor before proceeding on a course of massage therapy.

For some illnesses, other bodywork may work well. If you're suffering from Fibromyalgia, lupus, and other conditions, you should always try to find a seasoned body worker who has some experience with these, since they should know what works best under certain conditions.

At your initial visit, you will be asked to fill out a client intake form. This will provide the massage therapist with your name, address, and phone number, it will also have a place to list any underlying medical conditions and medications that you are using. The therapist should be aware of any of these. Even if you have ever had an allergy to something in the oil or cream a therapist has used on your before, you should list this.

You should be asked at any subsequent visits about any new medical or physical conditions. If you're not asked, volunteer that information if there is anything the therapist should know.

Massage and Cancer

Much of the info above can be found on many of the web sites through a simple Google or yahoo search.

Question:
When is massage therapy for cancer patients useful and when is it not recommended?

Answer:
Some may ask whether massage might spread cancer by stimulating the circulatory system and lymphatic systems. Doctors routinely recommend walking and exercise to cancer patients, activities that influence those two systems in much the same way as massage. So does a hot shower and sexual activity, neither of which is off-limits for the vast majority of cancer patients. If you're new to massage we recommend a Swedish massage or light shiatsu. Newcomers should probably avoid deep tissue work such as Rolfing, which can be uncomfortable and could further stress the immune system, certainly not the effect you would want during cancer treatment. Always we advise that if you are under a doctors care that you should consult with your doctor before getting a massage. Most doctors will recommend massage since it does give the client a sense of relaxation.

However, there always will be special circumstances and individual personalities that might make massage inappropriate. But these considerations rarely have to do with the disease. You should, however, draw the therapist's attention to any area of your body that may be sensitive -for example, if you've been having radiation treatments or have recently had surgery.

You may be interested to know that the American Cancer Society considers massage "one of the most supportive and helpful complementary therapies available" to patients and views it as helpful both physically and emotionally because "it soothes the soul and the mind."

Beyond that, researchers at the Touch Research Institutes (T.R.I.) at the University of Miami have found that massage therapy reduced anxiety and stress hormones, elevated mood, improved the quality of life, and enhanced immune function in breast cancer patients.

Another T.R.I. study showed that massage therapy reduced the level of pain perception by an average of 60 percent and reduced anxiety among 9 hospitalized men experiencing cancer-related pain. And a T.R.I. study of children with leukemia found that daily massage therapy decreased distress behavior during medical procedures and enhanced immune function.

No one suggests - or should suggest - that massage therapy can cure or halt cancer, but it can help relieve some symptoms and some of the side effects of treatment, ease tension and stress, as well as improve the quality of life and sense of well-being.

The point is while massage therapy can't treat the disease - the physiological changes underlying cancer - it can address the illness - the way patients actually feel.

Although different types of massage therapy are often contraindicated for cancer, knowledgeable, skilled touch is in some form rarely contraindicated. One of the most soothing treatments for a bedridden person is massage. In Europe and elsewhere, it is used frequently to promote relaxation, decrease pain and speed healing. It may also help reduce or eliminate the need for certain medications.

Massage therapy can help prevent bedsores. By turning over, you release pressure on the areas on which you have been lying. By massaging the pressured areas it encourages more blood to flow into the tissue. If massage is done frequently, it can help prevent skin breakdown. The buttocks, tail bone (coccyx), wings of the shoulder blades (scapulae), hips, heels, elbows and bumps (malleoli) around the ankles are susceptible spots for pressure sores.

Much of the info above can be found on many of the web sites through a simple Google or yahoo search.