My Massage Story
By Krystal C.
An Introduction
Hello! My name is Krystal and I’m from Utah. I am 21 years old, and I live in Idaho with my husband, Josh, and our dog, Charlie. Like most other 21-year-old girls, I am in love with the musculoskeletal system of the human body.
Let me take a step back. I am currently a proud student of the Rexburg College of Massage Therapy, and therefore spend most of my time learning about muscles, palpating them, memorizing their names, actions, and locations, and discussing how to manipulate them most effectively. When I’m not doing this, I’m performing hands-on work with real clients to gain valuable work experience. So I guess you could say I am indeed in love with muscles. (And not to toot my own horn, but I think that muscles kind of like me too.)
I would love to take this opportunity to share my massage story; How I got involved with massage therapy, things I’ve learned so far, and some advice for the future massage therapists of the world.
How I got involved with massage therapy
First of all, I’d like to tell you that I didn’t always want to be a massage therapist. For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with the human body, but I never quite knew exactly what I wanted to do for a career. I went from wanting to be a registered nurse to a cardiothoracic surgeon and everything in between. The tables really turned for me, however, when I went to Hawaii to study for a few semesters. Contrary to what you might expect, it wasn’t a beach-side massage that changed my mind, nor was it any sort of professional advice or course curriculum. Rather, it was a boy. A boy named Joshua.
Josh and I started to date, and over the course of the next few months–in addition to falling in love–I learned of his many health concerns, including scoliosis, chronic headaches, back pain, anxiety, and irritable bowel syndrome. On several occasions Josh suggested that I pursue a career in massage therapy, and from that time forward I started playing with the idea. Later on, I began working in a chiropractor’s office and in this setting, I began to think a lot more seriously about a career in massage therapy. I would see patients coming in tight, tired, and in pain, and they would leave feeling so much better. I was amazed! I realized that massage is not just for relaxation and indulgence, but it is indeed a medical therapy with real physiological benefits.
Now, six months later and well into my massage program, I am continually amazed at the countless benefits of massage therapy. I fall in love with muscles and massage therapy a little more each day as I see the difference that it makes in so many people’s lives, including (and especially) the difference that it’s made in my husband’s life.
Things I’ve enjoyed learning
The most interesting things I’ve learned in my program by far include the benefits of massage therapy, the interconnectedness of the human body, and how similar, yet different we are from each other as human beings.
At the start of my program, I had no idea how beneficial massage therapy is to the human body and mind. It can improve and enhance functions of the endocrine system, immune, muscular, digestive, and integumentary systems, to name just a few. Massage therapy includes manual palpation of muscles with the intent to relax and relieve tension. With this manual palpation comes increased blood flow, thus improving circulation, and allowing for better health at the cellular level. When circulation is improved, cellular exchange is heightened, allowing for the proper delivery of nutrients, oxygen, hormones, and blood cells, in addition to efficient removal of cellular waste. On a larger scale, this looks like healthier, clearer skin, improved scar formation, more balanced hormones, increased mood, decreased stress, improved gastrointestinal functions, heightened immune response, increased range of motion, decreased tension, and decreased pain. For individuals who are unable to remain active due to age, injury, or illness, it can also help to prevent or delay muscular atrophy. For the pregnant mother, massage can help decrease stress, and increase oxytocin production, thus allowing for a healthier pregnancy, labor, and delivery. These are just a few of the many benefits that come from massage therapy–and it comes as no surprise to those who understand how interconnected the human body is.
Which brings me to my next point. Another topic that I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about is how interconnected the body is. I will illustrate this point with two case studies. The first is from my friend, Laurie. I first worked on Laurie with a simple Swedish massage. Towards the end of the massage, I noticed considerable sized ridges across her temporal region. As I spoke with her at the conclusion of the massage, I learned that she has been suffering from headaches for the past few months. She said that medicine sometimes helps, and that she didn’t know the cause for the headaches at all. I suggested that continued massage may help, but didn’t meet with Laurie for several weeks after that. In fact, I didn’t really think much more about it until we studied temporomandibular jaw dysfunction (TMJ) in our clinical therapies class. Our teacher explained that people who tend to clench their jaw or who have TMJ may also feel pain referred to their temporal region. This is because the temporalis muscle, which is attached at the temporal fossa and inserts at the coronoid process of the mandible, is heavily involved in jaw movement. When I heard this I immediately thought of Laurie. I texted her right after class: “Laurie! Do you have any jaw problems, or do you ever grind your teeth??” She replied quickly with a, “Yes, both!” and began to elaborate. We decided to try continued massage with emphasis on her head, neck, and jaw muscles, and the results were so positive! I never would have guessed that jaw issues could be connected to her headaches if it weren’t for our study in clinical therapies and kinesiology.
Another case study that illustrates the connectedness of the body would be one of my classmates, Jen. In our hands-on classes, we regularly take turns massaging one another, and on one occasion, Jen told me of an issue she had been experiencing. She said that she would wake up in the middle of the night with a complete “dead arm.” She said it felt tingly and numb, and it would disrupt her sleep. It got particularly worse on Monday mornings after working long weekends at her job as a physical trainer. That day, we worked on the anterior and posterior neck region. After the massage, Jen said she felt so much better, and that she was looking forward to seeing how she would sleep. When I saw her in class a few days later, she was ecstatic. She told me that she slept the whole night and that her arm and neck were no longer giving her pain! I was pleasantly surprised at this, and happy to hear of her success. However, it wasn’t until later when we learned about Thoracic Outlet Syndrome that I fully understood what had happened with Jen. It turns out, there are very important veins, arteries, and nerves that run in a passageway from the lower neck to the armpit. Various factors contribute to this condition including posture, sleeping position, trauma, repetitive movements, and postural distortions. Massage can help relieve tension in the arm and neck muscles, therefore taking pressure off of those nerves and arteries. Just as with Laurie’s case, I was so happy and intrigued at this new found knowledge. I truly love being in a program where I can learn something new every single day. The human body is extremely fascinating and connected in ways that we are just beginning to understand. I love to be at the forefront of this research and understanding.
Lastly, I have loved learning about how similar yet different we are as human beings. Although there are slight differences that occur in the anatomy of human beings, we are for the most part, made up very similarly. Everyone has bones, muscles, organs, etc. We all have a heart that pumps blood through our bodies. We all have spines to hold us erect. We all have minds to think and explore and discover and dream. And yet, no two people are the same! We all use our bodies differently, and our bodily experiences are unique to us. What I love most about my experience as a massage therapist is being able to meet and help so many people. I have met individuals that come from very different places and backgrounds than me, and yet, I have been able connect with them on deep levels as I help them heal.
Advice for future therapists
As I begin to conclude this essay, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this. I am passionate about the muscles of the human body and about my career as a massage therapist. If I were to give one piece of advice to myself a year ago, I would say, “Just do it! Give massage therapy a try, you will not regret it!” In addition to this advice, I would tell my past self a few more things. Consider the rest of this essay my message to the future massage therapists of the world.
- Be all in, and for the right reasons! This is a helping career. And this is not an easy course of study. Keep in mind that as a massage therapist you must be selfless and client-focused, because if you are not, the people you work with will be able to tell. If you are in this for money or for popularity, you are not in the right place. So be ready to roll your sleeves, open your heart, and be all in.
- Take your science courses seriously. On the very first day of class, our anatomy teacher walked in and said, “By show of hands, who wants to be a good massage therapist?” All hands went up. “Now keep your hand up if you want to be a great massage therapist.” Most hands stayed. “The difference between a good therapist and a great one, is a knowledge and understanding of the muscles and how they work. I have never forgotten this. So take your science courses seriously. Get help before you need it and study hard, because your grasp of this information will affect so many people.
- Take your career seriously. Be proud of yourself and your work! Massage therapists have been working for decades to earn rights, respect, and a good reputation for the field of massage therapy. You are a medical professional with knowledge and skills and people trust you! Be professional. Be ethical. Be proud of yourself and your career! Live up to the title of massage therapist and continue to earn respect for it.
- You don’t have to know it all at once. This is a career where you can learn something new every single day. The first time I massaged in class, I had no idea what I was doing! Now, I have a wide range of skills and techniques that I can use based upon my client’s needs. So be patient with yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and try new things! We are all still learning together.
- Get massages regularly and outside of class. You can learn SO much just from getting massages. It will help you to care for yourself and stay healthy. Additionally, it will help you gain greater understanding of your clients and how you can best help them.
- You may not enjoy 100% of your program, and that’s okay. Find what you like and specialize in that! I have classmates who have taken a course and decided they never want to use that modality in their future practice. And that’s okay! Chances are, your school is going to give you a good mix of elective classes (in addition to state-required courses) to help you discover what you like and don’t like. So go into every class with an open mind, but don’t get discouraged if you don’t love every modality. Whatever you decide to be or do, be the best that you can.
- Connect with your classmates. At first, I was very shy and kind of standoffish to a lot of my classmates. I did not realize that these people would grow to become more than just my colleagues, but my coworkers, and friends. Don’t be afraid to branch out a little bit. Get out of your comfort zone and be yourself! The connections you make now will be a benefit to you for years to come!
- Breaking your body is not worth fixing someone else’s. A lot of people in massage believe in the “no pain, no gain” model of working. And that is the reason that so many practitioners are practicing in pain. Towards the beginning of my program, and even now sometimes, I get so focused on helping others that I don’t take time to realize my own needs and limits. I am now learning to work smarter rather than working harder. Ruining your own body in order to temporarily relieve someone else’s pain is not worth it! Don’t be afraid to set limits, listen to your body, and educate your clients! Often working deeper/more forcefully is not what the client actually needs!
- Find time to give back. Even if you are still in school, you can find ways to bless other people’s lives. One of the most rewarding experiences in my program so far is when our class visited a senior center to offer free massages. We visited with the elderly in our community as we worked on their hands, feet, shoulders, and necks. They were so humble and grateful! At this point I realized how powerful massage can be! As I said earlier in the essay, massage is a helping career. Keep in mind that you don’t have to be graduated to reach out and help people.
- If you’re still not sure about pursuing massage therapy, visit a school and don’t be afraid to ask questions! I thought about becoming a massage therapist years before I actually enrolled in a program. The best thing I did to actually get started was to visit a school. I was able to meet the staff, tour the facility, and learn about the program, requirements, and career possibilities. Visiting my school definitely helped me realize that I for-sure want to do this. (And don’t be afraid to visit more than one school and explore the unique programs they offer!) A great education is a great investment in your future.
So that’s it. That’s my story. I want to thank you for allowing me this platform to share how I got involved with massage therapy, some of the things that I’ve learned, and my advice to future massage therapists. I may just be an average 21 year old girl from Utah, but I can touch people’s lives in powerful ways. I am passionate about the musculoskeletal system and about helping my clients. I am grateful for the things I’ve learned thus far and look forward to future lessons and a long career as a massage practitioner.
