<p>I just got an e-mail from my daughter, telling me that the camp where she is working brought in a massage therapist to give the counselors a massage (it’s a co-op camp, so it was probably a way for a parent to bring down the cost for their kid’s participation at the camp). My daughter described her fifteen minute massage as a “slice of heaven”, and I thought a session with a massage therapist would make a perfect birthday gift for her. I did some searching in our area and am thoroughly confused by the multitude of options available. My daughter will be 19 and has rheumatoid arthritis…should I be considering deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, or something else? Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Hot stone massage would be great for her. I have a constant neck pain from stress and possibly some arthritis too. I get a massage once a week to relieve the pain. Swedish massage is more relaxing, but very soft. I like deep tissue or pressure point massage with warm oil or moist heat on first. I would recommend a minimum of 60 minutes because it takes a while to relax. A good massage is truly a “slice of heaven.” It is a wonderful present.</p>
<p>I have also tried massage combined with acupunture, but that’s not for a beginner.</p>
<p>Hot stone is a great idea, as the heat penetrates. Much of massage is finding a practitioner with a good touch, best by word of mouth. Some like a harder, some a softer touch. Would also recommend that you speak to whomever you find to see if they understand RA. My sympathies to you and your D living with RA, as is not the easiest of diseases!</p>
<p>Another suggestion is to find a class you can attend together, to learn how to massage each other. My Ds and I have been working on each other for years, and is a much appreciated life skill.</p>
<p>I also get regular massages; many massage therapists are trained in more than one type of massage.</p>
<p>I found mine through my chiropractor, but if you live near any reputable health club that’s affiliated with a hospital, they probably have someone. </p>
<p>We have given massages as gifts to several of our daughter’s friends for graduation, etc. Although most people view massage as a luxury, for me it is a necessity for self-care. So I like to introduce young ladies to the wonderful benefits of it, hoping as they become young adults, it eventually becomes a priority for them as their own budgets allow. </p>
<p>While I do not officially have RA, my mother suffered from it horribly, and I suspect I have some sort of autoimmune issues that will eventually fit into a diagnosis. I’m just in denial right now, and trying to deal with the aches and pains through more homeopathic methods such as massage/chiropractor. All three of my brothers have had serious bouts of gout, which is a form of arthritis, so I doubt I will escape arthritis entirely. So that’s why massage is such a priority for me.</p>
<p>Is it possible to call the camp and speak to someone who can put you in contact with the massage therapist who came. Then you could call her and ask what kind of massage she did for the counselors.</p>
<p>most therapists can adapt the treatment to what is appropriate.</p>
<p>I think a therapist who does massage with aromatherapy would be wonderfully relaxing- you could try a spa- but a therapist in private practice/combined with a yoga, natural health practitioner would be probably less expensive.</p>
<p>I don’t know what licensing rule are in your state- but you could find the school that has the highest standards and ask them for referrals</p>
<p>I would personally look for someone skilled in deep tissue, possibly Shiatsu, acupressure & who used aromatherapy.</p>
<p>I look forward to my session with massage therapist(deep tissue), I usually see her every 2 weeks for 2 hours. It took me a while to find a good one, I found her through my chiropractor. I also did use an acupuncture last year, saw her everyday(my insurance paid for it), very relaxing, no pain at all, she was an MD from China. Before I found this person I was very nervous of needles. I found her through my insurance, she was in-network.</p>
<p>I just wanted to chime in about the benefits of massage therapy. I should be going regularly, but I actually haven’t gone for over a year. I went to my mother’s therapist in Michigan over a year ago. I had had a shoulder injury for months, and she worked on it and the pain and stiffness were reduced. But the best thing was that she completely cured a problem I had in my hip. For a couple of months there had been something wrong, that I thought was a problem in the hip itself. I could not sit normally in yoga class - my right knee would be way up in the air. I’m not sure why I even mentioned it to the massage therapist, but she went right to certain muscles in my outer hip and my groin, and somehow she made it go away. After the massage I could immediately sit normally, and the problem has not come back.</p>
<p>This was not exactly “slice of heaven” massage, but it helped me tremendously.</p>
<p>Thanks to all…I’ve asked my daughter to try to find out what type of massage she had. After looking at several places, it seems likely I’ll arrange a spa day for her, since there are so many package deals available. To hear her say that her joints felt so much better after the massage was my “slice of heaven”, and if I can send her back to college feeling refreshed, it will be worth every penny.</p>
<p>I discussed with my massage therapist how to get S reasonably affordable massages at college. She suggested finding the local massage school in the area. They have students give massages under supervision. The per hour was guesstimated at $20.00.</p>
<p>I think that the best idea is to discuss the procedure with the therapist. “Deep” seems to vary from therapist to therapist.</p>
<p>Most colleges might have a massage therapy program through their sports medicine or rec sports department. UVA has one that is $30/30min or $55/hour. Try visiting the rec sports/sports medicine website for your school or email someone in the rec sports department. If the school doesn’t have a program, they could probably easily refer you to someone because lots of athletes get routine massages.
Also, Swedish is the most common type of massage. It has varying pressures and encompasses generally the whole body for relaxation and loosen minor muscle tightness. It’s designed to promote circulation and is focused on “soft tissue”, or the upper muscle layers. Deep tissue focuses more pressure in specific areas and focuses on the sub-layers of the muscles. People with chronic muscle pain or going through physical therapy do weekly 30-min sessions and focus on a few areas.
Often, you can incorporate both into one massage (even though some people charge differently for the massages). Talk to the masseuse prior to the massage (arrive atleast 30min prior) and point out any troublesome spots or pains, and say “you can go deeper in my upper back, but legs can be lighter” to pinpoint exact needs and what areas you would/wouldn’t like treatment, and if you’d rather more focus on say your upper back than your legs. Prior to the massage is when you want to gives feedback on which areas to focus on. Then during the first 5min or so, give feedback (remember, you’re paying and they WANT to help!) on the pressure and style. If they hit a certain area and you want more/less pressure, say so. During the massage is when you give feedback on pressure.<br>
As for length/frequency, it may be best for your D to get shorter, more frequent massages. Since her pain is always lingering, she would benefit from more visits, rather than longer which are better for working out tight muscles. But it’s up to her :)</p>
<p>Spas will list all “sorts” of massages. A good massage therapist will give you the massage you need, after you have explained your situation. Most will have you fill out a medical form ahead of time, listing medical illnesses, the reason you want the massage (ie for relaxation, stress release, pain/body aches.) They can adjust the depth (firm, deep) according to your wants and needs. </p>
<p>Look for therapists associated with a PT, chiropractor, orthopod to get more of the “massage” and less of the glitz of the spa massage. They will be more therapeutic as well. </p>
<p>Massage schools, massage therapists associated with a wellness center or hospital are also good. I have been impressed with our local Massage Envy–a new chain. For regular massages, the price is right. Their massages for nonmembers are $79 for an hour. If you pay a $20 a monthly fee to be a member, all massages are $39. That works out to $59 for the first one (OK most of us will have only 1/mos even if we splurge) but $39 for each one after. So if you need a course of therapy, over a few months, $39 for an hour is great.</p>
<p>Oh, and your first one ever at Massage Envy is $39 (one hour). I took my two D’s and myself and we all had one recently. I was impressed with our local staff. They mentioned the membership but no hard sell, and I did not miss the “spa” atmosphere. They were all very professional.</p>
<p>I’ve seen advertisement for Massage Envy here but have not tried it. You can use pretax money, like Flex Spending Account to pay for massage therapy, it usually done in a chiropractor office or with a combination of a chiropractor session.</p>
<p>How do these massage schools work? Do they actually give discounted massages? I mean heck, $20 for a semi-experienced and maybe not so perfect for a young bod like me is a steal. If I could take my 13-year-old brother to school I would because even his shoulder rubbing ain’t so bad. It’s hard to survive childhood and not be decent at rubbing backs/shoulders and legs/feet, which is all I need =P</p>
<p>The clinics at the massage schools are to give the students who are almost finished more practicum experience. They already have been practicing quite a bit- but it is also an opportunity to work with the public rather that with just friends and family, so they may be a bit rough with their bedside manner.</p>
<p>My younger daughter has very strong hands and gives great massages- better than my husband even though he has strong hands- he just doesn’t do it right.</p>
<p>Mezzo, how did your daughters spa day go? </p>
<p>I got a sweedish massage at a spa last year and it was wonderful however I wish I would have gotten the deep tissue. I’m thinking about going again soon, and I would love to get my boyfriend one too. Both of us tend to have sore muscles by the end of the day… my upper back and his lower back. Question for those of you who helped mezzo - Are those ‘couples’ massages the same as two regular ones? Would it be better to get two individuals? I like that you go at the same time. That seems like it would work out well.</p>
<p>Couples messages are two massage therapists and two clients. One therapist works on each client. What each client gets is their message (tailored, hopefully, to what they want), it is just done in the same room at the same time.</p>
<p>so it’s two normal massages, you just happen to be in the same room basically?</p>
<p>Mezzomom, I have RA and have gotten deep tissue work recently. It can be quite painful and is actually more of a long term therapeutic process. It is used to break down scar tissue and create new muscle memory. I think that more of an all over gentle massage would be they way to go for a one or once in awhile massage experience and definately go for 60-90 minutes. There is a lot of work to be done on a body with RA. My therapist actually did not recommend “hot stone” therapy for someone with RA. Good luck to you daughter. When I was diagnosed at the age of 18 some 40 years ago; my only option was aspirin. There is so much more available in the way of medicine to deal with the crippling effects of these disease. I am adding Humira this weekend to my MTX and keeping my fingers crossed for a good result. Would love to get off the prednisone!!!</p>
<p>fendergirl yep, same room basically. But it can be really enjoyable since you and “other” are relaxing at the same time and will hopefully have the same “glow” afterwards. My W and I really find this to be a shared treat. Your guy may also.</p>