Some Facts About Massage

Massage therapists and massage therapy have come a long way in how the public views us/it. Many states now require a minimum of 500 hours of training at a licensed school, and then we must pass an exam in order to get our license. We then must take continuing education courses in order to renew our license every two years.
However, just like every other profession, there are good ones and bad ones. By bad, I don't just mean they aren't giving a good massage. If you have never had a massage, or if you had one years ago and the experience was so bad, you swore you would never get another, I hope the following will be helpful. These are partly my opinion based on my experiences and partly the law in Missouri.

*Where ever you go for your massage should have their state licenses prominently displayed

*Your therapist should inquire about your reason for being there, even if it is just relaxation.
You should be asked about any health conditions/issues that would be adversly affected by
massage or would compromise the therapist's health

*If your therapist promises to cure you of anything or starts making a diagnosis of any
medical problem you have, you should probably go somewhere else

*You should remain completely covered during the massage, except the area that is being
worked on. Your therapist should give you privacy and ask you to undress to your comfort
level. If you are not comfortable taking off your underpants, that is ok. However, if you
have asked the therapist to work on your glutes (butt) it helps if they can work on your
skin directly.

*It is against the law for any therapist to work on breast tissue without a special license
from an approved instructor. If you are woman with larger breasts, the therapist will
make every effort to avoid contact with breast tissue, but sometimes it is unavoidable, so
don't get too upset.

*Tipping is common question from clients. There are two trains of thought in the massage
community. Some therapists want us to be thought of professionals like chiropractors and
doctors and we don't tip them. The other thought is that more along the lines of we are
like hair dressers and should get tips. Personally, I see both points of view. If it's a choice
a client tipping or continueing to come back a see me, I vote for the latter. Most therapists
are very grateful for the tip, but it is completly up to you.

Those are big points. If you have any other questions, please ask. I hope this was helpful.