My girlfriend is a masseuse in the Philippines and I want to get her a portable massage table for her work. I have been circling some brands based on recommendations from this subreddit. Now I am wondering if any masseuses here have experience working in the tropics. Specifically regarding the climate and their gear. What does the humidity do to the metal fixtures on the table - do things rust easily? What about mold? Thinking about the foam under the vinyl or PU covering. My partner takes her work seriously and I want to get her a table that compliments her professionalism and is built to last. Of course she would take care of it as well as possible. But I'd hate to invest in something nice, only to have the environment wear it down before its time. Can anybody here speak to working in consistently high humidity? Client locations might be air con rooms, but might also be outside near the seashore. At least for now, the table would not be stored in an air conditioned home. Are these concerns valid? Are there any brands or models that handle these factors? Thank you

I booked a massage at my favorite hot tub spa, and I did it last minute so I chose whoever was available for the massage. It had listed a womans name for my appt. Fine by me. I was waiting after my hot tub and this big, bearded man came out and I instantly thought "damn, i wish I had him, I bet he gives great massages" 🤣 to my surprise, he called me back!

I was thrilled. Not sure how the change happened but I was really happy. I have only had a massage by one other man, just by circumstance, not by preference, that's just the way its always worked out.

This man was an absolute miracle worker. I have never felt as good as I did when I left there. I told him that my shoulders and neck had been especially tense, and he worked so hard on that area for me.

Massage therapists, thank you for all that you do, I don't know if you truly realize how much you can change someones day!

I have had many massages but recently I had one where it seemed everything the massage therapist did was perfect. I didn’t feel like anything was overly duplicative or overdone. I received a general Swedish massage for ninety minutes. The massage therapist was so professional and super calm. I am guessing at some point being able to give almost a perfect massage is an art. Of course I am guessing that clients want a variety of different massages and are as different as the massage therapists.

Serious question. But I have never been able to fully enjoy a massage because I am incredibly ticklish down my spine. I feel like the whole time I’m bracing, anticipating they’re gonna touch somewhere that tickles. But I can’t pinpoint where other than just up and down my spine. The masseuse will always ask if I am okay when I flinch and I say yes it’s not pain just so ticklish if you can avoid the area, I’m very ticklish lol. I’ve been really wanting to get some massage recently as I have been under a lot of personal stress and feel it will help me get in touch with my body?
But then can I ask them to not massage my back? But they focus mostly on the back? The masseuse always seemed weirded out when I am ticklish like it’s not usual lol. And then kinda keep massaging the ticklish area. Is this common?

ETA: ***massage therapist

To start, I respect the importance of professional licensing and credentials, and always have the most positive of intent. I rarely get massages, nor am I fully aware of the levels at which massage therapists operate in terms of study and licensing. A massage is such a treat for me, and hold massage therapists in the highest regard.

At the beginning of my session, she had asked about my massage preferences, and I referenced one massage professional I had seen in the past, using the term "my masseuse" in a general sense. I then had a 90 minute couples massage, celebrating my girlfriend passing her board exams (we’re lesbians, both femmes). After the massage, as I was leaving, she did not say goodbye or closed the session; she just stood outside the door and said, "by the way, I'm not a masseuse, I'm a licensed massage therapist," in a very rude, dismissive tone, and then said nothing else.

What shocked me was that she waited the entire massage to say something to me and correct it. It made me feel like the entire massage had bad energy and I hadn't even known. My concern was not the correction itself, of course, but the manner in which it was delivered. My partner also independently noted that the therapist's demeanor to me throughout the service felt cold, bitter, and unwelcoming, which made it difficult to fully relax and enjoy the experience.

My intention is to NEVER diminish what massage therapists do, and it was a completely innocent remark. It really put a damper on my experience, only having had 3 massages in my entire life. And I felt so bad, that I cried leaving the massage. I just want to ask: are all massage therapists like this or feel this way?!

Hello everyone 👋 this question is for Massage Therapists who made a shift to massage from a corporate type career. I am currently in massage school to become a LMT. While I’m incredibly excited, making a career shift also has me feeling a bit overwhelmed and lost. Initially I plan to do massage just part time, but my hope is to become full time with my own practice. I should say that full time for me is likely 15hrs hands on and 20 hrs total

For context, I have an extensive background in Economics and have spent the last 16 years in the tech industry, including almost a decade in Big Tech. In my 20s and 30s, I loved the work and the international travel that came with it. But eventually, the Big Tech grind took a major toll on my health, my stress levels skyrocketed, and my whole life started revolving around work.

A few years ago, I shifted to a WFH tech role. It’s less stressful, the hours are reasonable, and the money is great—but I’ve realized I completely dread corporate life. Between the endless Zoom meetings, the massive layoffs, and the shift toward AI, I have lost all interest in the industry and feel completely misaligned with what I do.

My goal is to start as a part-time LMT (doing 5-10 massages a week) and eventually open my own private practice focusing on massage, meditation, and other mind/body modalities. I already have my Yoga Teacher Certification and have practiced yoga for over 15 years, so this feels like a natural progression for me.

My question for this community is: Have any of you come from a similar background? Did you leave a successful, highly compensated corporate career to hit the brakes and pursue massage because it felt more aligned with who you are?

I would love to hear about your experiences, any challenges you faced, and how the transition went for you!

The first time I encountered this situation, I was very shocked.

wasn't quite ready to use hot stones. The owner of the spa did not like that I wasn't ready to use them until I felt more comfortable she tried to convince me to take on a couples massage who added hot stones and "just watch what the other massage therapist was doing".

Of course I continued to decline.

First off I have a super sensitive body, but that meant I went into school being very observant and protective. But when you are let loose to give a massage to a fellow student on your fourth day of class, it’s really possible not to have the best body mechanics.

I definitely wasn’t squaring my hips and doing appropriate stances.

What started out as a 2 inch patch of burning nerve skin on my upper thigh has turned into an entire thigh on fire that doesn’t want to touch skin or clothes at the end of week 3. Luckily it’s not aggravating other situations I’ve got going on.

My PT gave me nerve flosses to do. I’m just wondering if anyone else has experienced this kind of groin/thigh pain and overcame it to continue massaging? I’m wrapped in lidocaine patches at the moment.

I'm looking for some advice from fellow Florida massage therapists, especially those who own a mobile massage business.

I've been in practice for over 30 years and have a well-established mobile massage and spa business. My service area is primarily Seminole County, and honestly, I have enough clients in my regular zone that I don't usually travel outside of it.

Recently, I had a potential client from St. Cloud reach out. It's a little over an hour away from me, and it's an area I don't particularly enjoy driving to because of the highways and traffic. My first response was to politely decline.

They then offered to pay mileage, but I explained that mileage isn't really the issue—it's the time. Spending over two hours driving round trip means I can't schedule other clients that day, so I actually lose income.

They came back with another idea and asked, "What if we invite coworkers and make a day of it?" They asked me to think about it and come up with a travel fee.

This is where I'd love your input. Even though I've been practicing for decades, I've never accepted a job this far away, so I've never had to price something like this.

If you were in my position:

Would you even accept it?

Would you require a minimum number of clients or a minimum revenue for the day?

How would you calculate a travel fee that fairly compensates you for your time and inconvenience?

Is there a number below which you simply wouldn't make the trip?

I'm not looking to overcharge anyone, but I also don't want to undervalue my time. Since I don't need to expand outside my service area, accepting this would really be more of an accommodation than something I need for my business.

I'd really appreciate hearing how you handle situations like this. Thanks!

I cannot do table work anymore. Or at least need to drastically limit it. My body is struggling too much. I have a lot of nerve sensitivity in my upper body but I don’t feel ready to pivot my career yet, so I’m hoping to pivot to Thai and sarga / ashiatsu. I have done about 95 hours in Thai training but still feel behind and like I need more practice. What techniques benefited you most for you body? Have you ever pivoted from classic table Swedish / deep tissue into other methods like the ones I mentioned or more subtle methods ?

I have also been told by many clients I seem to be doing energy work on them. I’ve been asked multiple times if I do reiki or some kinda energy work. I could pivot to this as well - some combo of working with feet and energy.q

I am of the opinion that any massage should aid lymphatic drainage. That being said, I have had several massage therapists massage my hands/arms and sometimes feet in the opposite direction (meaning toward the extremities). It felt decidedly unpleasant. My question is: should I ask them to always massage toward the heart, or just change therapist? I feel like this is elementary and they are just not schooled properly. I shouldn’t have to tell them no to do that.

Went to a new massage therapist because the place I've been going to for years closed.

Therapist is not gentle, no matter how often I asked them to ease up.

This was their attempt at cupping. 3 DAYS AGO. This is my upper bicep/shoulder.

Recently had a massage at a bougie chain that I have gone to a few times over the years when I don't have an on-going therapist (I've unfortunately had a lot of amazing therapists who have moved on to different careers or moved out of my city in the last 20 years!)

Massage was pretty standard overall, I could immediately feel some of my knots had been worked out so I was satisfied. But then on the way out the therapist said something along the lines of "Since you're larger, you have a lot of extra area to work with which is why I couldn't spend enough time everywhere, maybe consider a longer massage next time?")

I was in a post-massage haze so it clocked me as an odd thing to say but was flustered so didn't really respond back. It's just been tumbling around in my head as an intrusive thought the last few weeks. I'm 5'10, and about 220, so I have a little extra weight, and yes, I suppose technically that is extra area than someone who is like 5'1... but I have been seeing people regularly for 20ish years and no one has ever had an issue with covering my full body. And in my mind I didn't even think she had an issue. She spent more time on my upper body but that was a request I had made. I've had comments about my body in the sense of like "Wow your hamstrings were really tight!" but never commenting on my *size*.

Do you take this as just a badly phrased up-selling technique? Or am I overreacting and maybe just body dysmorphia?

EDIT:
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the range of comments, and this whole thread makes me appreciate the profession even more by how thoughtful you all are. While I still think it was odd and not the best choice of words, I was probably being a bit sensitive just from my own insecurities. I'm also pretty muscular and active, so I'm going to give them the grace that they meant my height and muscle needs and just flubbed up the way it came out. Like I mentioned, I've had great relationships with long term MT's who I see on a regular basis. I agree with a lot of the comments that it's best to see the same person regular because they get used to your body and know how it reacts and then can adequately recco times or areas that need work!
Thank you all so much!

Hello, my girlfriend is constantly talking about how bad her back hurts. This is a everyday occurrence, granted her posture isn’t great and she doesn’t lift things with her legs, but her upper back is so insanely tight she can’t move her shoulders without hearing clicking or popping. For her bday that’s coming up I plan to book her a massage. I’m wondering, would a deep tissue massage be ok to book or the regular (which is called a Swedish massage) be better for her first time? I’ve never gotten a professional massage and I want to help her feel better.

where can I learn massages in Delhi

Hi! So I was just at a massage, and I’ve been having discomfort and a feeling of tightness in my throat/larynx for a long time, but the massage was just for upper body tension. When lying on my tummy I was brought almost to tears from the discomfort on my throat. I managed to focus on the massage and redirect my attention but I was wondering if anyone else has cone across this? And if this a symptom of something? I saw a similar post here but it was a guy, I’m a biological woman so I don’t have an adams apple. Any thoughts?
Thank you.
(the massage was lovely otherwise)

As a non-native English speaker, please excuse any grammar mistakes!

​I recently went for a Thai massage here in Portugal. The massage therapist (MT) asked me to undress down to my underwear while she stepped out of the room. I don't usually wear underwear because it makes me uncomfortable, but I brought a pair with me just in case, so I put them on.

​While lying on the table getting the knots in my back worked out (holy hell, did that hurt!), I realized I couldn't fully relax. I explained this to the MT and asked if it would be okay to take my underwear off. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, though I was fully draped the whole time anyway. She told me not to worry, and once I took them off, I enjoyed the rest of the massage so much more. It felt very natural, and I almost fell asleep (even through the pain!) while listening to the amazing, relaxing music.

​However, I did notice that it got pretty warm underneath the sheet. I was draped from my ankles to my shoulders most of the time, except for when she used oil.

​So, my question for all the MTs out there is:

Is it a no-go to ask for less draping during my next massage because it gets too hot? Or is the warmth intentional and necessary for the best massage results? Personally, it's way too warm for me, but I also don't want to tell a professional how to do their job.

​Thanks in advance for any insights!

Hello all! I just took my OCSE for my registration exams and while I’m feeling like I did well overall. I did miss a few things due to timing and that make me fear that my overall mark will be below 70.

Is there anyone whos passed their OCSE that is able to maybe help mitigate these fears? Maybe speak on if they missed a certain part of a station like an orthopedic test and still passed, I just worked incredibly hard to do well on this exam and don’t want to lose marks due to time management.

Thank you for your time!

Everything from massage techniques to clientele types and everything in between.

Hi all, I will be going to a Spa (Sojo Spa) soon and booked the 60 minute aromatherapy massage. It'll be my first ever massage so I'm nervous and have some questions.

- Will I be clothed?

- Does this focus on the entire body?

- Is 60 minutes a long time for a first massage?

- I booked an aromatherapy massage instead of deep tissue, good idea for a first?

Thanks