How Aromatherapy Massage Generates Repeat Clientele

by Janet McGrane Bennett

Attitudes toward fragrance are very personal. Why offer the same massage to each client, when you can personalize each session with pure and fragrant essential oils? Your regular clients are the backbone of your practice. If you create an environment in which the massage is specifically tailored to individuals, your repeat clientele will swiftly increase.

The scents sense

The five senses rule our lives: touch, hearing, sight, taste and smell. Of these five, smell is the most powerful. Why is this? Scent has the hidden power to reach deep inside the mind–aromas can affect your mood, elicit memories of childhood or even send someone pleasantly off to sleep.

Once your client gets used to your personalized combination of, say, lavender and mandarin, it will become a potent, sensory part of the relaxation experience for him. When he smells the familiar aroma, he will begin to relax from the moment the scent wafts to his nose. You can even label different bottles for particular clients—with their own personalized bottle of scented oil on your shelf, they will feel special indeed.

The simple scenting process

It is best to scent your oil first thing in the

morning when your nose is most sensitive and not overwhelmed with all the scents of the day. Any natural, cold-pressed vegetable oil works well as your base; the most commonly used oils are grapeseed, sweet almond, sesame seed, apricot kernel and avocado oils.

Remember that once you add fragrance, you can’t take it out. Start small and add only a few drops to begin with. Keep track of every drop you add. Don’t be shy to mix different aromatherapy oils together. If you come up with a dynamite combination, you may want to duplicate it, especially if your clients rave about it. It could be your signature scent. Create recipe cards and you can easily repeat the blends.

Study your essential oils before using them and gain an understanding of their basic properties. Citrus oils, for instance, can make the skin more photosensitive. Many oils are not recommended during pregnancy. Always ask first if your client has any allergies or specific health conditions.

Getting to know your clients’ likes and dislikes is a valuable part of building the client-practitioner relationship. Whether this is massage scented with lavender, patchouli or even no scent at all, if their massage is customized down to the smallest detail, you will have a client for life.

Janet McGrane Bennett is the marketing director at Spa & Bodywork Market (www.spabodyworkmarket.com), a distributor of massage-and-spa products since 1987. With more than 18 years of experience in the industry, Bennett is passionate about therapists maintaining self-care and adding value to their practices, for themselves and their clients.

Research Exclusive: Aquatic Exercise for Multiple Sclerosis

For people with multiple sclerosis, a recent pilot study has shown that an aquatic exercise program is both feasible and beneficial, resulting in improved motor function among the subjects.

The study, “Community-based group aquatic program for individuals with multiple sclerosis: a pilot study,” involved 11 adults with multiple sclerosis, 10 of whom completed the entire intervention. Inclusion criteria for the study included a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, a medical clearance for exercise participation and limited physical activity prior to participation in the study.

The aquatic exercise program used for this study was designed by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and approved by experts in physical therapy, occupational therapy and sports science, as well as a certified aquatic instructor with 15 years of experience conducting classes for people with multiple sclerosis.

Subjects in the study attended this one-hour group aquatic exercise class twice a week for five weeks. At the start of each class, the participants warmed up, then performed the aquatic exercises, and then there was a cool-down period, all of which took place in the pool.

Evaluation of the study’s subjects took place before and after the five-week aquatic intervention. The 10-Meter Walk test, the Berg Balance Scale, the Timed Up and Go, a grip-strength test and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale all were used to assess results of aquatic exercise. Participants also filled out a satisfaction survey in regards to the aquatic exercise classes.

An analysis of the data showed significant improvements in walking

speed, balance, functional mobility and grip strength following the five weeks of aquatic exercise. There were no significant changes from baseline to post-intervention in terms of fatigue.

Data from the satisfaction survey showed high approval ratings for the overall experience, and none of the subjects reported any adverse effects related to the aquatic exercise.

“The findings demonstrate that a community-based aquatic program for individuals with multiple sclerosis is feasible, beneficial and safe to implement and may serve as a good model for community-based wellness programs for people with disabilities,” state the study’s authors.

The researchers speculate the significant improvements in motor function may be due to the fact that the subjects were able to engage in exercises in the water that would not have been possible for them to perform on land.

“The positive outcomes from this study justify a multi-centered study to further examine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the aquatic program,” state the study’s authors, “and to determine the cost of running short-term group-based aquatic exercise programs compared to long-term individual aquatic sessions.”

Authors: Yasser Salem, Anne Hiller Scott, Herbert Karpatkin, George Concert, Leah Haller, Eva Kaminsky, Rivky Weisbrot and Eugene Spatz.

Sources: Department of Physical Therapy, Department of Occupational Therapy and Division of Sports Sciences, Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York; Department of Physical Therapy, Hunter College, City University of New York. Originally published online in Disability and Rehabilitation (2010).

Utilizing Online Education in Massage School

Online education utilized in the massage profession can add great value to any massage school and instructor. There are now some excellent software programs available to study anatomy and physiology, featuring graphics that more than likely exceed the artistic talents of a massage instructor.

Hands-on massage education will—and should—remain exactly that: hands-on, face-to-face massage class training. However, the rest of massage online education is negotiable. Imagine a massage student who has viewed the information prior to coming to class. This would give students an opportunity to hear new terminology before they come to class. The instructor would then validate this new terminology, which would be the second time the massage students are exposed to new terminology. By the end of class, the massage students now have heard the new terminology more often than if the massage student had learned it for the first time in class that day or night. (Teaching models say students must hear subject matter at least three times to make a connection.)

My favorite example of massage online education is how greatly it may improve a body ergonomics class. There is so much to teach in the subject of body ergonomics. There is first the terminology and then there are the correct poses to be positioned in to distribute proper body weight to perform specific massage techniques. What if the massage instructor could concentrate more on direct body ergonomics when the massage student was in class?

The massage student could potentially study the lesson in advance of the body ergonomics class. This way, massage students would be exposed to the new terminology and definitions, such as archers’ stance, etc. When they then arrive for class, the massage instructor could immediately begin to position the massage student in the proper stances because the student was already aware of the terms and definitions.

By utilizing online education, responsible students can walk into class relatively on the same level to begin implementation of their newly learned terminology. This then allows massage instructors to immediately begin a clinic to give a 3-D lesson of what was learned in the massage online education portion of the class. It really is a win-win for massage students and teachers.

 

What are some easy ways to lose weight?

Approximately 60% of women are overweight and 30% are obese today (American Obesity Association). Most women would feel more positive about themselves if they could maintain an ideal body weight. Perhaps even more importantly, obesity is linked with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, back pain, some cancers, and infertility. Encouragingly, the risk of death from these conditions decreases dramatically in people who maintain a 5 to 10% weight loss over at least a year (Guideline for Healthy Weight by F.R. Jelovsek, M.D. at www.wdxcyber.com).

Specific diet plans are popular but difficult to follow, and may be too restrictive for long term weight maintenance. Adopting healthy habits may be a more practical means of attaining a healthier weight for many people. In order to lose a pound a week, 500 fewer calories must be accumulated per day (either through reduced food intake or exercise) (Brigham and Women’s Hospital). Proven weight loss recommendations include:

• Eat three meals a day (especially breakfast) to minimize overeating
• Eat eight to ten vegetable or fruit servings a day
• For satiation, eat lean protein with every meal
• Abstain from eating sweets for two weeks to quell cravings
• Exercise aerobically and with weights
• Get enough sleep and minimize stress

In order to determine your ideal body weight, you can calculate your body mass index (BMI), which is an approximate measure of body fat based on weight and height. Visit DrKoop.com to do a Body Mass Index checkup. A body mass index within the range of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy.

Massage Therapy Improves Posture

Allowing the body to reinforce healthy and natural movements can be one of the most beneficial aspects of massage therapy. Many aches and pains are due to poor posture. Whether we are driving, working at a desk, or even just standing still, poor posture can contribute to a number of physical aches and pains. Over time, these habits can cause increased body stress and breakdown.

With a consistent program of massage therapy, the painful points in muscles are loosened and relaxed, joints have greater freedom, and pressure points are relieved. This allows the body to position itself in a healthy and natural posture, therefore avoiding the movements and positions developed over time as a reaction to the pain.

Benefits of Improved Posture

• Muscles are loosened and relaxed
• Joints enjoy greater freedom
• Pressure points are relieved

Massage Therapy Relieves Headaches

In the United States alone, more than 60 percent of the 45 million Americans who suffer from chronic headaches suffer from migraines. The disorder can be debilitating and typically results from high stress levels and/or lack of sleep.

Massage has two roles when it comes to treating migraines and tension related headaches. In a proactive role, massage treatments are performed on a regular basis to help the body maintain an optimal level of relaxation and stress-relief. This approach reduces the chances of migraine attacks and tension headaches significantly by relaxing muscle spasms and trigger points. In a comfort role, massage is done to ease the pressure brought on during a migraine or tension related headache. By focusing on the neck, shoulders, and head, massage can decrease the pain and discomfort brought on by migraine or tension headache.

According to the American Massage Therapy Association:

A recent study showed that massage therapy recipients exhibited fewer migraines and better sleep quality during the weeks they received massage, and the three weeks following, than did participants that did not receive massage therapy. Another study found that in adults with migraine headaches massage therapy decreased the occurrence of headaches, sleep disturbances and distress symptoms. It also increased serotonin levels, believed to play an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep and appetite.

Relief of Tension-Related Headaches Benefits

• Decreases occurrences of headaches, sleep disturbances and distress symptoms
• Allows one to maintain a level of relaxation and stress-relief, reducing the chances of stress induced migraines
• Reduces muscle spasms and trigger point