Massages are great for easing muscle tension, relaxation, injury recovery, and overall well-being. That being said, it is a pretty intimate experience and the therapist working with you is bound to learn a few things about you during your massage.
Rodale’s Organic Life recently spoke to several massage therapists to find out how much they learn about us during our time on the massage table. Here are 12 things that your massage therapist may know about you after an hour:
- You carry big purses – your body may be tighter on one side and you may have an unnatural pelvic tilt
- You have a desk job – your lower back may be weak as evidenced by one hip being higher than the other. Your glutes and legs may also be tight
- You sleep on your stomach – this sleeping position puts extra strain on your neck, which massage therapists may be able to feel
- You drive a lot – people who spend a lot of time driving often have hunched shoulders because of the far-forward posture many of us assume while driving
- You have an injury – if you have an injury, your massage therapist may be able to feel heat and inflammation. They can also tell the type of injury based on how your muscles and tendons feel
- If you’re having digestive issues – a massage therapist will know this if your stomach feels firm to the touch
- You spend a lot of time texting – your body’s natural reaction when the therapists works on your shoulders is a tell-tale sign if you spend too much time texting and have developed “text neck”
- You haven’t been drinking enough water – trigger points in your upper back will be tender if you don’t drink enough water
- You’re constantly cold – when we’re cold, our instinct is to hunch up our shoulders to our ears. Massage therapists often see an increase of clients coming in with stress in their necks and the tops of their shoulders during the colder months
- You’re a runner – tight hips and lower back are common among runners
- You have allergies – the tissue around your eyes, forehead, cheeks, and jaw will feel tender and inflamed if your allergies have flared up
- You’re a frequent backpacker – heavy backpacks cause the muscles in your scapula to become tight (related article: Backpack Safety Checklist)
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