Your Massage FAQ's

We get a lot of questions - and we love it! Client curiosity helps us build rapport, establishes trust and keeps us on our toes. We thought we’d address some of our most commonly asked questions here.

What are the benefits of massage therapy?

Goodness, do you have all day? We’ll try to keep this brief: reduced pain, improved range of motion, better sleep, an overall sense of well-being, and reduced stress are all known benefits of massage!

Did you go to school for massage/are you licensed to do this?

Yes! Texas requires 500 hours of education from a licensed massage school. The curriculum covers things like anatomy and physiology, pathology, ethics, and of course - lots of massage techniques. There is also a formalized internship process where we see clients to hone our skills, but do not receive any payment (because we’re not licensed yet). We then have to pass a background check and a licensing exam. After those hurdles are cleared, we can officially begin our careers as Licensed Massage Therapists! But we’re not done - licenses are up for renewal every two years, for which we complete continuing education. You never stop learning in this field.

How should I prepare for a massage?

Massage, in general, is come-as-you are. Make sure you’ve had enough to eat and drink before your session - low blood sugar and dehydration aren’t conducive for massage. Sunburns are also no fun, so use sunscreen if you plan to be outdoors in the days leading up to your session (plus you’re reducing your risk for skin cancer!). If you have any communicable skin conditions (athlete’s foot, poison ivy, etc) be prepared to keep that body part covered. Finally, come clean to your session. While we’re generally not squeamish around bodies, maybe don’t run a 5k if you won’t have time to shower before coming in.

One more note: If you have an infectious illness, or have had a fever in the past 24 hours, please reschedule. That’s just basic public health stuff.

What are the different types of massage, and which one is best for me?

The two most common modalities are Swedish (flowing and relaxing) and deep tissue (targeted and therapeutic). If you’d like a deeper dive, we have posts on sports massage, prenatal massage, manual lymphatic drainage, Thai and ashiatsu, and cupping. And while it can be helpful to know the different modalities, what’s most important are your goals for the massage. Clients come in for myriad reasons: relaxation, chronic pain, muscle soreness, “just because” - or all of the above. For example, maybe you want to unwind during your session and leave feeling refreshed, but you’ve also been on your feet a lot and the dogs are barking. Your therapist might focus on relaxation for much of the session and incorporate some deep tissue on your feet. Maybe your low back and hips feel tight and you can’t turn your neck to one side - how about some stretching in the hips, and myofascial release in the neck and shoulders? We can pull from multiple modalities to customize a session around your goals.

What are muscle knots and why do I have them?

This is another one we’ve covered before! In short: while there’s not a literal knot in your muscle fibers, it can certainly feel like there is. We call them myofascial trigger points: those localized, irritable spots that might even refer pain elsewhere in the body. How they got there in the first place can be related to muscle weakness, repetitive use, keeping a static posture for much of the day. Whatever the cause, we know that massage helps.

Can I get a massage while menstruating?

Yes! In fact, massage can help with some common symptoms: back pain, fatigue, abdominal cramping. You can let us know if you’re having symptoms related to your period, we’re not shy.

And there you have it, six of our most frequently asked questions. What questions do you have about massage? Maybe this post will need a sequel!