We Asked: How have your clients’ knowledge and expectations of massage changed over the years?

Here is what you told us...

My clients are more knowledgeable about their bodies, their anatomy and the locations of various internal structures. They know more about nutrition, exercises and stress than ever before and how these things affect their health and ability to do the things they want to do in their lives. I have been a massage therapist for 13 years; the last eight years I have been doing integrative manual therapy in my clinical practice. I feel like clients’ expectations continue to rise as a result of feeling better and functioning better with treatment. They tell their friends how well they are doing, and their friends expect more from the treatment session. My clients are also more educated about what they can do to help themselves. I encourage them to notice how they feel, set goals and do homework programs…to help themselves feel better between treatment sessions.
Kimberly Burnham
Bloomfield, Connecticut

Massage has moved from a feel-good experience to one where the client expects some relief of some kind, whether it’s from an injury, a sport or just daily stress. They have been educated to the different modalities of bodywork and the different types of massage and are asking more and more what type of massage I give; they are asking for my training, qualifications and advanced techniques. They are seeking opinions about acupuncture [and] chiropractic.
Sandra Bennett
Kailua Kona, Hawaii

My clients tell me that they have become more selective [about] who gives them a massage. To get a really good, beneficial massage, they look for someone who has a real love for the work.
Wade Mayfield
Irving, Texas

I think they have definitely changed. I am a paramedic and massage therapist, and people come to me with their X-rays and prescriptions and they want me to help interpret it all as well as give them relief from a multitude of ailments. I feel this may not have been the case in the past.
Garth Stephens
La Quinta, California

The average client is a lot more massage-savvy these days. When I first began my massage career in 1997, clients’ perspective on massage still lingered on the luxuries for the rich or illegal massage parlors. Once clients gain a level of trust with you, they naturally want to ask questions and you must be prepared to answer them. Whether you work in a medical clinic or a high-end spa, clients depend on you to know what you’re doing.
M. Orchid Rodriguez
Miami, Florida

Clients have become better educated in massage as an alternative medical route. Massage is no longer seen as a luxury, but as a necessity. Clients expect to find relief from pain, whether it is physical or emotional.
Tamara Hulsey
Dallas, Texas