While every massage practice is different, most massage therapists have the same goal: to provide a memorable healing experience that will keep patients coming back for more. Creating a welcoming, soothing treatment room is key.
One way to make your treatment facility memorable is to find unique items that fit your healing style. What’s a great source for unique décor? Etsy, the largest online source for independent craft vendors. We scoured the site to bring you some inspiration ideas that you can incorporate into your own practice!
Let your treatment room shine while you do what you do best. With the right touch, your practice space can serve as its own invitation for patients to seek you out for a healing treatment.
1.
Do you have a massage room with a lot of sunlight? Or an entryway that could use some sprucing? Check out this gorgeous succulent vertical wall display. It’s lovely and easy to care for as succulents do not need much water to thrive! It will immediately set the tone for healing and growth.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/154682215/vertical-living-succulent-garden-with?ref=sr_gallery_15&ga_search_query=succulent&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all
2. Are you renting a treatment room from a larger space? Don’t wait until the patient is inside the room to feel at home. Try one of these personalized door hangers.
This product is customizable, both in color and your words of choice:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65663169/shh-in-session?ref=sr_gallery_18&ga_search_query=massage&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all
3. Introduce aromatherapy into your practice in a creative way with these scented candles intended for a massage session. Each candle’s scent relates to a patient’s issue at hand, from stress relief to chronic pain relief:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/101051253/aromatherapy-massage-candles?ref=sr_gallery_44&ga_search_query=massage&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all
4.
Try incorporating healing gemstones into your massage practice. These natural sources of energy can simply be used as calming display pieces, or more actively integrated into your practice as a massage tool, such as this amethyst crystal massage wand:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/72712291/amethyst-crystal-massage-wand-one-large?ref=sr_gallery_41&ga_search_query=massage&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=all
5.
We love these lace crochet-covered massage stones. What a unique way to incorporate hot stone massage! These crafty little stones can be heated and applied in a traditional hot stone massage, and they also look decorative and charming in your office. They make great gifts or patient giveaways as well:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/107061825/massage-stones-lace-crochet-mothers-day?ref=sr_gallery_43&ga_search_query=massage&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=all
6. Soft lighting can inspire relaxation and is key for a memorable massage experience. As a holistic healer, it can be fun to incorporate natural elements into your practice. Like this lovely table lamp created from driftwood:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/84982984/table-lamp-brook-natural-driftwood?ref=related-0
7.
Avoid having to walk around your massage table for your lotions and oils. Keep this hand-sewn holster at your side and stay in close contact with your client and avoid disruption throughout the treatment.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/153077338/green-paisley-single-massage-oil-holster?ref=sr_gallery_11&ga_search_query=massage&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=all
8.
If you’re familiar with Ayurvedic practices and would like to incorporate this holistic Eastern vibe into your practice, check out these Dosha massage sprays.
You can either spray on for localized treatment or dilute in base oil for a deep tissue massage.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/123751504/set-of-all-3-organic-dosha-massage-oil?ref=sr_gallery_34&ga_search_query=massage&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=all
9.
Are you a healer with a sense of humor? Check out this fresh take on the classic Winston Churchhill quote, available in any color you choose. This can lighten the mood in your office:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/152129573/blue-buddha-art-print?ref=listing-shop-header-0
10. Do you have patients who are introspective and believe that healing comes from within? Have a completely unique set of healing cards on hand in your office. Invite each patient to pull a card before her treatment to set a healing intention during the massage. We love this hand-painted healing/ inspiration card deck:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/153711773/matryoshka-inspirational-cards-set-of-48?ref=shop_home_active
Are you interested in becoming a massage therapist? Massage is a sought-after form of relaxation and is often thought to be a luxury. At Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM), we teach more than massage for relaxation. We know that massage is good for the body as well as the mind. With our ancient Asian Bodywork healing techniques, we know that massage can improve many health issues. From injury rehabilitation to oncology and cancer treatments, massage can be a powerful form of healing.
Who Needs Massage?
According to a recent U.S. Department of Labor study, employment for massage therapists is expected to increase 19 percent between 2008 and 2018, faster than average for all occupations. Why the prospected increase in massage therapist positions? Because there is a rising demand for qualified massage practitioners, especially those familiar with biomedicine principles.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) estimates that, in 1998, only 7.7% of hospitals offered integrative therapies such as massage. By 2013, that number is estimated to be 42%. Massage therapists can make a difference in a patient’s recovery from a variety of health issues that are traditionally treated at a hospital, from surgery (massage reduces post-surgery adhesions and swelling), injury rehabilitation, and cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy (massage can alleviate side effects of oncology therapies).
How Does Massage Therapy Help Physical Ailments?
Massage is the ultimate mind-meets-body treatment. A good massage offers both mental and physical benefits. As certified Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP) and Pacific College Faculty member Lara Stillo puts it, “Touch is innate. It has a healing quality even via just the basic comfort it conveys, one person to another. Taking this further by learning how to address the complexity of the human body through massage therapy is a wonderful way to deepen the healing power of touch.”
When muscles become relaxed, the body’s range of motion is improved. This leads to better mobility. So, for example, when a patient recovering from a sports injury receives massage, it can dramatically improve his or her recovery time by increasing the flexibility of the injured limb.
Massage also improves blood circulation, which is crucial for injury recovery. This is also why massage is great for athletes: in addition to helping recover from injuries, it can help prevent them from happening. Stillo adds, “It is instinctual to rub areas that are sore, apply gentle touch to areas that are injured, and to stretch when we feel less range of motion and movement. Massage therapy takes this natural wisdom our bodies promote for healing and brings it into the health field as a form of integrative medicine.” Consistently relieving muscle tension with massage can help athletes prepare for strenuous workouts and keep muscles limber so tearing is avoided.
When circulation is improved, the nervous system is also benefited. Massage can calm the nervous system, which will in turn help lower blood pressure, heart rate, and can even enhance skin tone and relieve migraines.The mental and emotional tie-in to this host of physical benefits is that patients come away from a massage feeling rejuvenated and de-stressed. In addition to helping patients unload stress, massage and Asian Bodywork can improve the immune system: helping to prevent illness and fortifying the immune system for recovery from current sickness.
Massage Can Help Cancer Patients?
Read more
If you’re a practicing massage therapist, you probably have your hands full (no pun intended!). You have your website up, your business cards created, and you might even be on social media. Many practitioners ask the question: “To blog or not to blog?” The answer might surprise you.
If you can’t commit the time to update a blog at least a couple times a month, it might be better to let the blogging train pass. When blogs go quiet for long periods of time it can reflect poorly on your business. That being said, it should also be noted that for a blog to be successful, it’s not necessary to write a post every day, or even every week. When content is well-written and unique, it can be an excellent way to build awareness of your practice and help optimize your search engine rankings.
Posts should be engaging and informative. If you can build enough quality content, readers will look forward to your posts even if they are infrequent. So, what makes a great massage blog? What will keep readers engaged and give them the urge to return to your site (and your practice)?
Some general rules apply when blogging, regardless of what industry you’re a part of. You’ll want to make sure you strive for
quality over quantity for blog posts. Make posts engaging. Offer readers info they can use. Be more than your own promotion.
Feel free to mix it up: vary how you present your content. Some of it can be photos, some written articles or surveys, and if you’re really crafty, you can include video posts.
Whatever format you decide to use, in each post, try to give tidbits, insights, or news that readers can immediately implement in their day-to-day life. We’ve put together some great inspirations for your massage blog below.
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Educate.
Who better to write about the benefits you can provide to patients than yourself? But rather than making it about you or your practice specifically, focus on your trade. Write a post exploring the different modalities of massage therapy and the different conditions each massage technique is most used to treat. There are great opportunities for pictures with this one as you can demonstrate how Tui Na may look very different from Shiatsu!
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Debunk a myth
or misconception about your industry. For example, do people think massage is just for relaxation?
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Interview a happy patient
and get their permission to post their massage response on your blog. This is a nice twist for readers to see the benefits of a fantastic massage from the patient’s perspective. Even consider posting a short video testimonial!
You can also gather positive quotes from patients that describe specifics about the treatment and post those on your blog. These can even be anonymous if you prefer.
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Use guest bloggers.
Feature a post written from the perspective of a different holistic business (especially one that is complementary to your own, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, or a meditation or yoga center).
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Have you been earning CEUs or attended any industry conferences lately?
Did you have a great time at Pacific Symposium? Provide your readers with a fun brief write up about the experience and any upcoming trends you’ve noticed in the industry. This is useful for readers who couldn’t attend the event, and also lends you credibility as a continually educated member of your field.
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Do you receive academic journals or read any nonfiction in your field?
Have you read up on the recent research of the benefits of touch? Write your take on it or provide a layman’s overview of exciting new massage studies.
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Be useful.
You know what your patients love. Are they healthy eaters? Do they enjoy yoga? Are they seeing you for stress and are looking for other ways to lower their heart rate? Give them some info on these issues. It doesn’t even have to do with massage, and in fact, it can broaden your audience if it doesn’t. Write up a list of sources for great vegetarian restaurants in your area, or think of the benefits that tea and antioxidants can provide to someone with a fast pulse.
Above all:
try to have fun. Get creative! Think in terms of how you connect with your patients in person and bring it to the page. You’re already passionate about what you do. Bringing that excitement about wellness and healing to your blog will shine through your posts and attract loyal, happy clients.
Get inspired by checking out the recently named
Top 50 Massage Blogs here
!
