The Bright Side

We are proud to announce the opening of our new studio suite in the heart of Upper Montclair, New Jersey. The treatment room is a beautiful, private oasis from the hectic world outside. A private art studio is immediately adjacent, another outlet for the creative spirits of the MountainWall.

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Our previous article addressed the recession and the effect it is having on ‘out of pocket’ health therapies. We were able to weather the storm, fortunately, and 2010 is starting out on a very positive and hopeful note. It seems our loyal clientele is unwilling to give up their bodywork so easily, and newcomers continue to seek out quality massage therapy, many of them as a result of direct referral. Many recent articles in the general press suggest that people wish to safeguard their health and well-being to face the challenges that still lie ahead. It seems simple enough: eat well, get some formal exercise at least three times a week, make sure to get a good night’s sleep and book that massage! The formula is a slam-dunk for robust health. See you soon?

Facts and Figures

The slumping economy is having a direct effect on many of us, especially those employed in a service often considered “non-essential”. A recent survey-based article published by the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals reported that more people planned on drinking and smoking to help deal with stress than those who planned on getting a massage. The article suggests that this indicates a need for ‘more education’ on how to handle stress; we think it’s a sad reflection on the human condition. Don’t take that as a judgement; it’s hard to ask someone to put down that scotch & soda if it’s helping them get through another rough day at the cubicle. Whatever the case, massage and other wellness approaches are suffering, while your local watering hole is turning people away at the door! The article also informs us that, on average, the ‘regular’ client paid a visit to her/his massage therapist about half as much in 2008 against 2006. Our business, in particular, started to feel the pinch last fall, and we’ve been running about 15-20% behind since then. And, not a week goes by that we don’t hear a client telling us about a loved one or friend getting the sack or being asked to work one less day. MountainWall, however, will keep on keepin’ on because of our loyal clientele. Many of them consider massage “absolutely” essential and would rather cut down on something else. Yes, some of them might be visiting a little less often, but they always come back. One area that has seen a more significant drop is new clientele; we are trending about a third behind last year in this category, but that would be expected when money’s ‘too tight to mention’, as the red-haired man once sang. All of this being stated, and against the odds, MountainWall Massage Works will be celebrating its fifth year in business on August 1st, 2009, and with over 750 intake forms stuffed in the files, we feel blessed. We hope to be around for the next five and we invite you to join us for the journey. Now, that’s something we can drink to.

How late is late?

The issue of showing up on time for an appointment is an ongoing bugaboo for many professionals who depend on the clock to structure their day. To put it plainly: most people show up late for appointments for anything, from massages to manicures. But, many of us have differing ideas on how “late” is actually defined. To some, one is not considered late if they arrive within 5 minutes after the scheduled time; others have a more liberal approach, giving themselves about 12–15 minutes of “extra” time. News flash: late is late. If you are a returning client, we always ask that you arrive about five minutes before the scheduled appointment to allow for prep time and getting yourself on the table for a prompt start. For new clients, there is an intake form to complete and then a brief consult before we can get started, so, we ask for about 10 minutes. Massage therapists consider their time almost as valuable as their skills, and they like to keep a tidy daily schedule. Order is usually better than chaos, and, the massage environment is designed to resist additional stress and discomfort. Nothing causes immediate tension more than waiting around for a late client. So, be kind to your massage therapist and make every effort to arrive on time; it will virtually guarantee a pleasant start to your session.

“...and then she raked a banana leaf over my entire body to end the massage, and it only cost me 10 U.S. dollars!”

Here’s a scene that repeats itself thousands of times a day on massage tables across the land: five minutes into a session with a new client and she starts regaling you with a tale about a massage she received while on vacation or assignment in Phuket, Kyoto or in a sweat lodge nestled deep within the Pyrenees. The “masseuse” was a ninety-pound native woman who looked as if she couldn’t fold a towel much less apply the necessary pressure for an effective massage. Or he was a six-foot-six mountain man who moonlights from his day gig as a water buffalo wrangler. She then gives a brief review of the session, of course, from what she can remember: she was pounded and pummeled, torqued and twisted and otherwise abused for an hour and a half, and then she was brushed with a branch from a eucalyptus tree as sunset approached and the only sound she heard, other than that of her muffled whimpering, was that of the gently lapping waves of the Indian Ocean. And the whole shebang only set her back ten bucks, U.S. She then has the nerve to say how great she felt for the next three days, notwithstanding the fact that her kidneys were bruised and her 4th and 5th cervical vertabrae are now joined together as one... Now, people, don’t take this the wrong way. We want you to experience the joys of massage and bodywork as much as you can afford (or endure!). In fact, we often urge our regular clients to take a session while on vacation or business trip. Occasionally, we even suggest trying a different local therapist to “mix things up”, to experience another set of hands. But, we can’t offer banana leaves or the view from a glacial plateau in Patagonia. If you’re expecting that from MountainWall Massage Works, you will be gravely disappointed. What you can expect is a great massage, applied by a skilled and well-intentioned therapist who will listen to what you need and will approach your session with your health and well-being in mind. And, it’s gonna run you more than ten bucks but you’ll leave with your kidneys intact.

No pain, no gain? We don’t think so.

A commonly held belief with some bodywork disciplines is that pain must be experienced in order to establish the path to wellness. Not so, even with deep tissue or ‘deep pressure’ work. If a client/patient presents with a musculoskeletal issue that we deem worthy of deep tissue, NMT or myofascial release, we proceed with caution, sinking in through the superficial layers slowly and deliberately until we locate the culprit (which often times will be located “deep”!). Using fingers, knuckles, closed fists, and, yes, even an elbow, we will linger in this area with the purpose of effecting some release. And, depending upon the severity of the knot, adhesion or other obstacle, total mitigation will not always occur. Of course, as most of you will find with therapeutic massage, the path to wellness is not always linear. The client will leave the table after the first visit feeling freer and more ‘opened up’, but after session two, the feeling might not be the same. And, some discomfort will almost always be experienced, but pain is not our intention...gain is!

How often should I get a massage?”

This is one of the most frequently asked questions we receive at MountainWall Massage Works. The frequency of your sessions is dependent upon your personal needs, and these vary with nearly every client. If you arrive for your first session with a particular complaint or condition, or if you have been referred to us by a physical therapist, medical doctor or chiropractor, the rule of thumb is one session per week for three consecutive weeks. You will in all likelihood receive a measure of relief during and following this work; thereafter, we would like to see you once a month for the purpose of ‘maintenance’.

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For those of you who make an appointment for a full body Swedish massage for the express purpose of relaxation or non-specific stress relief, once a month is the ideal minimum frequency. We also have several clients who visit us in ‘bursts’, that is, they receive work every four or five days within a 21-day span; then, we might not see them again for three months. Then we have the elite group of folks who can’t seem to get enough massage, those who take the MountainWall motto, “You need a massage” very seriously indeed. To qualify, you would be on the table at least once every ten days, which works out to about 35 times in a twelve-month span!

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There exist too many factors affecting a client’s ability to see us on a frequent basis (work schedule, family demands and budget to name the most popular). No matter the frequency of your visits, there is nothing quite like the experience of a quality, skilled massage session. MountainWall welcomes you to see us once, twice...or thirty-five times this year. Call us at 973.746.3838 to book your appointment.

Deep Tissue? Or, just deep pressure?

We often field requests for ‘deep tissue’ massage from prospective clients seeking to book an appointment. What most of them are actually seeking is a massage administered with sustained deep pressure throughout the entire full-body session. Many people do not realize that Deep Tissue is a specific category of therapeutic massage, featuring specific techniques used to treat a specific condition (sciatica, epicondylitis, pectoralis syndrome) or general complaint (lower back pain, tightness in the neck, shallow breathing). Elements of other massage modalities, like neuromuscular therapy for instance, are often incorporated to address the issue. It is doubtful that a client would require the full scope of Deep Tissue massage therapy if they want to book a full-body session. Simply put, very few full-body sessions are strictly Deep Tissue. Such a session, in fact, might prove to be counter-productive to the client’s actual needs.

You might also think you can ‘handle’ the pressure and so you tell the therapist to ‘go as deep as you can’. But, since genuine Deep Tissue massage involves the use of other tools (elbows, forearms, positional changes) by the therapist, you might be surprised at the depth of pressure that can be achieved. You might even need to ask us to ‘back off’ a bit, instead of insisting that we turn up the volume!

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Many of the full-body sessions performed at MountainWall are ‘integrated’ to meet the needs of the client. We might discover an issue, as we work on your body, that will require specific techniques that might not be used in a typical full-body session. So, you might end up receiving Deep Tissue work, whether you realize it or not, during the Swedish massage that you booked because the therapist finds a holding pattern in your left shoulder.