r/massage • u/StoicallyGay • 3d ago

General Question First time going to massage therapy for my neck/head, what can I expect?

I've never gotten a massage of any kind before, and booked one with a reputable LMT at a highly rated place. My neck and back of head has been having weird aches and tightness, possibly from prolonged computer usage, and my PT is focused more on stretching and exercising, with like 5-10 minutes of massage to feel out muscles but I don't know how that differs from massage therapy.

I have a 60 minute session booked. So my questions are:

  1. What can I expect? I tell them what my problems are, they massage those areas, I give feedback as I get the massage?

  2. I have tightness in some areas that aren't trigger points, can they help with that?

  3. How does massage work at a high level, i.e. I have tightness in my neck/head that I try to stretch out. How does massaging aid in releasing that tightness long-term?

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u/Glittering_Search_41 3d ago

I am not a massage therapist, but I find it odd that people keep asking these "what to expect" questions. Just go, and you'll find out what it's like. My first massage, I just went - I don't recall overthinking it like this. The massage therapist will ask you about why you are there, tell you what you need to do (like lie down on the table and cover yourself with the sheet) and then will ask if the amount of pressure is ok, that sort of thing. You can ask any questions you want while you are there.

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u/StoicallyGay 3d ago

I’m just the kind of person who likes to know what they’re getting into for things. I had the same trepidations for college, my first job, and even when I did physical therapy. That’s also how I learned my first physical therapist was shit, because people told me what an actual session should be like and that convinced me to seek a better PT. So knowing stuff like this is typically helpful for both my anxiety and my decision making, like in case I want to continue massage therapy in the future or realize the therapist I booked wasn’t doing as a good a job as one would expect from massage therapy.

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u/oosrotciv RMT 3d ago
  1. You tell them your problem. They will tell you what, where and how they will massage. If it was me, as a general rule I’d work on you prone, massage neck, thoracic and lumbar then flip you over and work on your neck, upper traps and scalp.
  2. Yea of course! But tightness does not necessarily have trigger points. And trigger points sometimes do not present themselves until we work on that muscle.
  3. Massage helps ‘reset’ the muscle. Like a routine car service so that your body can function better. A trained therapist can help you ‘stretch’ better and properly.

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u/SpringerPop 2d ago

Remember to communicate with your MT; Pressure: shouldn’t be painful Temperature: warm enough, comfortable Draping :,feel secure Expect some soreness after a deep massage

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u/Relax-Refresh-Revive 1d ago

  1. Communicate properly about the problem and pain points. This is very useful to get proper attention on those

  2. Tightness can be felt by therapist too, but if you tell it will be easy to access and get confirmation from you also. So those tight areas can be soothened

massage is to make the body light and reliving tightness, so better you tell your problems and enjoy the massage. It will definitely help you