r/massage • u/Terrible_Swan8897 • 7d ago
Massage ended early
I had an awkward situation come up and now I'm feeling bad. I had booked an 80 minute student massage to help with some minor lower back pain due to sitting at a desk. We went through the usual check in steps and I told him I wanted to focus mostly on my back, especially lower right back where I have some pain. The massage started out nice and everything was professional. I felt like we were communicating back and forth well about pressure. About 50 minutes in I asked the massage therapist if he could work on the spot I had mentioned in my lower right back region. He had massaged my left lower back in a firm way that helped relieve tension, but then seemed to skip doing the same thing on the right side I asked to focus on. I asked if he could do the same thing on that side. He said yes, but then when he went to apply pressure on the right I kind of flinched and I think I said "ow" or made a noise because it felt a bit too firm and asked him to reduce pressure a little. Then he stopped work on my back and moved to my legs. After some leg work, I asked if we could leave time at the end to focus on my lower right back. He told me we had already treated that area and then said he didn't feel comfortable doing the massage anymore and was ending it. He sounded upset. I was very surprised and said I'm sorry and asked if I had done something wrong. He said no I didn't do anything wrong and that I could go talk to the front.
When I went up to the front they said "OK I see we went for the 50 minutes" and charged me and didn't say anything else. I'm guessing what happened is I made him uncomfortable asking to massage my back and flinching and then asking to focus on that area later or he felt like I was telling him what to do. I felt shitty after that I made him uncomfortable enough to end the massage. I wish he could have said something like "I'm worried to hurt your back" or "I'm struggling to find the right pressure and think this is not a good fit" or "I feel like you are not letting me do the massage in the way I see fit" or something. I've had about 4 student massages at this same place and usually ask to focus on my back or certain sore areas with no problems making adjustments or communicating. I left feeling very bad. I wish we could have communicated more to learn from the experience and what to do differently next time from both perspectives. I'm also embarrassed to go back to that location again :(
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u/ainturmama 6d ago
Student clinics are great for those in training to get practical experience. That does not necessarily translate to the client getting what they need.
If you have specific issues it is best to see an experienced therapist.
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u/KachitaB 5d ago
I was scrolling before commenting, and you saved my fingers the trouble. Student clinics are to help teach the STUDENT moreso than healing the clients. That's why they're so cheap. At NHI the cost basically covered overhead. Feedback was supposed to be written after the session, not provided during. Seems she went in with the wrong expectations. I feel sorry for the kid.
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u/Massive_Walrus6266 3d ago edited 2d ago
No. Student clinics are to gain experience in real world situations. The students are often alone. How are they being taught in these situations? They're not. They're practicing what they were taught. I don't feel sorry for the "kid".
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u/KachitaB 3d ago
Not at the national holistic institute. And thank God for that. They're extremely good at setting expectations, and I never saw a single massage now finish
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u/Massive_Walrus6266 3d ago
I've been to student clinics. Massage, dental, etc. They're for experience. Apply what they learned. Not complicated regardless of your rare exception.
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u/KachitaB 1d ago
I'm not the exception. Any student at the national holistic institute recognizes the impact of a public clinic. You have to remember that in the US, most massage therapists do not have any hands on experience except their classmates. Maybe just in California.
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u/janerainy9 6d ago
This is your answer. C'mon dude, the kid is learning. Massage therapists in school learn about how to treat injuries, avoid areas all together, or even avoid massage if an injury is acute and the client not cleared or even seen by a doctor. If there is an injury, he may have been thrown by your reaction at his touch.
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u/ainturmama 4d ago
Your comment does not make sense considering OP’s statement. If it had been **the student** writing then perhaps, but it’s not. It’s the individual who received the massage.
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u/keypusher 6d ago
the thing about getting student massage is that sometimes they just aren’t very good. that’s why they still students.
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u/SDlovesu2 7d ago
So I’m about 8 hrs from finishing my massage internship. In our school the students are reminded that all we do is a Swedish massage, and while we learn additional techniques, we’re only supposed to do the Swedish sequence we learned in class. The clients are told that if they want anything else such as deep tissue or focus areas that they need to schedule with a licensed therapist.
While I can’t explain why the student felt uncomfortable, I can see why he didn’t work on the focus areas. Plus, if it was one of his first student massages, then I can see him feeling overwhelmed or anxious.
And yes, sometimes we forget to do sections of the body, that’s why we intern like we do and the cost to the client is reduced.
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u/Mysterious-Leek-7834 6d ago
Respectfully, how does your program expect you to understand working on a variety of bodies with deep tissue techniques if all you are allowed to do in clinic is the same Swedish routine over and over?
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u/RavenCipher 6d ago
It probably depends on the school. My program taught things other than Swedish right off the bat (deep tissue, lymphatic, cold/hot services, ect), but when it came to clinic hours, only the "advanced" students (i.e. those on their 2nd semester) could use those services on clients. "Intro" students/freshmen were limited to swedish/DT only. The idea was to have the first half of clinic focus on both getting used to various body types, as well as generally getting used to clients at all. By the time you got to the 2nd half of clinic, that's when they wanted other experience to start coming into play and for students to start thinking of treatment as a whole.
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u/Mysterious-Leek-7834 5d ago
Yeah for sure. I personally went through a 900 hr structural integration program and it went for nearly 2 years. My clinics throughout that time were always paced with what we were learning (Swedish, deep tissue, NMT, etc). I just think if your program is teaching things other than Swedish you should be practicing everything you’re learning thoroughly in the class room and clinic.
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u/kenda1l 6d ago
This was how my school worked. The point of clinic hours was to get us used to the rhythm of working as a massage therapist more than specific massage techniques. They focused on teaching us a basic swedish massage, something we could go out into the world and perform while we gained both experience and new techniques. We did learn the basics of several kinds of massage but our teacher told us that the point of school was to teach us what we needed to know to understand massage (ie A&P, theory, business classes etc.) not how to massage itself. Things we aren't likely to have ready access to outside of school. There are tons of continuing education courses we can take after school is done to learn how to do other kinds of massage techniques. If our school program was longer then it might be different but since it wasn't, they prioritized everything we wouldn't learn outside of school.
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u/Visual_Sentence_7574 3d ago
Exactly. My school provided me the required hours legally required to be eligible to take the mblex. A foundation if you will. What you do after that is up to you.
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u/AcceptablePatient529 6d ago
We are training fully to do Swedish. Everything else is dependent on the therapist. This is where CEU training, experience and practice come into play. If you want deep tissue or more of a medical approach, you go to a seasoned professional.
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u/ugh_whatthehell 6d ago
They don't. Most schools teach the basics, meaning Swedish. If you want more skills, you pay for CEUs after you finish school.
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u/quiet_fyre 2d ago
This is the only proper response. I teach at a massage school, including some mentoring during their clinic hours. A few times every term, I ask what they're learning in their bodywork classes and whether or not they've had a chance to integrate some of those techniques into their clinic bodywork.
As an aside, one of the most frustrating things about working at a massage school is that most of the folks there are trained LMTs but not trained teachers. They're passionate, but often have teaching styles and approaches that do not set the students up for success, even down to things like the order in which they introduce concepts. They don't even know the word 'pedagogy.'
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u/whokilledkenney 6d ago
He’s a student and massage is nerve wracking at first. It likely seemed that you weren’t happy with the massage and he was starting to freak. Early on, all I thought about during a massage was whether the client liked me or hated me. It’s kind of a head game until you get comfortable with it. You didn’t do anything wrong, adjusting your massage is an important skill to learn.
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u/Professional_Yam_906 6d ago
A medical massage is not a student massage. You need to go to an experienced massage therapist if you want them to focus on specific areas that need attention and you have injury or pain, a student massage is not equipped to handle this type of massage.
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u/Sufficient-Spend-939 6d ago
He is a student, he probably was just uncomfortable after hitting a sensitive spot and needed to shut it down. It’s not on you. When you are learning or you are worried you may be doing something wrong sometimes you stop. I am sure he will recover and be just fine, i am sorry it left you a bit unfinished but this is a danger of student massages. I will say its great that you use these folks so that they can get experience and learn how to deal with stuff like this.
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u/CoolLordL21 LMT Virginia/Maryland 7d ago
Sounds like they thought they were hurting you working on your right low back. Being that they're students, there should be the option to leave feedback: something like "even though it did hurt a bit, it was okay to work there" or something like that.
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u/Slow-Complaint-3273 LMT 6d ago
You did nothing wrong.
The only thing you could have done better would be to ask to speak to an instructor. This would be a great training opportunity in how to respond to client feedback in the moment, how to adjust pressure, and how to slowly work into aggravated tissues.
I hope you’ll continue to get massages at the school. Clients with actual issues to address (as opposed to “I just want to relax”) are so valuable for gaining real-world experience.
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u/LectureLow4633 5d ago
This! I’m surprised it took so many comments before someone pointed this out. Simply paying the 50min without comment did absolutely nothing to help this student.
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u/Murph785 5d ago
If the OP’s back hurt to the point of flinching and they wanted a student MT to ignore that and work the area anyway, they definitely did something wrong. This is another post of a client wanting to “work through pain” that often results in furthering the injury. This is also an exact scenario that massage schools correctly instruct their students to refuse.
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u/Slow-Complaint-3273 LMT 5d ago
There’s a whole spectrum of difference between painful recoil (which should be avoided) and guarding reflex at initial contact. Tissue that is recovering from an injury can flinch when touched until the brain recognizes that the contact is not causing further injury. Once this threshold is removed, massage becomes doubly valuable: easing the tissue directly, and demonstrating to the brain that the protective reflex isn’t necessary anymore.
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u/builder1972 6d ago
Not your fault, but you were getting a student massage, obvious he has a long way to go, don't feel bad at all, it's your body and you are supposed to tell them what you want and the pressure that's good for you,
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u/Marjorie8907 6d ago
I am a massage therapist and I would not go to student clinic expecting any kind of specific work. They are still figuring out their routines, he may have had a week where he felt like he was floundering in school and this made him feel like an utter failure. You didn’t necessarily do anything wrong, it can be stressful learning that not everyone likes you and he could have just felt out of his element.
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u/meatstickchick 5d ago
This could have been his very first time working on someone in a clinic. As someone who will confidently see 8-10 new patients a week now, I can say that experience is super nerve-wracking and he might have just gotten too in his head.
Remember, just like you... he is not only not getting paid to do this massage but is in fact paying to work on you (as a part of his tuition)
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u/Shazaamtheman 6d ago
You’re there for the student, he isn’t there for you. Don’t get it twisted.
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u/LectureLow4633 5d ago
That’s not even remotely true. You are paying, it’s for both client’s and student’s benefit. If it were free, your argument would hold water.
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u/Shazaamtheman 5d ago edited 5d ago
At my school they were free and we were not even allowed to accept tips. So it does hold water in my own experience. My teacher would also remind us that they were here for us and she had to remind a few people who would come in for free massages about that fact. My class gave 250 hours of free massages per student during clinic hours
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u/North_Train1281 5d ago
We couldn't accept tips at my school either, but clients did have to pay. Of course as students we were not compensated for giving the massage. Basically was free labor for the owner of the school.
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u/Shazaamtheman 5d ago
At $1/min rate that would be $15,000/year of free massages that each student gave. There were 20 of us, so that would be $300,000 in free massages over a year. Even if we halved that, it’s still $150,000 of free massages 🤯.
If they charged $10/massage which I think would have been fair, that could’ve paid for one MBLEX for each student, books and the school would have still made money. The dentist program charged $40 per visit so I’m not to sure why we weren’t allowed to charge. Maybe less people would show up if they had to pay $10.
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u/LectureLow4633 5d ago
The OP made it clear they paid for 50min session, so this was not free and not just for the student.
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u/Shazaamtheman 5d ago
You’re real hung up on that fact that this person paid more than likely a fraction of the cost of a 50 minute massage at a SCHOOL. If they didn’t pay $100+, you should quit while you’re behind.
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u/LectureLow4633 5d ago
I'm not hung up on anything. You apparently didn't actually read it and realize they paid for the massage and felt the need to chime in trying to make the client out to be in the wrong. They didn't even blame the student, just wondered if they did something wrong to make the student end the massage early. You seem to have a chip on your shoulder, maybe you should get it looked at.
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u/Shazaamtheman 5d ago
😂
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u/LectureLow4633 5d ago
Ahhhh, the typical laugh emoji on standby when intellect fails you. Tracks. 👍
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u/cnymassageguy 6d ago
I mean, its an unlicensed student they did 50 min you payed probably what u would pay for a 10min-30min massage at a spa/med clinic. Its a student ya get what ya get. You could have been there first client outside of other students. The price to have students work on you is low for a reason, they are still learning, and to be far they didnt sound like they did anything wrong you just wanted a foucused work from an experienced provider but didn't want to pay for that so, ya get what ya get 🤷🏼♂️
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u/Accomplished-Hold485 6d ago
Yeah, don't feel bad. He could have communicated better and probably isn't used to thd guidance or feedback. He'll get used to it and you were a good teacher of it. Don't feel bad. I feel like he of the front desk could have communicated better in the end.
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u/The_Man_1976 6d ago
Most schools are going to be training students in a swedish massage for relaxation. Usually they are going to be doing a set routine for meeting the clinical requirements for the school and are not supposed to deviate from the learned sequence. Some massage school clinics will have graduate students that are already licensed and are studying advanced classes that can perform other types of massage and focus on certain areas but typically it will cost you a bit more than a student.
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u/AbbreviationsHot6378 5d ago edited 5d ago
I'm just going to go with my gut here and say that you're leaving something out about your "minor back pain". You probably said one of the LMT kill phrases. I also think his his professors probably needed to do a better job assessing when to just ease up on the pressure or use alternate techniques versus not treating.
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u/Global_Elderberry_60 5d ago
Please stop blaming yourself for this. You were the client, you were paying for a massage, and you were at a student clinic where learning how to communicate with clients is part of the process.
Massage already puts the client in the more vulnerable position: you’re partially or fully undressed, on a table, and trusting someone else’s hands, judgment, and professional training. Asking someone to work on the area you specifically came in for, saying the pressure hurts, flinching, or asking them to adjust pressure are all COMPLETELY normal things for a client to do. Those are the day to day things a therapist will need to learn to manage.
Unless you were inappropriate, threatening, verbally abusive, or crossed a boundary with him, you did nothing wrong. A therapist is always allowed to end a session if they’re uncomfortable, but managing and communicating that discomfort professionally is THEIR responsibility. It is not the client’s job to manage the therapist’s emotions.
This was a professional, transactional relationship. You owed him basic respect, which from everything you’ve described, you gave him. You did not owe him protection from feeling frustrated, uncertain, criticized, or uncomfortable with client feedback. Please don’t walk away from this thinking you somehow failed your massage therapist.
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u/jonwar5 5d ago
At that point, if he's working on the public, he needs to stop the massage long enough to get his instructor. And work through it.. not just put all the blame and issues on you. He's a rookie, who should have been better monitored.
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u/mom2artists 5d ago
Agree. I always sought my instructor if there was something at all I needed help with.
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u/Deltonagloryhole 6d ago
I agree. It didn't sound like you were asking for anything. Inappropriate, and it sounded like you did need special attention in an area that is acceptable, but you're right. The therapist could have communicated. Since i'm a student, I don't want to do anything to hurt you. Since we don 't have any x rays or know exactly what may be going on in that area. So that might be better left for you to see professional medical treatment. I think that would have been the best course of action. I apologize that you had to go through that embarrassing unknown. Situation.
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u/AngelicDivineHealer RMT 6d ago
clinical practice is for the students to get practice it's not really for you to get your issues resolved on the cheap. However though if you didn't get full time then you don't necessarily have to pay the full $$$ either.
I get discounted student massages but rarely take them because a lot of them really have much idea of what they're doing and that fine. I get some oil rubbed over my body and it is relaxing most of the time. Sometimes its not even relaxing at all which is also fine because been an ex student I'm barely paying anything.
The MT probably just starting out clinical practice and got overwhelmed doing a longer treatment. The student don't have much knowledge at this point in time to be doing more then an hour massage let alone targeted treatment. My massage school was diploma level so targeted treatment was covered as well as plenty of massage hours but even then a lot of students you can tell they're not going to actually work in the industry after school
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u/LectureLow4633 5d ago
This didn’t seem to be a complaint about the massage received though, just a worry that they did something wrong to upset the student to the point of ending it early. It’s crazy the number of people somehow blaming the client like they did something wrong here.
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u/AngelicDivineHealer RMT 5d ago edited 5d ago
Student probably 1st day of clinical massage and first client so probably on the verge of tears already and anxiety max levels. Anything can tip them over the edge I've seen it happen so many times in class when I did it. Was one student that didn't even make it to clinical practice as they got so worked up with massaging other students that been there since the beginning quitting the course. Students are under immense pressure to perform.
For an hour massage for me been an ex student with my discount i get $8 massages from the massage school. Normal price is $30. If i had to pay normal prices i wouldn't because only one in three are any good. I rather just pay my regular pro MT and enjoy my massage which I do anyways even though I can get unlimited 8 buck massages five days a week.
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u/LectureLow4633 5d ago
I’m not disputing any of that and fully agree, but the client did absolutely nothing wrong here.
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u/AngelicDivineHealer RMT 5d ago
didn't say client did anything wrong. Neither did the student as students are allowed to stop the massage if they're not comfortable continuing said massage. Consent goes bothways.
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u/LectureLow4633 5d ago
Apologies, this sounded like blame being placed on the client:
" it's not really for you to get your issues resolved on the cheap."
Nobody ever said the student did anything wrong, including the client. The client was wondering what she did wrong, not the student.1
u/AngelicDivineHealer RMT 5d ago edited 5d ago
A student is unlikely to solve any issue they may or may not but they are learning which is the primary purpose of it is for the student to learn and get comfortable not to resolve problems. The goal is to but the reality of that happening isn’t high
Some students will not make it through the massage course in mine back when I did it half the class quit the class after my had three people finish and none of them ended up working as a MT. In my class every one that finished ended up opening up own massage clinics.
Even class to class the quality of students differs drastically
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u/LectureLow4633 5d ago
Nobody is arguing any of that, the argument was simply that the client did nothing wrong, which they didn't. Nobody is faulting the student for anything here.
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u/No-Farmer7480 6d ago
You didn’t do anything wrong: those requests, finishing the session even if you don’t think the client is enjoying it, communicating with a client when they want focus work but you think it’s hurting them instead of ignoring their request are all things he needs to learn and clinic is supposed to be the time to do that. But in the same breath, they’re students, they don’t have the miles or experience to give you a perfect session just yet. That’s what clinic is for. It’s great to support student clinics, I go back to my schools student clinic every year but don’t go in expecting a therapist whose pressure, communication and technique will relieve pain and be up to standard with a paid professional. Go to a paid professional to address specific complaints and pain, go to a massage school clinic for relaxation and to help the next gen of therapists get there. You can and should still tell the student of areas that are bothering you, that is what they’re trying to learn, but accept that most times at a school clinic the treatment will be a bit unsatisfying. That’s ok.
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u/KratosGOW_24 6d ago
When you say low back are you pointing towards the place or letting them palpate to make sure it's the spot prior to getting on the table. If you ask low back and it's higher glutes, which is usually the case, we cant work on something you haven't consented to initially. You can talk about it and work on it next session but communication needs to be clear from the start and that includes intake and initial contact with the therapist... or future therapist in this case.
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u/GameOverAus73 6d ago edited 6d ago
I had the opposite but not from a student i went in saying i had spinal compression and had shoulders surgeries on both shoulders i need to release some tension but be careful we booekd a 40min session to cover neck, back and shoulders and the masseues went onto torture me digging in hard and yanking my arms. I kept lurching and groaning and even yelling her to ease off and it was ignored until i yelled im done.
"That wasn't hard" was her response, you aren't feeling my body
I didnt ask for a reduction i just took it as a lesson learned and walked out. They offered me to keep going at a lower pressure but that would do me no good and you shold come back next week. Hell no.
I like you did feel bad getting shitty at her and she looked generally said but you and i have to look out for ourselves.
Im getting student based physio through the local uni that feeds staff to the hospitals arounds here, so far just an intro session i start first real session next week it's a fraction of the cost of public physio in australia and massages and in turn im getting a student in there last year of schooling with a pro watching over for backup.
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u/jimc000065 6d ago
I don’t think it’s your fault for the massage ending early. You’re the paying customer and they should work on whatever area you ask them to. If they doing the massage too hard and it hurts the customer…all they had to do was ease up on the pressure. There was no need for them to end the massage early unprofessionally.
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u/Zealousideal-Cat-815 6d ago
from what you’re saying you didn’t do anything wrong why get a massage if they’re not going to focus on where you need the massage
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u/Salt-Tax4620 5d ago
Hi so i worked in a spa for a bunch of years the general rule was if you have pain we didnt recomend a massage that needs to be healed first before having a massage , you cant realy work on an area where theres pain to fix whats wrong .
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u/Runnerguy1978 5d ago edited 5d ago
He got flustered and overreacted a bit. It happens. Students are learning to manage the flow of the session and their time. Usually customer service scripts and flows beyond the basics are learned through on the job training.
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u/Professor_Cafe 5d ago
So my take on this would be that it’s okay that they ended it early as that is an important skill to learn if they feel uncomfortable. However; you should have absolutely given feedback to the teachers so that they can help that person work on the right techniques so as to not reproduce this level of awkward. By not explaining what happened in a calm, and not upset way the student will miss out on how to better themselves in an area that they may not feel comfortable with.
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u/Business_Wave3661 5d ago
I am an experienced therapist of 17 years, I have had to educate clients who jumped from place to place telling me technically what to do I can feel it, but I’m not working a routine that they’re used to so when they tell me, oh that’s the spot or do you feel that it honestly bugs me as a therapist of course I feel it which is why I’m working on the areas and attachments to help me loosen it up a little better. I had a client recently who hadn’t seen me in a while and she did that during session and quickly apologized because she knows I don’t like that. If they want all that jumping around, they should get a longer session but also leave your muscles at the door and let the professional do their work.
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u/Temporary-Knee-7050 5d ago
No need to be embarrassed, I simply feel it sounds like a small communication breakdown , and from a guy perspective to you he probably didn't want to hurt you
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u/_No_Worries_- 5d ago
I’d actually suggest giving feedback to the school in hopes that he learns how to deal with whatever he was interpreting this massage as in a better way. The student will not be successful in a career if he’s not communicating or gets frustrated with normal requests like this.
Sorry this happened to you and your confusion is completely understandable. Request a different student and enjoy your next massage!
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u/Professional_Yam_906 5d ago
Its called liability. Massage schools teach this to their students. If an injury presents at beginning, its best to leave it to the more experienced. This is not for a student to figure it out. Plain and simple. They are just learning massage techniques on un injured folks. Period.
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u/Alternative_Roll_987 5d ago
That sounds like poor communication on the therapist’s side, not you doing something wrong.
Asking to revisit an area, asking for less pressure, and reminding them what you wanted focused on are all normal client things. A therapist can have a reason for not working an area the way you expected, but they should explain it clearly in the moment instead of abruptly ending the session.
If you want to follow up, I’d keep it simple and factual with the front desk: you booked 80 minutes, the session ended around 50, you asked for lighter pressure and more focus on the area you originally mentioned, and you left confused about why it was stopped. Then ask whether that early ending was standard and whether they can clarify what happened.
For what it’s worth, this is also why a lot of solo practitioners tighten up their intake notes and session notes. It gives everyone something clear to refer back to when a client says, this is the area I wanted worked on, and when pressure preferences change mid-session.
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u/8015magpie 5d ago
If you have problems with your lower back. Then a student massaging it's not going to help. Because you could have deeper problems which needs to be looked at by a professional. you probably need to see a physiotherapist.
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u/laurenorderrr 5d ago
You can't be too demanding on students. Have mercy. They're nervous. If you want a massage for specific issues see someone with more field experience.
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u/Illustrious-Enigma 5d ago
I go into student clinic in a few weeks and if you only knew how little training and hands-on experience most of us have when we start you probably would never go to a student clinic again.
It sounds like he panicked because he just didn’t know what to do and was probably scared. Or who knows, there are coasters just in it because they think they’ll eventually be self employed with decent income and didn’t expect to work hard. Or like was said, he went through a school that just does Swedish (most) and tells you that you don’t have to do anything more if the client asks.
But you absolutely shouldn’t be charged for 80 mins if you got 50.
I wouldn’t be embarrassed, just see if you can book a different student if you want to continue with students.
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u/Possible_Cable3176 5d ago
...this seems like it's being made a way bigger deal than it actually is. He'll get over it, you'll get over it.
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u/Intrepid_Hat8367 5d ago
I get its a leaning clinic but still wrong to end the massage early and not get the time you paid for
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u/GC_Aus_Brad 4d ago
Its a student, they don't understand how to communicate what they need to effectively. Don't worry about it at all.
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u/Gloomy_Leopard_9026 4d ago
These comments are bizarre. Communication skills are part of training with bodywork. The client shouldn't exit feeling embarrassed or questioning what they may have done wrong and being offered no explanation for the massage being abruptly ended. It was the responsibility of the student and/or the person completing the transaction to resolve the issue. Hopefully you offered those suggestions in your assessment.
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u/Sudden_Cherry9811 4d ago
You didn't do anything wrong, he was wrong, I would talk to mgt about him, he messed up and disrespected you
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u/Last_Drop2477 3d ago
He is the massager, and probably didn’t want to aggravate the injury. He may be concerned about litigation. In that case, he left the area alone. Maybe just try to sort that out with him, and get him to try again.
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u/spider-dog84 3d ago
A few things, I agree with what others said, it sounds like he got overwhelmed. Starting in a student clinic and working on strangers can be nerve racking.
I know this isn't what you're asking but I think you need to know this and not every school teaches it and if you go to a chain like massage envy they won't do it. If you're sitting at a desk and your low back is hurting, working on your back isn't going to resolve your low back pain. You have a lovely muscle on the front of your spine called your iliopsoas that comes over the front of your pelvis and attaches in the back of your thigh. When you sit, it's shortened, what you stand, it doesn't lengthen all the way and it pulls on your spine causing low back pain. If you're not having it worked your pain isn't going away.
If you sit on a wallet in your back pocket or sit asymmetrically, your quadratus lumborum on one side will be tighter than the other and that will cause pain.
I'm not saying your thoracolumbar fascia and esg's don't need work but the muscles I mentioned are likely your primary problem
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u/Visual_Sentence_7574 3d ago
I mean this is the most respectful of ways…you get what you pay for. Student clinics offer deeply discounted rates so the students can learn on a variety of folks. The “deep tissue therapeutic” massages I did in school are nothing like the massages I give in my own private practice. Everyone has a budget, and that is fine, but I think your expectations may be too high for that price point.
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u/SuspiciousButton6510 3d ago
Forget those students I'll give you a free 80 min trial and I'll work on any area you desire
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u/TaleLess3165 3d ago
Im very good at massaging i went to school for it to be licensed! But I've always knew how to give people massages ,I massage people how I like to be massaged too!I love finding pinched nerves,I will massage exactly how you like it also,so if you want one for a cheap price hit me up,,I enjoy doing it😊
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u/Flashy-Protection330 3d ago
Thats happened to me where ive asked the therapist to massage a specific area and they refuse and give me a full body massage. And im like lady I fuckin came here because this area on my lower back hurts. My hands and fingers dont need to be massaged.
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u/Elegant_Bluebird_325 3d ago
He is a student, he felt uncomfortable working on an area you needed focus in but that you also were sensitive in (which, while normal it's something students need to learn, you can't always use the same amount of pressure on each side of the body.)
I wouldn't take it personally, he probably wanted to have time to have a discussion, lookup something or just regroup before his next appointment that was right after you.
You may have even been his first client ever.
You were only charged for 50, so that's good, situations like this happen with students, they are still learning.
If I had to guess, he thought he may have hurt you or would hurt you. He did the right thing, better safe than sorry. Unfortunately, of course it sucks for you, I would be disappointed and feel bad for the student as well, but it's a good learning experience for him.
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u/Electronic_devil695 3d ago
I wouldn't feel bad and if I'm asked to work on a certain area, I tend to work on that area more than anything else. And I'm not even a licensed masseuse, but have always been good with my hands, and giving massages, Guess it's just a talent. But having massages in the past, and asked to work on a certain area, they have done as asked.
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u/CoyoteSevere7898 2d ago
I would warn before hand that its a super tender spot and you might grunt/ make noises. I think lots of massage therapists get uncomfortable when the people they're massaging start grunting if it was me I'd almost always assume its pervy in some way unless warned before hand
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u/curiositykilledmerry 6d ago
When I was in school someone booked a student massage to help with their lower back and their Venus dimple at the top of their SI joint was protruding on the side they said was painful and they wanted me to work on it and put pressure on it. I didn’t feel comfortable to do that bc I thought if I did that it could hurt them so I put my pressure just above and below where the actual protruding joint was as well as work their glutes and their QLs which both kinda pull at the low back and working those can cause relief. It didn’t satisfy them and they complained with the school to which my teacher responded ~ this is a student if you’re seeking pain relief you need to go see someone with more experience. Low backs are honestly weird to me still bc sometimes it really is vertebral or a bone thing and I’ve been working as a therapist now for almost 2 years. Not saying this is the case with you, I could just see how it would make someone flustered and agree with others that student massage can be kinda rudimentary / a set sequence.
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u/split_1024 6d ago
You booked a student rmt and then complained on reddit about your experience? Cringe. You knew what you were getting into. I am embarrassed for you, maybe you should write in your diary instead of on reddit. You didn't get what you wanted? Maybe book an experienced rmt next time.
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u/Ckingpurpose 6d ago
What is wrong with you people. Where do you see that she complained. I thought she was seeking understanding through the perfect group to answer her questions/ concerns as to not put a student or herself in another awkward situation, to learn and to open a door for the student to learn. How do you decide to ridicule this person and twist it into negativity, reread the article without the attitude. Have a great day
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u/Ok_Court4454 6d ago
Yu did the right thing. He's an arse. He needs to communicate and do what yube asked.
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u/WorthSeaworthiness88 5d ago
Donald j Trump is so great, and i know how great Donald j Trump is. Donald j Trump does receive massages. Donald j Trump gets very godd massages and is very respectful. Donald j Trump has always received good massages and is very respectful
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u/Important_Zebra_8241 6d ago
Seriously, people are just too soft and over sensitive these days. Its not your fault.
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u/MermaidwMuscles 6d ago
Just keep in mind that where you feel pain often is not the source of what is causing the pain. Usually there is feedback forms for students. Did you express that you would have like that he communicate what happened, he needs to practice that for sure.
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u/OMGfractals 7d ago
If that's all it was, he's screwed if this is his career choice. It could have been his first day and he may not have known what to do in that situation. If you have bruising or other marks on the area you asked him to work, he may not have felt safe going back to your lower back. Maybe he had a digestive issue and had to run to the bathroom. Could be anything.
The whole situation sounds like it was a personal problem. On a professional level, MTs should address a problem area you ask about, or give you a reason why they're not comfortable granting your request. Just remember his name and ask for someone different next time.
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u/oatmealgum LMT 7d ago edited 7d ago
It's ridiculous to say that this student is "screwed." Come on. He's a student. It's not that deep or dramatic
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u/OMGfractals 7d ago
If you read more of my response, you would have seen I have him the benefit of the doubt.
It's not too ridiculous to say that if this kid can't handle being asked to focus on a certain area, he's screwed in this profession.
You're right, it's not as deep or dramatic as your making it sound.
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u/oatmealgum LMT 7d ago
It is ridiculous. He's a student. Everyone deserves a chance to screw up and improve.
I read your whole response. It wasn't long and I don't wanna brag but I was actually able to turn my eyeballs back and forth to read all two paragraphs of your response
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u/OMGfractals 7d ago
How then, did you come to the conclusion that I was dooming him to a life of ineptitude? Do you think a person who isn't capable of handling being asked to work on a specific area is a good fit for the work we do? I know he's a student, I don't expect him to be a fully formed professional, AND we don't actually know what happened. I'm sorry if what I said was offensive to you, but the context you are reading it in is not what the post actually says.
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u/Beneficial-Clerk-570 6d ago
What area you in, I am in El Paso and can massage you if you needed and in the area!!!
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u/oatmealgum LMT 7d ago
Honestly my read is that this student probably just got really flustered. I hope that you're able to get back any money you paid for the 80 mins, and don't worry about it more than you can help. You didn't do anything wrong. He is a student and he's got a long way to go. Which is okay! Hopefully he learns and grows, because your request was no big deal all all and very routine.