unexpectedawesome:

thebibliosphere:

The good news is you neither need to be naked or laying down to receive good body work.

So the first thing to Google is clothed massage in your area, or phone around a couple of places and ask if it’s an option. For chronic pain, you’re going to want more rehab than geneal relaxation massage, so a good way to narrow that search down would be to look at places that offer sports massage or chiropractors who also offer massage in their offices.

Key words to look for are also acupressure (not puncture), deep tissue massage, mysofacial release and shiatsu, to name a few. Those are just ones I’ve found to be very good at helping to relieve pain and help my physio to be more effective. You might also find reflexology useful too for general well being.

If you’d prefer to be sitting for these, you will most likely find most places are able to accommodate this with a sitting massage chair, you just need to make sure and maybe let them know in advance that you prefer to sit than lie down so they can set it up. There are days when I absolutely cannot lie flat (I feel like I’m suffocating under the weight of my own chest a lot) so I will call ahead and let them know I need the upright table. Or if I suddenly need to sit up, we continue with me sitting on the edge of the table with the therapist kneeling behind me. So it’s really not a big deal if you don’t want to be laying down 🙂

When it comes to establishing trust, you may need to shop around before you find someone who puts you at ease. I went through maybe 2-3 people before I found the people who jive well with my mentality as well as my physical needs. This includes being able to explain to them “hey I have panic attacks, please don’t do x without warning me first”, because there is absolutely a difference between “I know you’re about to palpate my upper back” and “it feels like you’re holding me down and I am not okay”.

Magic physio man basically narrates what he’s doing to me, both so I know what muscle groups he’s targeting, but also so I know what to expect next and I’m never surprised by a sudden shift in pressure or touch. It’s been very helpful, and trust building. Makes it way easier to go lax and let him twist me about like human origami and come out feeling better on the other side.

Anyway, I hope this was helpful to you. And I wish you luck in finding relief 💖

Most massage therapists will tell you to undress down to your comfort level, so if your comfort level is taking off your shoes, we can roll with that. It’s also completely okay to tell your therapist that you’d prefer to start out face up or that you’d like to be face up the entire time. You can also ask about side-lying positions, where you’re on your side facing away from the therapist while they work on your back. It can help with vulnerability issues because you’re not entirely face down.

When it comes to modalities, gentler might be better for you as you’re easing into receiving bodywork. Look in cranio-sacral work, zero balancing, ask for a lot of jostling and rocking. All of those can be done fully clothed, and can have a profound effect on the body. Also, it’s okay to ask for a 30 minute session at first. That will help you decide if you like the therapist, if the modality works for you, if you’re interested in receiving more work, etc etc. 

Some of us actually specialize in trauma work, so always feel free to ask. <3