What does a massage therapist like to be called?

There is so many different names for practitioners in our field. There's names like "sports massage therapist, myotherapist, masseur, Soft tissue therapist, deep tissue therapist, remedial massage therapist. I've decided to break down each name and explain what they are and almost basically rank them in order of expertise in my eyes and the eyes of other therapists I have talked to.

Yes, It's a silly kind of topic and it is something I get asked about kinda regular so lets get into it.

Masseur or masseuse:

This is a common name that we get called and some do have issue with it because it can be regarded as not professionally trained or even part of the dirtier side of our industry. I have personally never been offended by being called a masseuse because it usually doesn't come from a place of disrespect. Just not being aware that the term is often regarded as someone not professionally trained in massage therapy. the whole thing does sound honestly ridiculous but that's our profession for you.

Sports massage therapist:

A therapist that specialises on sports treatments. Most commonly being part of a sports team and often travels with the team for pre and post sports games massage. pretty self explanatory but there is a more focus on sports prep then any other time of massage therapist would do normally.

Myotherapist:

This is a branch of massage therapist that heavily specialises on myofascial release work. The technique is a very dry massage where the therapist hooks into the skin and very slowly drags across the structure from attachment to insertion to help muscle activation and the reverse for assisting in muscle relaxation. It is our most powerful technique at our disposal however it is hard on our hands so it is common for therapists to do regular massage styles as well during a session such as oil or wax massage.

Remedial massage therapist: (RMT)

This is a trained massage therapist who focuses on helping clients recover from injury or different conditions. the focus is massage for recovery and can involve postural assessment. muscle testing and mobility assessment. A treatment from a RMT will usually involve a treatment plan with more sessions planned and homecare advise given. Most of us call ourselves remedial massage therapists or soft tissue therapists.

Soft Tissue Therapist:

This is mostly our name of choice. a soft tissue therapist is an expert in all methods of massage from MFR to trigger point and from relax to lymphatic drainage massage. This does not mean that they do soft light massage though. This is a common misconception. Soft tissue is just muscle.

Deep Tissue therapist:

This is a silly name and does not make sense but we get called this because it is thought of as getting a firmer, harder massage. Deep tissue is not something a massage practitioner will be working with.

So there is it, all the names we go by. Silly but also it's useful to know I think. But once again if the therapist is a normal person they shouldn't get offended if you use the wrong name out of confusion even though I have heard stories.

Remember, if you’re in areas like Tuggeranong, woden valley or queanbeyan region. You don’t have to worry about paying the extra travel fee that North Canberra has to pay. I Just thought to mention it as an added perk of being local.

Enough from me. Thanks for reading.

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John Power

Soft tissue therapist

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