
ciLiving.TV
Posted: Mar 11, 2020 / 02:22 PM CDT/ Updated: Mar 11, 2020 / 04:55 PM CDT
Champaign, Ill. (WCIA)
Licensed Massage Therapist, Cassandra Griffith, with the Mettler Center joins us with details on what all a Fijian Barefoot Massage entails.
Here’s more from Cassandra:
Personally, I do several of the massage offerings at The Mettler Center. I offer hot stone, prenatal, cupping, heated bamboo, Swedish, deep tissue, and of course Fijian Barefoot massage. People are immediately interested in what I do. 99% of the time when someone finds out I am a Massage Therapist, I know about their aches and pains before I know their name. I love it though! I think people find my career choice interesting because pain and stress relief is an interesting topic! The human body is so complex that it is almost hard to believe that applying pressure to an area can help alleviate an issue.

I have the best job because at the end of the day I get to help people feel better! I help people manage physical pain such as a frozen shoulder, a pulled muscle in the low back, or plantar fascitis in the foot. I also help with people manage their emotional pain such as feeling stressed out, overwhelmed, burn out, or fatigue.

The top three questions I receive are probably the following:
a) How often should I get massage?
That answer varies person to person. The suggestion is for individuals to receive monthly massages, but that is really for someone who is healthy with out any additional issues happening. Think of monthly massages as ” preventative measures”, but if you are already in pain please don’t be surprised if your LMT wants to see you a couple times a week until things feel better.
b) What do I wear for a massage?
That is completely up to you!!! Generally, from a massage therapist point of view less is more. I promise you will not make a professional massage therapist feel embarrassed if you decide you want to be completely nude. You will be covered by a sheet/blanket during the session ( minus the area being worked on), and nothing will be exposed that shouldn’t be. However, if the thought of being undressed makes you feel uncomfortable then DON”T DO IT! Typically, our LMT’s will say ” Undress to your level of comfort.” It is your massage and your dollar so please just be comfortable!
If there are any alternative requests from the massage therapist they should disclose this before the appointment. For example, for the Fijian Barefoot massage clothing actually works better. I ask my client to wear comfortable, loose fitting, long sleeve tops and pants with out any buttons or zippers.
c) Why are massages so dang expensive?
Massage therapists go thru very specialized training. You are paying for the expertise from a professional. As LMT’s we want the best for you! Our training allows us to provide the knowledge to know which direction to take your treatment. Also, massage therapy can be very physically demanding for the therapist. Have you ever tried to give a friend or loved one a back rub? I would imagine after just a minute or two you begin to feel a burning sensation in your hands and fingers ( much like I would feel a burning sensation in my lungs if I tried to run a marathon right now). Just like running a marathon LMT’s spend a lot of time training their hands, fingers, and in my case FEET!
If I could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about a massage it would be to not be scared. I know so many people who could benefit from massage therapy, but they let the fear of the unknown prevent them from feeling better.
As an organization, we all work together to solve a number of problems and issues. We work closely with other businesses in the community too! I truly believe if we don’t have an answer we can connect you with someone who does. For example, If a reiki session doesn’t completely help you reset maybe you need to talk to someone about an underlying issue, and we have connections in the community to refer you to.
We regularly attend events that involve us bringing our chair massage equipment onsite. We have done things such as health fairs, office parties, holiday outings, and conferences. Chair massage is a great ice breaker for someone who is apprehensive about massage.
We are different because our people are different. We try very hard to listen to your wants and needs. All of my coworkers go above and beyond when it comes to training. We are always looking for new classes to take, new articles to read, or new techniques to try out. At Mettler we offer several services under one roof. As your massage therapist that makes it VERY easy for me to talk to your Physical Therapist, Personal Trainer, or Alexander Technique Teacher.
Mettler Center
217-356-6543
2906 Crossing Ct Champaign, IL 61822