10 Reasons Why Natural Therapy Practitioners Should Also Offer Massage

Sep 13, 2016

If you’re a natural therapy practitioner, you’ll know all about the benefits your practice can bring. You’re probably also well aware of how relaxing and invigorating a manual massage can be too!

Massage, reiki, homeopathy, aromatherapy, acupuncture, acupressure and other natural healing methods work with the body’s energy in their own unique ways. Yet they all share the same core focus – to help heal the body. Therefore, it makes sense that by combining these various therapies so that they work in conjunction, clients may see greater or more rapid improvements.

 

Here’s 10 reasons why we believe that adding massage to your list of services can benefit your natural therapy business; whether you’re a Reiki healer, teacher of meditation, acupressure expert, or practitioner of any other natural holistic therapies.

1. MASSAGE AND NATURAL HEALING THERAPIES ARE DIFFERENT, YET COMPLEMENTARY

Conceptually, sometimes massage and natural therapies can come across as completely opposite. Massage uses hands-on manipulation to ease body tension, while some healing methods such as Reiki uses a hands-off or light touch therapy approach, which aims to release the body’s innate energy and promote healing. Yet both have the same end goal – to heal the body, and promote energy flow and function. Which makes massage and natural healing therapies highly complementary!

2. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF MASSAGE THERAPIES

You may want to offer an indulgent, restorative whole body massage, deep tissue massage therapy for healing common injuries such as hamstring strains or upper back pain, or you may even learn how to help manage spinal torsion! By including massage therapy to your range of services, you’re enabling yourself to help clients in ways you may never thought possible.

3. MASSAGE THERAPISTS HAVE A THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Licensed massage therapists not only learn massage techniques, but also study the human anatomy and physiology, giving them an in depth understanding of how the body works. This can prove beneficial when your client has one or more physical problems for which they’re seeking relief.

4. MASSAGE ADDRESSES THE PHYSICAL WELL BEING OF YOUR CLIENT

Massage can improve clients physical well being in a variety of ways, including:

  • Reducing back pain and joint pain caused by muscle tension.
  • Improving range of motion.
  • Exercising and stretching weak, damaged or atrophied muscles.
  • Preventing injuries by relieving stress where tension is stored.
  • Helping clients obtain an awareness of their own bodies.
  • Enhancing the immune system by stimulating the flow of lymph around the body.
  • Improving the condition of the skin, the body’s largest organ.
  • Promoting tissue regeneration.

5. MANY PEOPLE PREFER THE HANDS-ON APPROACH

Enjoying human touch is a natural instinct, and the vast majority of people enjoy the feeling of being massaged. Many natural healing methods involve very little, if any contact, and you may find that people are more likely to spend on massage treatments, especially if it’s their first visit to your practice.

6. MASSAGE HAS PROVEN BENEFITS WHEN IT COMES TO PAIN RELIEF

Healing methods such as acupuncture can offer feelings of calm and relieve anxiety and depression, and natural therapies such as Reiki have been known to assist in the curing of some pain and ailments. Massage has proven benefits when it comes to pain relief. It makes sense to work on creating a multi-faceted treatment plan for clients suffering from pain, where they can reap the full benefits of a multiple therapies.

7. IT ENABLES YOU TO TREAT YOUR CLIENT HOLISTICALLY ON ALL LEVELS

Adding massage therapy to your list of services enables you to treat your clients on a holistic level. You’ll help your clients to gain awareness of both their bodies and their emotions, and help them to take better overall care of themselves.

8. MASSAGE CAN HELP IN UNEXPECTED WAYS

While we appreciate the ways in which massage can help to release stress and tension from joints and muscles, it also has the ability to help in a number of unexpected ways:

  • It can encourage a shorter and easier labour during childbirth.
  • It can reduce dependence on medication.
  • It counteracts all the sitting we do on a daily basis.
  • It can improve sleep quality.

9. CLIENTS OFTEN USE MASSAGE AS A LUXURIOUS TREAT

While many people use massage as a way to address a specific ailment, it’s also seen by many as a luxurious treat. You may find that clients will book a massage treatment rather than an acupuncture session if they simply want to relax and enjoy the pleasant sensations that being touched can bring.

10. YOU’LL HAVE AN INCREASED NUMBER OF APPOINTMENTS

As massage therapy is often completed over several appointments, rather than just a single one, you’ll benefit from an increased number of appointments in your diary. You’ll also gain clients who prefer to have a massage rather than any other kind of holistic therapy. Furthermore, encouraging your clients to schedule regular appointments can help them to achieve an optimum feeling of wellbeing.

Package natural healing and massage therapies as the holistic way to improve self-care

If you choose to add massage to your list of services, you can offer your clients a more holistic approach to self-care. The combination of massage with natural healing methods will ensure that you’re providing ways to improve both your clients’ emotional and physical wellbeing. The tangible physical benefits of a massage are undoubtable, and at the end of the day massage therapy is merely a different way to achieve balance in the body. As such, by offering both massage and natural healing in tandem, you can look after your clients on a holistic level.

Cameron Aubrey

Cameron Aubrey has over 20 years experience in the massage industry, and leads the team as Course Director at Discover Massage Australia. Cameron holds a Diploma in Remedial Massage, and his expertise runs across a large range of massage techniques, particularly sports, Swedish and whole body massage.