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FAQs

Here are some of the questions I am often asked:

Can massage help you lose weight?

Yes, but only if you are the one doing the massaging? (Sorry, I couldn't resist).

When shouldn't I have a massage?

The fancy name for reasons not to have a massage is contraindications.

Some contraindications include:

Some people have conditions which flare up from time to time. Massage is safe when in remission periods, but contraindicated when the condition is in the acute stage

This is discussed further in Can massage help my condition?

Can massage help with cellulite?

Massage and lymphatic drainage can definitely help, if used in conjunction with diet and exercise.

What is lymph and lymphatic drainage?

Blood is pumped out in the arteries. As the arteries divide into smaller and smaller arteries called arterioles. Here the blood leaves the arteries to take nutrients and oxygen to every cell in the body. It returns in two ways. One is via the veins, which returns the blood directly to the heart. The other is via a colourless liquid called lymph which collects all the toxic wastes. Not many people know too much about this system, but it maintains the body's immune system. The lymph is transport via tiny channels close to the surface of the skin to the nearest lymph nodes, which is where the toxicity is removed from the lymph. The lymph eventually returns to the blood stream. If the lymph channels are blocked, swelling known as edema is the result. A poorly working lymphatic system means that toxicity remains in the body, and this can be a cause of cancer. Bras can reduce the transport of lymph in breast tissue. Over time this can lead to breast cancer, so it is important for ladies to learn how to do some lymphatic drainage on themselves rather than wait until they are 50 to have a mammogram.

So what is ache and pain relief worth?

We recently had a plumber round. $60 for about 15 minutes work.

We had to wait seven weeks for an electrician and paid $165 for half an hours work

A car mechanic is usually charged at about $70 per hour

A doctor charges $45 for around 10 minutes and pays no GST

A chiropractor charges around $40 for less than twenty minutes and pays no GST

A physiotherapist charges around $45 for half an hour and pays no GST

A skilled remedial masseur has to pay GST and battle against a public perception that massage is not a highly skilled job. I have known several people complete their two year Diploma of Remedial Massage and then go off into a different job because they can't make enough to live on. It is part of my crusade to help change the perception of politicians (to remove GST), the health funds so that remedial massage is covered by basic packages not just the extras such as HBF's Wellbeing program, and the public perception of what is a fair wage for the effective relief of aches and pains.

Basically a masseur shouldn't be working much more than 20 hours a week, otherwise the thumbs fall off! Thumb problems are the leading cause of masseurs leaving the industry. So if a masseur charges $50 an hour, that is $1000 per week, still less than the median wage, and this is before the expenses of insurance, towels, oils etc. That is also the point that GST kicks in, another impost that doctors, chiropractors and physiotherapists don't have. Now you tell me how many doctors, chiropractors and physiotherapists are willing to work for less than the median wage? So, if you thought $50 per hour is expensive, perhaps I can persuade you to do a rethink!

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