You need a massage but where do you go? How do you find a qualified massage professional?
It used to be that massage offices where small operations run by massage professionals. But with the growth and acceptance of massage we now are seeing big box clinics and spas.
Having been a massage professional for over a decade I have had the experience of working with a professional in her own practice and I have also been a cog in a much larger operation.
We now have membership driven massage establishments with pushy salespeople, distant and uncaring owners, not to mention less experienced massage therapists. These places are driven by the bottom line. Massage is an exchange best given from the heart. Trust me, I have had many clients on my table tell me about that envy experience. Check out some Google or Yelp reviews for yourself.
The large corporate franchise places seem to lack the personal touch that many people are truly looking for.
My advice to you is to patronize the smaller owner operated massage place. There you will find a massage professional with a vast working knowledge of the body. He or she also cares for you in ways impossible to a large spa-like franchise. Massage takes two people to make it happen, and a massage professional lives by this.
A local massage professional has to earn your trust, personally, with one on one human interaction. The services you receive are more personalized and many times there are free add-ons, like aromatherapy or a nice herbal tea. They genuinely care for you.
There is room for all. After all, everyone needs a massage. However, you will find a better experience for the price with a massage professional with years of experience rather than a therapist working their first job like at those larger places.