This client, in his 20s, educated, with a university degree, and working in finance, came in for his first massage. He was nervous, quite nervous.
We talked a little before starting, and I explained everything to him. During the conversation, he mentioned he hadn't been able to have a normal bowel movement in about a week.
Knowing this, I chose a massage aimed at activating the intestines and helping them function properly. He drank little water, didn't exercise, and had a demanding, stressful job.
When this happens, it's common for the digestive system to stop working well. Many people suffer from hemorrhoids and constipation simply from not drinking enough water.
The massage went well, and he left relaxed. About half an hour later, he sent me a message saying that, thankfully, he had finally been able to go to the bathroom. "The massage worked!" he wrote.
Going to the bathroom regularly is very important. Those who can't end up accumulating waste in the body, which causes discomfort and can lead to health issues.
I was glad to hear the massage had helped. But shortly after, I received another message from him that, at first, I didn't quite understand: he was asking whether he could have caught a sexually transmitted infection from the massage.
I'll admit I was surprised by the question. There is still, even today, a lot of misinformation about what a therapeutic massage actually is.
I explained to him, calmly, that no, he hadn't caught anything. Questions like this show just how important it still is to clearly explain, from the very start, what this work is, and what it isn't.
