that was a waste of $65!

AJBMD915

I just had my first pregnancy massage.  It seriously felt like she was just putting lotion on me.  The last massage I had at this spa I had to fill out a form and they asked me where my problem areas were, back and shoulders.  I didn't have to do it this time so I made a point to tell her when I first walked in the room.  I also said that my lower back was really sore and was a brick wall and needed some deeper pressure.  I mentioned that last time the girl just worked on my back and shoulders.  She kind of insisted that she would get to my back but would do face, neck, arms, etc first.  I figured I'd go with the flow, she was the professional.

She did a little pressure/"work" on my neck.  Arms and legs were just like she was rubbing in lotion.  She spent a whopping 15 min on my back and shoulders.  I know it's the hormones, but I seriously feel like I'm going to cry.  I've been in so much pain and have been looking forward to this all week.  At least I got her name so I know who NOT to ask for next time.

kabarbanel

That sucks! I'd be disappointed too. I had a pg massage with DS and it was wonderful. I am getting another this Friday and hope it's just as good!

AJBMD915

not to mention that she spent at least 30 min talking about her husband's inability to drink liquor without puking and that she never pukes, it just runs right through her and she gets diarrhea.  Lovely.  She was super nice, but not exactly helpful with relaxation.

citychicks

I always find that with spa massages vs RMT's. I find the spa ones are really more for relaxation as opposed to really "fixing" ones back. Maybe call and mention it to the spa?

musicteacher84

I'm sorry!  That really sucks!  I got 1 pregnancy massage this pregnancy around 30 weeks and it was so great!  I wanted to get another one, but now I'm pretty much running out of time...

jessjo04

I had a prenatal massage a couple months ago and I have to agree. I think they are afraid of using too much pressure, so it was like a light rub. I never had a massage before, so I wasnt sure what to expect, but that wasnt what I was hoping for.  I've decided to save my money for a real one after the baby is here, I was kinda disappointed.

Pamela05

I'd complain to mgmt, especially with that last comment and ask for a discount or free next massage. Prenatal ones from someone that knows what they are doing are great.

muchmoresarah13

That happened to me too with DS1!! which is why i will not have another pregnancy message!! i will wait till after baby!

jessjo04

AJBMD915:

not to mention that she spent at least 30 min talking about her husband's inability to drink liquor without puking and that she never pukes, it just runs right through her and she gets diarrhea.  Lovely.  She was super nice, but not exactly helpful with relaxation.

The girl doing mine had just found out she was pregnant and asked me a bunch of questions. I felt bad that she was so concerned about being pregnant, but sometimes I felt like I was being interviewed instead of getting a massage.

Lucky_Dragonfly

that sucks!! I know the feeling though. MH gave me a GC for a massage in '08 for my birthday. I finally got around to using it over the summer and it was the worst massage I have ever had. I don't know how many times I told the girl that she was pushing too hard and that it hurt. And she kept rubbing the same place for about 5-10mins at a time to the point where I would tighten up because it got sore and I was trying to buffer her rub. I was seriously in pain for about 3 days afterwards and that is not right.

reaustin18

That sucks! You should call the place and speak to a manager and complain. Maybe they'll be willing to do another with someone else for free. No need for you to live with a bad experience. If they want your business they should be willing to work with you.

OctGirl80

As a LMT myself, sometimes I am amazed that these people still have clients. When I was in school, there were several classes that dealt with boundaries  (keeping your private life private) and getting the client to relax & enjoy the massage. I'm wondering if they teach it at other schools based on how often I hear about it.

 

Also, if you want more pressure, tell them. They should be checking in with you to make sure they are not using too much, but too little is useless as well. People can handle different levels of pressure and you want to get your money's worth.

 

If she is in a spa (or whatever) where there is upper management, definitely tell them what's going on. That needs to be dealt with or they will lose business and not know why.

erakgail

 I would definitely call back and complain. Maybe there is someone else you could go to next time who is better? All in all, it sounds like she was very unprofessional!

MrsRoy07

AJBMD915:

not to mention that she spent at least 30 min talking about her husband's inability to drink liquor without puking and that she never pukes, it just runs right through her and she gets diarrhea.  Lovely.  She was super nice, but not exactly helpful with relaxation.

Ugh!!! This would be the last straw for me, how unprofessional!! Definitely call and complain, I would hope they'd give you another massage for free- with someone else.

RayRay007

You have to be careful with spas. Some have RMTs, some don't. Certain types of massages are done with RMTs, some aren't. Next time you book make sure it's for a therapeutic massage with an RMT.

RumbleLina

If you are willing to spend $65 on a massage why don't you look into a chiropractor in your area? Of course, I am not sure what the cost in your area is but ours if roughly $50/time (of which I pay $5 after insurance). Not only would it probably help your back but you may have massage therapy during your visit as well. Every visit I go to I get a really deep massage prior to adjustment. I am not sure if massage therapy is standard for chiro visits though so I would ask first.

CutieBean79

Booooooo.

ekbrick83

I feel ya!  I was given a gift certificate by my step mother when she found out I was pregnant.  I loooooooove massages, but don't get them often so I thought a pre-natal would be great!  WRONG.  They hardly put any pressure on me.  I told them I like my massages with relatively hard pressure, but when I was in there the lady kept asking me how it felt and I said, "you can rub harder" she was like "Oh I can't rub too hard."   I should have saved my certificate until after the baby was born.

AJBMD915

Can someone tell me what a RMT is and what's the difference between that and a LMT?

I hadn't though of complaining about the massage itself, maybe she just was hesitant to put more pressure because I was pregnant.  She only asked me about the pressure being ok in the first 5 min while she was doing my neck.  Maybe I should complain though about the conversation, it did make me a little uncomfortable.  She told me about how her husband got so drunk he spent the day puking and laying on the bathroom floor, etc.  I don't want her to get in trouble, she was very nice, but it did make me uncomfortable.  How do you respond to that?

It wasn't that I spent $65.  My mom gave me $100 gc there for Christmas and DH gave me $50.  But still, I'm annoyed that I wasted that much.  I have thought about going to a chiropractor but I'm worried that I'll need to go repeatedly and our insurance doesn't cover it.  I wonder if they'd cover it if it was a referral from my doctor.  At any rate, I think I'll be using the rest of my gift cards towards a facial or waiting until the baby is here for another massage.

OctGirl80

AJBMD915:

Can someone tell me what a RMT is and what's the difference between that and a LMT?

I hadn't though of complaining about the massage itself, maybe she just was hesitant to put more pressure because I was pregnant.  She only asked me about the pressure being ok in the first 5 min while she was doing my neck.  Maybe I should complain though about the conversation, it did make me a little uncomfortable.  She told me about how her husband got so drunk he spent the day puking and laying on the bathroom floor, etc.  I don't want her to get in trouble, she was very nice, but it did make me uncomfortable.  How do you respond to that?

It wasn't that I spent $65.  My mom gave me $100 gc there for Christmas and DH gave me $50.  But still, I'm annoyed that I wasted that much.  I have thought about going to a chiropractor but I'm worried that I'll need to go repeatedly and our insurance doesn't cover it.  I wonder if they'd cover it if it was a referral from my doctor.  At any rate, I think I'll be using the rest of my gift cards towards a facial or waiting until the baby is here for another massage.

 

Definitely complain about the conversation. I've been going to chiropractors for years. The 4/5 I've been too have never included massage as a treatment or option.

 

I know LMT is Licensed Massage Therapist (since I'm one that one was easy). According to Google (short version): A Licensed therapist has taken and passed an examination given by a state, however, each state has its own set of requirements for which therapists may sit for the examination. A certified therapist has graduated from a massage therapy program and awarded a certificate upon their graduation without any formal examination required. Nationally certified therapists have passed one of the national examinations. And, if you haven't been confused enough already, a registered therapist can either be certified or licensed depending on one's definition of registered, which again depends on geography.

 

Also, bear in mind, it's like any other job. There are some people who are great at it and some who are not. There were people in my class that I thought did a lousy massage but they still passed.

kesrya

AJBMD915:

Can someone tell me what a RMT is and what's the difference between that and a LMT?

This is a legal designation, and it varies state by state.  In *most* states, massage therapy is licensed and regulated - so there is no difference between a "spa" massage therapist and a RMT -- anyone who lays hands on you in exchange for money must be legally registered with the appropriate state agency.  Again, I say *most* states - so there may be a few exceptions.

In some states, there is only one legal designation -- this could be LMT (licensed massage therapist) or RMT (Registered Massage Therapist) or CMT (Certified massage therapist) - and their level of required education and experience is the same despite what one state's government decides they must call themselves as opposed to another.  So for example, in one state an LMT is the exact same thing as an RMT.  Who oversees the massage therapist licensing also differs between states - where I live the Chiropractic Board approves licenses.  In other states, there is a specific Massage Therapy Board, etc.

Other states - like where I live - there is more than one designation that a massage therapist can license themself under, and it is dependent upon education level.  CMTs in my state are considered licensed massage therapists - and they have bachelor degrees in addition to their massage therapy designation.  They may work anywhere they like, including chiropractic or physician offices.  RMTs do not have to have a bachelor degree.  They typically only have about a year and a half to two years of massage specific training after high school.  They are not permitted to work in a clinical medical setting.

Some other answers to questions posted in this thread: No, massage therapy is not standard with chiropractic care.  Again, depending on the scope of practice, some chiropractors are permitted by law to do "massage therapy" in addition to "manual therapy", but in many states their scope of practice is limited t chiropractic care (manual therapy) only and they hire a massage therapist in their office to give massage so that they can bill more to your insurance - and you will get billed for *every* procedure that is done - including those hot packs, e-stim or the exercises you do in the corner - all of which you can do at home for yourself for free.  Personally, being someone who works in this industry, I do NOT go to chiropractors who do these additional "side" treatments unless they are also fully licensed under that specialty.  Most of the time, they have taken a weekend's worth course in something and are no where near as knowledgable and skilled as the actual licensed practitioner who completed their schooling in it.

Your insurance benefits should be easy to figure out - just call them and ask if chiro care is included in your plan, and if so, are there treatment limitations (ie. certain number of visits per year, pre-authorization or referral needed, and are there specific diagnosis that it can only be used for).  Just as a warning - a licensed practitioner can bill your insurance for anything they are legally able to do under their scope of practice - but the insurance doesn't have to pay for it - which might mean that you will.  For example, in my state, massage therapy is not a a code that the insurance companies will accept - so if the chiro bills for that, it will get rejected regardless of having a doctor's note.

kesrya

Now that i've written a book on the legal designations of massage (and I know all this because in addition to being a licensed acupuncturist in network with several of my state's big insurers, I am also the president of my state's professional society - so I am responsible for knowing and understanding the laws and working in our legislature on behalf of this) ...

I would definitely recommend calling the place and speaking to management.  You don't have to make it a "complaint".  Simply say that while she was very nice and you don't want her to get in trouble for this, you do want them to know that you would not go back to her because she spent the majority of time working on areas of your body that you told her you don't have a problem with and ignoring the main request you had.  It is important for the place to know this - and don't go in expecting them to give you something back.  Act like you are just reporting it to them for their own knowledge - they will most likely offer you something, but if you handle it like this without expectation, it will not be confrontational and everyone will be happier with the results.

What you described is not typical of pre-natal massage.  There is no reason why they can't apply hard pressure and work on any area you request.  I treat a lot of pregnant women, and as with any other patient, I always pay attention to and address that woman's complaint - I never do a standard "protocol".  This was a problem with your massage therapist, not with pre-natal massage in general.

As an aside, in the last few months of my pregnancy, I actually had to stop getting free massage from my colleagues at my clinic b/c they couldn't separate me and treat me like a client.  because of my standing in the clinic, and my standing in the state professional society, they continually talked to me about "business" or their own personal problems while giving me a massage.  So I had to start going to places and paying full price so that i could have someone who didn't know who I was or what I did for a living.  It was frustrating, but at some point I had to think about the quality of care I was getting and prioritize my and my baby's health over getting a free or discounted service

Pamela05

Also make sure the therapist has training in prenatal massage. Someone who thinks they can only do light strokes obviously does not.