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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) This page contains questions asked by email and their answers. They are grouped by the following topics. Body Therapy Services is a business owned and operated by Lori Robinson. Lori is a California state licensed esthetician (provides skin care services) and a nationally certified massage therapist who has been providing therapeutic massage and body treatments to office clients and in the field at sporting events since 2002. Contact information Whom do I call to make an appointment? Call Body Therapy Services (408) 370-1188. A receptionist is available 7 days a week, except holidays, to take care of your scheduling needs. You can also schedule your appointments using our internet scheduler. Services are by appointment only. Availability
Gift certificates are available. Purchase your gift certificate on-line. Gift certificates can be emailed to you, to allow printing and delivery in a card format, or email the gift certificate directly to the recipient. Gift certificates are transferable, non-refundable, and can not be redeemed for cash. Lori works primarily from her office at Body Therapy Services in Campbell, CA. She does make special considerations for clients who are bedridden, post-operative, or for some medical or physical reason are non-mobile. In most of these cases, you are advised to obtain a doctor's consent to receive massage before contacting Lori. You are also advised to inform the doctor of her training and background so they can make a more informed determination.
How do I choose the right skin care treatment to schedule? You do not need to know which type of skin care treatment you want. There is a general guideline, shown below, for choosing a session duration. You should come prepared to talk with your esthetician about your skin health goals and the products you currently use. Your esthetician will work with you to put together a treatment plan. What are the different levels of skin renewal? Level 1 shows immediate results in a healthier-acting, younger looking, radiant complexion - with no disruption to your social schedule. Level 2 also shows immediate results, however, best results are generally seen after about 3 days. This skin renewal process will cause the skin to lose it's outer dead layer resulting in more dramatic results for skin changes. Level 3 achieves skin rejuvenation after approximately 5 days. During this skin renewal process your skin will eliminate damaged and dysfunctional skin cells of the epidermis. This will cause stimulation and migration of new skin cells throughout the epidermis resulting in new, fresher, healthier-acting, younger looking skin. Not all skin types or skin conditions can tolerate the higher levels of renewal. Your esthetician will discuss your options with you. How long should I schedule my first appointment for? If you have not had a facial in the last 6 months, 90 minutes would be a good length of time to cover the analysis, perform a deep cleansing, and begin any treatments we've decided upon to meet your skin care goals. If you have rosacea or sensitive skin, we would not want to over stimulate the tissues, and a 60 minutes session is recommended. If you have maintained your skin or have received regular facials, 60 minutes is the usual session length. 30 minute and 45 minute skin treatment session are good for follow-up visits when managing a specific condition. How often should I have a skin care treatment? It really depends on the goals that you have for your skin health. When maintaining normal skin, the frequency can be generally once every 1-3 months. When maintaining oily or dry skin, the frequency is generally once every 1-2 months. When focusing on managing a specific skin condition, there are many variables and sessions could be initially recommended as once every 1-2 weeks. Considering that this is a very generic response based on my experience, this response does not take into consideration home care maintenance, diet, or exercise. Every person is evaluated individually to determine what their specific needs are. Do men get skin care treatments? Yes. More frequently men are seeking assistance with their skin maintenance and health issues. Their sessions are technically somewhat different because they may have facial hair to consider or razor bumps/burn issues, and they generally prefer less fuss with minimal to no product fragrance. However, their needs and concerns are similar to those of women. Looking healthy is a lifestyle consideration.
How do I choose which type of massage to schedule (Swedish , Deep Tissue , or a Sports Massage)? You do not need to know which type of massage (Swedish, Deep Tissue, or Sports Massage) is right for you when scheduling your appointment. You can simply request a massage and specify the amount of time you would like for your session. When you come in for your appointment, Lori will talk with you before your session begins and find out your areas of concern or discomfort, then propose a plan for your session. It is not uncommon for Lori to propose a plan that integrates Swedish, Deep Tissue, and Sports Massage techniques to give you a session that meets your goals and provides the most benefit for you, unless you specifically request a single modality. There are several differences between these three modalities, but here is a very brief overview.
I like really deep work, can you do that? What is "deep?" Even in the massage services industry, you will find varying definitions. Sometimes "deep" is used to mean more pressure. This means you could receive a Swedish Massage with more pressure, most often applied by the use of elbows. Sometimes "deep" work is used to describe the therapist effecting less superficial muscles or muscles closest to the bone. Often the feeling of "deep" comes from the amount of sensation (discomfort) felt during a massage. This feeling is fairly easily achieved when working on specific problem areas using Deep Tissue Massage (see definition). When you feel discomfort in a massage, it is important that the therapist know the reason that you find it uncomfortable. He or she has a responsibility to you to ensure that their technique is being applied correctly and for the right purpose. This is important to avoid leaving you hurt. Clients who prefer "deep work" have always appreciated the level of sensation provided in Lori's sessions. Definition of Deep Tissue Massage. Lori's definition of deep tissue massage is massage that is performed with the understanding of muscles and their layering, the ability to work on specific muscles and tendons within these layers, and the understanding of how muscles work, work together, and work in opposition of each other, in order to identify and change patterns. My husband could really use a full-body massage, but he says he is not comfortable with it. How would you address this? There are many reasons people may feel uncomfortable with the idea of massage or massage by someone who is not close to them. Some may feel that the massage is not really a therapeutic massage, or they may not understand how they will benefit from a professional massage. They may have had massage experiences that have not meet their expectations and therefore lack trust. They may also be concerned about arousal issues, or they think they are required be naked to receive a massage, and so on. When the massage therapist does not know the specific reason, a good approach is to have the reluctant person begin with a half-hour session and work on one area of the body where clothing removal would be minimal, for example, the feet. The feet are usually a very safe place to have touched. If the reluctant person is squeamish about the feet, the neck and shoulders or arms and hands would be another suggestion. This will give the person time to experience the techniques and the environment, learn how their body responds to massage during a session, and experience the benefits of receiving a professional massage. The massage therapist could also take this opportunity to educate the client about massage, techniques, and if needed, ethics and practice standards. It usually does not take long for a reluctant client to feel comfortable with the experience and environment, and request the therapist to address other areas of the body, such as the low back or a full-body massage. In general, doctors, with exceptions, will usually advise patients to wait about eight weeks before receiving massage. This will allow proper healing and limit any stress to the affected tissues or organs. In cases of heart surgery, this waiting period will usually increase to three or four months, depending on the patient. If the surgery is minor, the waiting period may only be a couple of weeks. It is best to know the training background and experience of your massage therapist, and you MUST consult with your physician before scheduling your massage appointment. Always consult with your physician BEFORE receiving massage if you are undergoing medical treatment. This is recommended even if you have been receiving massage for years or if you want to begin massage therapy because you think the benefits of massage will help you in general, help your treatment, or improve your condition.
Prenatal Massage It is not recommended for a woman past the first trimester to lie face down during a massage. There are special tables and cushions that have a hole for the belly to fit through, and the massage therapist must pad the hole correctly so there is no pulling on the low back from the abdominal weight (hanging of the belly). The therapist must ensure that there is not too much pressure pushing back into the spine and/or pushing on primary the venous flow located along the right side of the spine. These tables will usually also have cut-outs to accommodate the larger or more tender breast. Lori does not offer this configuration; however, she does offer two different positional configurations that accommodate the uniqueness of each pregnant woman to obtain the highest level of comfort during her massage. The configuration she uses depends on the issues being addressed during the session, any medical or comfort consideration, and the pregnancy stage. One configuration is lying on the side. Lori has special cushions that are used and will provide proper support for all areas of the body. Side-lying can be used from the beginning of pregnancy up to the ninth month. During a 60-minute massage, the client is usually lies on her left side for about 40 minutes, then rolls to her right side for the last 20 minutes. A full-body massage can be performed with equal (if required) amounts of attention to both the left and right sides of the body, even though more time is spent lying on the left side. There is less time spent side-lying on the right because of the need to minimize compression of the right side organs and venous flow.
The other configuration is the
use of two specially cut foam cushions. One is at a
45-degree angle and is placed to support the upper body. The
second cushion is specially formed to slightly raise the
legs and accommodate a bend at the knees. The client is in a
reclining type position, as in sitting in a recliner chair.
This is the most comfortable for pre-natal clients and can
be used as a massage position up to the day of delivery. A
small cushion is added under the right side to slightly tilt
the baby to the left side to minimize compression of How do you describe your massage technique for pregnant women? The massage techniques used depend on the issue that is being addressed. Swedish massage is a nice relaxing massage with long strokes and varying pressure that addresses the center of the muscles. The pressure depends on the situation and circumstances. The work is performed with an understanding of how the muscles work together and oppose each other. In addition, the understanding of muscle layers enables Lori to work within these specific layers without poking and provide optimal relaxation. Assisted stretching can provide significant relief and prepare the body for the delivery process. Lori may perform passive stretching, where she positions the body and applies the stretch, using the clients' feedback, of course. This is usually very relaxing and feels very good to the client. Lori may perform resistant stretching, where either she or the client moves the body into position, then she provides resistance by asking the client to attempt to move with a minimal amount of effort or by not allowing her to move them. The session really depends of the clients' needs, trimester stage, medical considerations, and so forth. With Lori's training, including the Oncology Massage training, she is able to adapt techniques appropriate for a pre-natal session. |
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