Table Talk

If you are new to massage, you may be wondering what is the etiquette regarding talking during a massage.  Are you supposed to lie there quietly during your massage?  Is it rude to chat with your therapist?  Is my therapist going to chat at ME during my massage?

In the industry refer to this as "table talk," because it is the act of talking while you are on the massage table.  Whether your therapist is asking questions about your injury or condition, educating you about what it is they are doing or about what it is you are feeling, or if you are just chatting, it's all table talk.

There is some variation depending on setting, type of massage, and therapist preferences that can determine how much table talk is appropriate.  In most cases, a minimal amount of table talk is completely necessary: your therapist may ask questions about where and when you feel pain or other symptoms, about the kind and frequency of activities that may aggravate or relieve your symptoms, or about physical signs they notice that may impact how they will proceed with treatment.  If you are at a spa getting a relaxation session, you are less likely to get a lot of these questions than if you are at a clinic getting treatment for an injury.  Whether or not you are feeling chatty it is important to answer these questions fully in order to give your therapist the insights they will need to give you the best massage possible.

Beyond medical necessity, however, the decision whether or not to talk during your massage is up to you as the client.  You are, after all, paying for the session.  There are some therapists who believe that it is important for the patient to remain quiet and focused on their body, while other therapists believe that it can be therapeutic for a patient to feel comfortable talking freely.  In my opinion, both can be true.  For some clients, the most therapeutic thing is to have a whole hour with no talking.  For others, perhaps having someone finally listen to THEM for a change is the most therapeutic.  Sometimes, the same client may have different needs depending on the week.  In any case, at Warrior Massage your therapist will follow your lead: if you don't want to talk, you will only be asked the questions most pertinent to your care.  If you do wish to talk, your therapist is more than happy to oblige - just don't feel too jilted if you're doing most of the talking: we're probably just focused on our work, but we ARE listening!