A Guide to CBD Care for Massage Therapists

 A Guide to CBD Care for Massage Therapists

The powerful natural benefits of CBD have been shrouded by mystery and secrecy in Western medicine until relatively recently. But CBD in healthcare and bodywork is anything but new. In fact, in Eastern traditions, rejuvenative CBD care has a long history dating back to as early as 2637 BC.

Today, the use of CBD oil for wellness is beginning to make its way into the realms of massage therapy--from deep tissue and Swedish practices to the world of Ayurveda. More and more therapists and spiritual healers are turning to CBD massage oil to nourish and harmonize the mind and body of clients, both physiologically and in spirit.

And… to activate the whole system from the inside > out and outside > in.

So what are the advantages of CBD care as a type of massage therapy? Are there any side effects and/or legal risks to be aware of? And how can you begin incorporating CBD care in your massage practice?

What are the health benefits of CBD care?

CBD is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid that functions similarly to the body’s own essential cannabinoids. In fact, both plant-derived cannabinoids and human-derived cannabinoids interact with our CB1 and CB2 receptors. These two types of cannabinoid receptors are found all throughout the body, and are an integral component of our body’s self-regulating endocannabinoid system (ECS).

A well-operating ECS means greater functioning in a long list of body processes. The ECS directly affects the performance of many crucial functions, like movement, coordination, sleep, immune system response, sleep habits, memory, pleasure, appetite, metabolism, and more.

Researchers are regularly discovering more about the exciting potential benefits of CBD and CBD massage therapy. Here’s what they do know-- By interacting with cannabinoid receptors, CBD can stimulate the ECS to help it better sync and bring balance to the body’s nervous, digestive, and immune systems. This provides a range of powerful natural wellness advantages.

Adding CBD care to your massage therapy practice can help naturally boost your clients’ endocannabinoid systems to promote balance and encourage overall general wellness. The natural wellness potential of CBD care stretches far and wide, with more discovered happening all the time as more and more research is conducted.

Massage therapists can utilize the balancing properties of CBD to benefit your clients in a unique way. You can rub CBD massage oil products like CBD body lotions and CBD salves into any troublesome areas directly for more focused effects.

What are the potential risks of CBD care in massage therapy?

Are there any harmful effects of CBD massage therapy you should be aware of? Not really.

Because pure CBD massage oil is 100% plant-derived and naturally stimulates cannabinoid receptors, CBD care appears to be low-risk. Researchers have looked into the risks of CBD oil, and discovered that it is safe and non-toxic, even in high amounts.

But one thing you may want to keep in mind is that not all CBD massage oil is the same. The hemp CBD market is relatively young, and a lack of regulations has allowed companies to introduce CBD products that haven’t been tested for safety or CBD content.

So when you set out to buy CBD massage oil for your massage therapy practice, it is important that you check that the manufacturer sources their CBD oil from hemp plants that are grown without pesticides or other chemicals. It is also important to make sure that they test their CBD oil products to make sure that they contain a reliable level of CBD and that they’re free of contaminants.

Is CBD oil massage therapy legal?

If you use CBD oil that is derived from hemp, then you’re legally free to incorporate it into your CBD care practice under federal law. The cultivation and distribution of hemp and the use of hemp products like CBD oil are now legal nationwide since the Farm Bill was signed into law in 2018.

But if you’re using CBD massage oil derived from marijuana, you are violating federal law and maybe even state law, depending on where you live. So even if you’re in a state that allows for the recreational use of cannabis, marijuana-derived CBD oil is ultimately still not legal.

In short-- To play it safe, it’s best to stick with CBD oil from the hemp plant.

Using hemp CBD massage oil can also enhance the benefits of CBD care since hemp oil naturally contains a list of nourishing vitamins and minerals that boost the overall health of the skin and hair. The hemp plant also naturally contains a higher concentration of CBD than other cannabinoids, making it a great source for a CBD-infused massage oil.

What are the best CBD massage techniques and practices?

If a client is experiencing tight, tired muscles and joints, it’s good to hone in on those areas so that the CBD and other nutrients found in your CBD massage oil can offer natural soothing relief.

When CBD oil is massaged into fatigued muscles, the CBD compounds are absorbed right through the hair follicles and skin. This allows the CBD to interact with cannabinoid receptors found on the skin’s sensory nerve fibers and subcutaneous tissue, delivering the balancing benefits of CBD right to where your clients need them the most.

What are the best CBD massage oil recipes?

Often times, massage therapists find greatest benefits from a CBD massage oil product that is made with full-spectrum pure CBD oil. This type of CBD massage care product contains CBD, plus all the natural vitamins, minerals, trace cannabinoids, terpenes, and other material that is naturally found in hemp oil.

There’s evidence to suggest that CBD and all the compounds found in full-spectrum hemp CBD oil work together synergistically to maximize CBD’s natural benefits. This is why, depending on your specific rejuvenating goals, you may prefer creating or buying a CBD massage cream or CBD massage lotion made with pure CBD oil.

Others may opt for a CBD massage oil made with CBD isolate. CBD isolate comes from the same all-natural hemp CBD oil, but is put through a filtration process that eliminates all the other plant materials except for CBD. It comes in the form of a fine white powder and can offer an even higher overall concentration of CBD.

If you already have a favorite massage oil with your ideal concoction of herbal supplements, you can easily infuse CBD into it with CBD isolate. Simply heat your massage balm, salve, oil, cream or lotion of choice in a saucepan at a low heat setting, and gradually stir in your desired amount of CBD isolate.

When it’s all said and done, the recipe you choose really just depends on the type of CBD care you want to provide your clients.

What is the cost of CBD care for massage therapists?

While incorporating CBD oil into your massage therapy practice increases your overall costs, doing so can greatly enhance the overall experience for your clients. The cost of providing CBD care for your clients greatly depends on the type and quality of product you’re using. Pure hemp CBD massage oil can vary in price, with high-quality products containing full-spectrum hemp-derived CBD oil coming in around $50 for a 1.3 ounce jar or more.

You can save money by making your own hemp CBD massage oil with CBD isolate, a 99% pure CBD powder that easily blends into other nutritious oils. Because CBD isolate is so highly concentrated, only a small amount of it is needed. You can find high-quality CBD isolate that’s been tested for safety and purity for around $50 for a 1-gram jar.

How can you begin incorporating CBD care?

Here are a few recommendations to successfully provide CBD care (and education) to your clients:

• Get up-to-speed on the body’s (quite spectacular) endocannabinoid system and how CBD can support its regulatory functionality.
• Get a grasp on the range of CBD massage benefits, especially the advantages of CBD massage oil for muscle and joint tightness and fatigue.
• Brush up on how spiritual healers and bodywork therapists around the world are using CBD care.
• Make sure you’re using the highest quality of hemp CBD massage oil.
• And, of course, enjoy the fruits of professional development each step of the way on your road to providing whole-body CBD care.

                                                      

About the author

Michael Coleman is the VP of Marketing and Sales at Medical Marijuana, Inc., the first publicly traded cannabis company in the United States. He lives in San Diego, CA.

Sparking Joy Against Burnout

What do you get when you combine 35 inches of snow, 50 mph winds, three days of rain, roads closed due to: wind, white out conditions, and flooding all in the space of 2-3 weeks?  A Minnesotan who just about has hit her limit! The worst part: I couldn't DO anything with my time off. The roads and stores were closed and it was dangerous to be outside.  Cabin fever is no joke, and it made me feel restless and bored. It started to feel like the burnout I have been struggling with for the last year. 

Last winter, I started to feel like I didn’t know what I was doing anymore or why I was even trying. I had everything that I wanted in my job, but it was starting to feel stale. I know that I see this question a lot on massage boards, and inevitably suggestions for taking a vacation or break will come up. Lots of times they will suggest taking a new CE course to get your mind working again. Even suggestions for redecorating come up. I hadn’t really experience this before, so I didn’t know if these suggestions would really work. 

This coincided with a health issue where I was instructed by my doctor to cut back on my schedule.  With my reduced hours, I decided to try a new and extensive continuing ed experience. I decided to complete a self paced online Certified Aromatherapist course.  I was going kill two birds with one stone and take care of this burnout feeling and stress related fatigue once and for all!

But it didn’t help the burned out feeling. I was taking time off, but the not doing anything drove me crazy. I would pace around the house overthinking everything. The classes were interesting and I did enjoy learning new things, but it didn’t inspire me or a new career path. I was still questioning where I was going and what I was doing. 

Then I watched Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Maybe you’ve heard of the show on Netflix about organizing your things and using your emotions to help you decide what to keep and what to donate?  In the show they use the term “Spark Joy” to describe the feeling you should get when you hold an item you want to keep. If you don’t have that feeling, and you don’t need the item for practical reasons, you are supposed to thank what you’re getting rid of for what it provided you in the past and then let it go.  

Personally, I love organizing and decorating my home. Even though my house is already neat and tidy, I went a shopping spree of organization supplies and was giddy with refolding my husbands clothes to fit in his dresser, sorting every drawer in the kitchen, and dreaming of new ways to make my space tidy.  I felt happy for the first time in a very long winter; I had a goal to accomplish!  

It occurred to me a little later, that I used to have that feeling about my business. I would be giddy about the plans that I had and the classes I was going to take one day.  I needed to recapture that feeling for my massage business (and not quit my job to be a Marie Kondo Consultant). 

I remembered that I used to have short, medium, and long term goals when I started out. When I felt lost, I just had to look at that list of goals and that would give me a sense of direction. Every goal on that list was something I felt was a challenge, or I knew I would be proud of if I accomplished it. I realized in the last couple of years I met a good chunk of those 10-15 year goals that I set up in the beginning, but I forgot to add new ones to work on down the road. The goals left on the list were everyday practical ones (enter expenses by the end of each month) and not exciting ones (become a full-time therapist in your own space)! Even though I had taking a big CEU course that took me a year to complete, I didn’t have an end goal after I finished it.  Even throughout the course I couldn’t think of what I wanted to do once I was an aromatherapist. Not very smart planning on my part. I think I was hoping the act of taking the class would define the goal for me. 

It’s not the end of the world, though. I can still make use of the education in a way that inspires me and my interests. Taking a vacation, ceu’s, or redecorating are fine methods for giving yourself a mental break or new inspiration, but unless it is helping you move toward a greater goal, the results may not be what you had hoped. Setting goals is a continuous process, and they need to include ones that make you excited (and don’t forget to add more long term goals to the list as you progress through your list!) otherwise they are just chores.  

Since the weather is so crappy and I have some time on my hands, I think I’m going to look back at my old list and thank it for what it gave me (a successful career as a solo massage therapist with her own space and full schedule) as I file it away and create a new list with goals that spark joy for years to come. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Erin Howk Bennett, BCTMB
Therapeutic & Stress Reduction Massage

Self Care Insights

Listening to podcasts counts as self care, ya'all. The above embedded episode is from Life Beyond The Massage Table.

Those of us in the massage industry are always talking about self care, especially to our clients as to illustrate that massage isn't a luxury but part of self care, right?! If you do a quick google search, you'll see tons of results of stretches and self massage to help keep massage therapists from burning out. 

 I feel like there's lots of talk about this type of self care, but what else does self care mean? I recently had an interesting conversation about this with a friend of mine who is a social worker. She had recently attended a training on secondary trauma (also known as compassion fatigue). The presenter talked about self care that extends beyond exercising and eating right. She pointed out that things like paying your bills on time is a part of self care. You're providing yourself with your housing and lifestyle, avoiding late fees. Being organized with your bills, finances, and your business, is self care.
Just think of how much less stressful tax time is when you've been tracking your income and expenses as you go throughout the year. This is self care.

Rethinking and rephrasing "adulting" activities as self care feels less heavy. While sitting down and paying bills in a timely, organized way isn't as enjoyable as say... receiving a massage... it does make my life easier. Plus, I'm still going to be sure to be receiving regularly scheduled bodywork. 😉

A goal I've been working on lately is to make it to yoga class more often. Yes, my body needs it. Yes, my mind needs it. But also? I just really enjoy it and feel so much better when I go. My local YMCA recently remodeled the yoga studio and added a ton of classes, so it's easier now than it has ever been for me to have more yoga in my life.

Probably no coincidence that I'm writing this while home sick. Cancelled clients this week to focus on my self care thanks to the common cold! 

What ways are you practicing self care?

Great Tips For How Self-Employed Massage Therapists Can Grow Into A Small Business

Growing a part time gig into a small business is no easy feat. While it may be easy to get your first couple of massage clients, there are some pretty big steps you need to take before your business hits it stride. Your work may become stressful and draining for you, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With some good planning and solid strategy, growing your business can be a breeze. We’re here to take a weight off your shoulders with some top tips to go from a self-employed massage therapist to a small business with the help of massage software and savvy business marketing.

Know your service inside and out

As a self-employed massage therapist, it’s easy to offer services tailored to your specific clients. But if you’re looking to grow and become a fully-fledged small business, people will come to you expecting to pick from a selection of services.

Decide whether you’re going to offer a general selection, or go down a specific path such as sports massage or using a technique you specialize in. In order to diversify your brand, you could also offer a range of massage-related or soothing products.

Additionally you need to decide where you’re working from: from home, from your own office, or if you’ll travel to your clients’ homes. Take into account the overheads that come with each option: renting or buying office space will be the most pricey, but might provide a more appropriate space befitting a small business. And if you’re going mobile, you’ll need transport for you and your kit, so a company car or van will be required too.

Create a solid customer network

A massage therapist’s greatest asset is their network. Word-of-mouth is a powerful but underestimated tool for growing a business. It costs nothing, but shows your credibility as a brand while providing you with reliable clients.

The trick is in getting the ball rolling. What is your Unique Selling Point (USP)? Do you think that you’ll be able to tempt your current clients into talking about you based on what you do alone?

If you need an extra little push, try including a couple of perks. It pays to reward loyalty! Try offering money off massages if your client refers a friend, or a free massage if they come back to you a number of times.

Customer satisfaction should be a top priority for your business, especially when you’re just starting out. If you have an unhappy client, do your best to give them a flawless customer experience, or they could damage your carefully crafted network with negative social proof.

Go digital with your business

The beauty of the digital age in which we live is that you don’t simply have to rely on people telling their friends about you at dinner parties, or flyers pinned on newsagent notice boards. Make a website, set up Twitter and Facebook accounts and start attracting clients! It’s worth taking a look at what other companies, both local and national, are doing in order to either mimic their successes or learn from their mistakes.

Massage Envy is a massage franchise that manages their social media pretty well. Their focus is on taking care of your body, and with links to professional golfers, audience knows that their massages will help keep them on their game.

The Austin Massage Clinic is a local business that uses social media to get clients. They benefit from an official-sounding name, and make sure to utilize hashtags and share articles to get a wider reach. If you work on your brand when setting up, create a logo and a mission statement, you can put yourself across to a larger audience as a solid, reliable business.

Building a significant digital presence as a small business is well within your grasp. Check out one of the many online startups for sale for some shining examples of entrepreneurs who have built up a sizeable online venture on their own. It might seem daunting, but it’s entirely possible and, in this day and age, entirely necessary too.

Don’t rush into it

The worst thing you can do is to buy a whole load of equipment or start renting out a studio to practice in without having a plan. When setting up your own business it is vital that you have a step by step strategy, detailing when you will spend money and how you’ll make it back. We’ve seen countless entrepreneurs flop before they even start because they think that by spending money, they’ll make money. This is not the case!

Massage therapy is a great business to get into as it requires very little seed money. The main cost is your own time and effort, so you can survive on the basics until you feel like it’s time to take your business a step further.

Time management is key

With the mix of excitement, determination and stress that comes with starting a new business, it can be tempting to work all hours of the day and night to get things done. But if you don’t manage your time right, you’ll soon burn out.

Don’t overbook yourself. As you grow, consider the possibility of hiring an extra pair of hands. It may be hard to relinquish that little bit of control, but it means you’re on the right track to a bigger, more successful business.

Growing a business is hard work. But with some careful planning and business savvy, you’ll be able to get more clients and turn your one-man-band into a brand. It may be worth talking to an accountant if you haven’t already, just to make sure that you’re doing everything right tax-wise. Otherwise, set up your social media accounts and book in a few massage appointments, and you’re good to go!

Kayleigh Alexandra knows how tough it can be starting a small business for the first time — but also how rewarding it is too. To help fellow entrepreneurs on their journey to business success, she shares her knowledge and support on Micro Startups. For everything from marketing and design to business savvy and inspiring stories, find us on Twitter @getmicrostarted.

My Inspiration to Become a Massage Therapist

After high school, I was at a loss for what to do. I scored really high on my ACT test for literature. The community college counselor got all excited and said "that was MY major!". My thought was.... then what are you doing as a college counselor? Not that there's anything wrong with being a counselor, I just didn't see the connection to a literature degree. 

I didn't want to teach below college level, and I didn't want to go to school for the years needed to teach at the college level, and I didn't know there were many other options available for a possible English or Lit major. (Now I know otherwise, but at the time, I thought those were my only options.)  I despised math, and didn't feel particularly passionate about any other subjects in school.

I took a few community college classes after HS, which included a "career exploration" class. We took several personality tests and researched different careers that we might be interested in or that popped up as a good fit for our personalities.

I can't actually remember if massage therapist came up in my test results, but nurse definitely did and that kind of started me exploring similar paths. I was more interested in holistic health than nursing, and looked into acupuncture and massage. 

Acupuncture really intrigued me, but it was more schooling than I wanted to do and would have also involved relocating which I couldn't afford at the time. So I looked a little deeper into massage therapy. I interviewed a therapist and received my first massage. 

I don't actually remember it being anything amazing. Not because of the quality of the massage, but I think I was paying too much attention to everything to just enjoy it.


*Woo Warning*
If you're triggered into anger by mention of energy work or anything woo, skip over this next part. Side note: I'm not huge into woo, but I really hate how much energy therapists get harassed and bullied online these days by science-minded therapists who think they're superior. It's part of the industry, it always has been. Build a bridge and get over it.

Then I watched this therapist give a massage (with permission from her client). After only about 10 minutes into the session, I got very warm and felt like I was going to puke. I quietly slipped out of the room, and felt fine after a couple of minutes in the waiting area. I didn't go back into the treatment room, thinking I must be getting sick.

When the therapist came out at the end of the session, she asked why I had left the room. After I told her what happened, she explained that was the energy being released during the massage. Whaaaa??!

This is in the 90's, you guys. 

Talking about "energy" was not a common thing, and in fact I had never heard it discussed having come from a small farming community. I didn't know what to think of that. I found it fascinating and started to look further into massage therapy. You would think I would have gone down a more energetic path in my bodywork career, but it just really wasn't for me. My school was kind of heavy on the energetic aspect of massage, and maybe that's why I didn't get more into it as I felt my school left out a lot of science that I think would have made for a better balanced education. 

Anyway, that's where it all started - and here I am almost 20 years later still in the industry. I still have a private practice as well as working on Bodywork Buddy. There was certainly no such thing as online scheduling 20 years ago, and I'm so grateful for how much easier it has made running my practice!

What first got you interested in massage and bodywork? Do you remember receiving your first massage?

Cindy Slack is a licensed massage therapist who has had a private practice since 1999 and cofounder of Bodywork Buddy massage software.

My First Tui Na Massage

I took a trip to Chicago a few weeks ago. A friend (also a LMT) and I decided to try our first Tui Na massage from a business that touted "authentic Chinese massage".

They have many google reviews ranging all over the board, but the majority are positive. Most reviews rave about the reflexology, kind of bummed I didn't add that to my session! We both signed up for the Tui Na massage and having never tried before (and really not knowing anything about this technique), we weren't sure what to expect.

The business is a simple store front (not a spa). Personally, I've found some of the best massages are from small businesses rather than big chains or fancy spas.

My table was in a couple's massage "room" with 1 wall being a curtain to separate it from the hallway and other rooms. (All other rooms did have all walls.) The table was set really low and was the kind with the hole in the table for the face instead of a face cradle. Zero instructions were given from my therapist, so I just undressed and crawled under the sheet for draping.

My therapist started the session much like the below video - with rocking and compressions over the sheet. After that, she climbed onto the table and did compressions with her feet. Literally walking on my back. (I noticed after the session that there was some pvc piping on the ceiling for her to hold on to for support.)

Next, she undraped my back and used oil to do gliding strokes. I'm not sure if Tui Na is typically done directly on skin with oil, but this was their Signature Tui Na service, so maybe it was a blend of other techniques as well.

When she began working on my legs, it was as if the draping was in her way so she just pushed it off to the side. Completely off from me. I laid there completely exposed (prone) while she continued her work without missing a beat. If it'd been my first massage, I would have been completely freaked out, I think. But I just lay there thinking "well, this is different. I don't do it this way...". It is a different state (I need to do some further research to see if draping is a requirement in Illinois), and I'm sure there's also some cultural differences with Chinese massage.

But after the session was over and I talked with my friend, I discovered that she had left her underwear on for her session. When her therapist got to her legs, she just yanked my friend's underwear down to expose her glutes! Um, ok... that seems a bit more invasive and exposing than my therapist just pushing the draping off to the side.

Awwwk-waaaard.

I want to point out that I'm not massage-shaming this place. I just wanted to talk about the differences from what would be acceptable in my practice in my little Michigan town. As I mentioned, I don't know if state laws are different or if it's cultural differences, I just found it interesting. The massage was very effective, and while I wouldn't recommend it for newbies, I'm glad I got to experience it.