4 Reasons You Need to Build an LTR with your LMT

The key benefits of massage or bodywork, whether it's a deep tissue massage or a slow yoga therapy session, are well known. They range from increasing range of motion to regulating blood pressure, relieving pain to improving sport performance, improving sleep quality to increasing blood & lymph flow. But there are even more benefits when you commit to a regular routine with the same therapist or practitioner.

First, when you see the same therapist, you have a trusted professional who knows your body. Over time, your therapist or practitioner will get to know your uniqueness. We'll remember your illnesses and injuries, we'll get to know your chronic issues, we'll learn how your body moves, we'll remember how your tissues feel. And that insight is invaluable both in helping us design the best session each time, and when you need the information because something has changed in your body.

Second, we get to know the your whole being. Overtime, we'll learn to customize the sessions based not just on issues and injuries, but also on your overall life situation. We'll get to know your environmental contributors to your current situation. For example, if you spend hours a day driving; we'll learn where you hold stress from that posture in your body, and how your body best responds to our techniques to undo it. We'll learn who you are not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually, professionally, relationally, communally.

Third, you'll maximize your time with us. Each time you see a new practitioner, it takes that therapist time to learn your body. If your therapist already knows your hot spots, knows which areas are less needy, etc. your time together is spend more effectively on what you really need that day.

Finally, it's easier for you as a client. You'll already know where to find us, how we communicate, how to prepare, where to park, what to wear, how we work, and so on. It is just easier for clients to work with someone they already know. Your time is valuable and your sense of ease is one of the goals of bodywork.

While it is important to find a practitioner you can commit to and work with for the long-term, it isn't always easy to find someone with whom you're a good fit. Each therapist or practitioner has their own style of bodywork, their own way of working, plus unique work values and professional strengths. Sometimes it may take trying out multiple practitioners before finding one who is the right fit for you. If at first you don't find the right fit, keep at it; it will be worth it for your long-term good health. And vibrant good health is what we're all after, right?