Since the turn of the last century, we have seen an increase in the use of massage going from something only the rich enjoy to something many people, of all walks of life get use out of.
As a therapist, you see all kinds of people every week. From ones who have no real soft tissue problems to the most extreme kind of pain from sleeping in a bad position. In all these cases, you never tire of hearing how great they feel afterwards.
The trend over the last few years, is to have a therapist on-site to do chair massages as well as having a small room set up for full hour massages. Thanks to The Intern and timeless ever stunning Rene Russo, there is even more focus on the benefits of having this kind of an addition to any company. In recent times, the Sacramento 911 emergency dispatch center began to bring in a massage therapist to do chair massages, and help relieve some of the stress from working in this kind of environment. The results were nothing short of astonishing. The company turnover rate went down by 40% while at the same time decreasing stress levels, increased productivity, and promoted a more relaxed work place. With these kinds of results, it's a wonder why not every company has a therapist for their office.
In the world of professional and college sports, a massage therapist is a much needed part of their teams. Most teams have many therapists for this job. Teams know how beneficial having a massage is for their players. They can operate at a much higher performance level when their soft tissue doesn't feel like steel cables.
In giving the massage, there are many different aspects to consider in order to make your experience the best we can. We have to think about what is going on with your body right then, what kind of issues are you having, how is your posture, what do you do for a living and how are you feeling right now. We ask these questions to give us an idea of where your tension is going to be. The massage begins. We give our entire energy to you. We want to give you back your quality of life. We talk to your shoulders and back, we take the tension out of your feet and hands, we move muscles in your neck and there is nothing better than hearing, that was the best massage I have ever had.
Massage is a proven stress reliever, it decreases inflammation, increases circulation, promotes better sleep and more relaxation in general. The benefits that a company could reap from this kind of a thing is immeasurable. Imagine for a moment, you are the CEO of a company where most of the employees spend the majority of their time sitting at a computer and talking on the phone. If you could help them to be able to be more productive, less stressed and anxious, and have a better attitude in general, wouldn't that be something worth investing in?
Over the last few months, the buzz around the corporate world is that of one Dan Price, CEO of Gravity Payments, who raised the minimum wage for all employees to 70K a year. I am a huge fan and supporter of him. A company and CEO who sees the people who spend their time there, as valuable parts of the bigger picture makes this a highly sought after company to work for. In 2009, Google boasted having 35 massage therapists working for at their facility, who are there to make the day better for other employees. Again, another example of where taking care of the personnel makes this a very competitive place to get into. Chicago law firm Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit offers a free 20 minute massage once every two months, and employees are able to do more for $20 if they are in need of one before their scheduled time. There are many companies that have seen an increase in work productivity and a decrease in turnover rates since implementing such benefits. Not all companies are able to do what Mr. Price has been able to do, however, why not try a different approach to keeping your employees happy?
Raises are always nice to get, and if possible, I tend to think that it's a good incentive to come to work when you feel properly compensated, but, that's not a reality for all companies. Instead, try adding a massage therapist. They are trained in chair massages as well as table massages and the benefits can only help with the bottom line of your company. Stress is a never ending evil that we all go through and will continue to do so as long as we are alive. There are so many different types of stress. What we do to our bodies is considered stressful as well.
In my opinion, computers were the worst thing to ever happen to the human body. We spend countless hours every week sitting in front of our computer either working or playing. It can be very repetitive and over the years cause problems with our posture, our hands and wrists, and our backs. But it doesn't have to stay that way. If you're still not sure if this is right for your company, try it for a day and see what happens. You just may be surprised.
