Massage:

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the Summer Olympics in Beijing. If you’ve been paying attention at all, you know there has been a lot of press, mostly negative, about China’s record on human rights, especially in connection with Darfur, and the annexation of Tibet.

Many groups are calling for a boycott of the Games this year. Some are suggesting that Heads of State decline to attend the Opening Ceremonies as a way to send a message to China.

I have the pleasure of working with a number of athletes who have been training for years for their shot at the Olympics and I believe we would do every Olympian a disservice if we boycott the Games. Ideally the Olympics is about sport and competition and fair-play and should be outside the realm of politics. In reality, politics has played a role in every Olympics. I think that all of the attention being focused on China will have a positive effect on the behavior of the Chinese government.

As the costs of health insurance continue to spiral upward, more and more consumers are enrolling in high-deductible insurance plans attached to health savings accounts, or flexible health spending plans through their employers (sometimes called cafeteria plans). These plans allow consumers to spend pre-tax dollars on covered healthcare. In many cases, massage therapy is an allowable expense if recommended or prescribed by a doctor. Most clients are unaware of this benefit and will appreciate it when you discuss it with them. Individual plans may vary, so clients need to check with their plan administrator for details.

With the untimely death of actor Heath Ledger, the issue of what to call ourselves in the massage profession comes up again. The news media continues to prefer the term masseuse, as evidenced by the many uses of the term in referring to the woman who discovered Mr. Ledger’s body. A few news reports did use the term massage therapist.

In my experience, many people still use the word masseuse, even when referring to a male massage therapist. Masseur and masseuse are French words, and French nouns are gender-specific. Here in the USA, we’ve gone more and more to gender-neutral terms, like massage therapist, wait-person, administrative assistant, etc.

Although most of us prefer the term massage therapist, not all in our profession like that title. What do you call yourself? Do you correct clients, or potential clients, when they use the “wrong” title for you?