FAQ at Stride
What’s the difference between sports massage and regular massage?
Sports massage considers where each individual is on the road to becoming their optimal self— paying strict attention to past and present activity level. In doing so, a number of different modalities may be used during your session depending on the short term and long-term goals you and your therapist discuss. These modalities include active and passive stretching, deep tissue, muscle testing, Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) such as cupping, and more. To make it easier, this explains why there is only one service option when booking with Stride. Each session will be customized to how you’re feeling that day, taking into consideration any progressions or setbacks from your last session.
I’m not an athlete? Could I still benefit from this type of bodywork?
Most of us are athletes and don’t even know it. You could be a seasoned triathlete or someone who exercises only when being chased. The truth is many of the same muscular imbalances occur in each type of individual, but at different degrees. Someone who sits at a desk all day would display similar hip flexor discrepancies as an avid cyclist, and someone who stands on their feet all day at work might have similar issues as someone who runs six times a week. Our bodies don’t know the difference. What they do know is they seek balance and hate restriction. Keeping our bodies active and balanced is what prevents injury regardless of your athletic ability.
What should I wear for the massage?
We ask all of our clients to undress to their comfort level. You will be properly draped at all times with only the current area of focus exposed. Since stretching is a main component during our sessions, some clients prefer to bring a pair of shorts or comfortable pants to change into before the stretching portion of the session. It is our utmost responsibility to make sure you are comfortable at all times.
How often should I receive a massage?
This will vary from person to person. We like to see our clients treat massage therapy as a preventative form of self-care. However, life happens and we understand not everyone could come in as much as they’d like. For those coming off a recent injury or who may also currently be seeing other medical professionals such as a physical therapist, or those who have not received a massage in some time, we recommend coming in more regularly (weekly or bi-weekly) until both therapist and client begin to see progress. Once this happens, you could dial back appointment frequency to every 4-6 weeks to where the sessions become more of a maintenance approach to the original issue. Stride offers affordable membership options for this reason—as much as we’d all like to believe one session will yield 100% results, usually more than one appointment is necessary. *Please note, massage therapists are not allowed to diagnose any condition nor prescribe and type of medication. If we feel you need to be directed towards another medical professional, we will refer you to someone whose scope of practice is more suitable.