She has the client lie on a massage table, one of the standard tools of her trade. Standing beside the table, she uses relaxing strokes on the client s muscles, varying the pressure as she works. If she feels tension and knots beneath the skin, she spends more time on those areas. As the massage progresses, Barbara changes her technique to attack any problems she finds. She might try rhythmic drumming strokes, apply light or heavy pressure, or hold part of a muscle until it relaxes.
Some clients have specific goals that require a specific approach.
This is true for the athletes among Barbara s clients. If I m massaging an athlete before an event, I want to loosen and warm up the muscles, she says. After an event, I want to help the body recover and cool down. I gently rub and squeeze the muscles to get out the waste products that build up during exercise. She also massages painful or overworked areas to stave off injury.