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February 4, 2008

A Value-Added Service

Everybody is looking for a way to make their practice stand out. One of the ways to do that is to create a value-added service. It occurred to me the other day, when we were learning how to take blood pressure readings, that this service would be a great way to make your massage practice stand out.

If the focus of your practice is health-related, taking your clients' blood pressure before and after the massage, could track the benefits of massage on the cardiovascular system. You may be able to add your findings to a body of evidence that proves the effects that massage has on improved health. An added bonus, you may have clients who do not know what their blood pressure is and taking their blood pressure could act as a first line of defense in detecting heart disease.

Watching my father check his blood pressure was a natural part of my childhood. He discovered he had hypertension when he was only 44 years old. He had one of those old "pump-up" varieties that are still around and do a good job. They do take a little practice to get an accurate reading, but they're relatively inexpensive. By the way, it's worth it to buy a good quality one because sometimes you cannot hear well through the cheap ones. Another nice option, which costs a bit more, is the electronic models which takes the heart rate and blood pressure in under a minute.

tags: massage massagetherapy wellness massage therapy bodywork health

Posted by linda at February 4, 2008 8:16 AM