Anyone ever go to Massage Envy?

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

The weather has been SO raw...and I've been doing a lot of cleaning at home - complete with aches and pains.

Massage Envy has a huge ad in the paper today....I've never been to a chain like this.

Anyone gone before? Did you enjoy the experience?

Zita · ‎05-24-2011

Daughter gave me gift certificate so I went. Hard sell all the way to sign up for contract, then massage from a male (no choice) with whom I felt very uncomfortable. I've had massages before but always with person of my choice and in a spa setting. Would not recommend.

esmeraldagooch · ‎03-10-2010

Terrier, My niece just opened a ME with her husband. I don't live in her state so I have not gone.

reiki604 · ‎03-09-2010

I have a membership at Massage Envy. The atmosphere is relaxing but the quality of massage depends on the therapist like anywhere else.

'I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed man'.......Unknown

violann · ‎03-10-2010

I get massages at the Woman's Wellness Spa at our local hospital, costs the same as ME, all women massage therapists, no pressure to buy more services. I wouldn't be interested in ME.

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

It's difficult to evaluate one M.E. from another; e.g., the quality of the staff from one location to another-but keep reading. How educated are these people, how deep do they go in the hiring process, etc.? The reason I bring this up is that we had a condo neighbor in SOCAL who was an optician and wanted to change careers, so decided to become a massage therapist. OK... Nice gal. So, she goes to massage school for 4 maybe 5 months and wah-lah, she's working at a M.E. What? Is she really educated enough to place hands on anyone??????

My daughter, on the other hand, is a clinical massage therapist, has a B.S., is a certified yoga instructor and went through an intense 2 year degreed program before she took the national, state and local exams before she could be licensed. According to my neighbor, she took none of those exams.

Now fast forward to about 2 years ago. My daughter was asked to testify in court as an expert witness in a case where a male massage therapist was giving a female client an upper body massage. The client began experiencing moderate to severe pain in the area of the neck and asked the massage therapist to stop. He did not. She asked him again to stop. He did not. Finally, she got off the table and left. Bottom line: she experienced a herniation in her neck while he was manipulating the tissue and structures in her neck and eventually required surgery.

My bottom line: I don't believe that M.E. massage therapist have sufficient education in human anatomy, physiology and massage technique to provide services without increasing the risk factor.

I know this sounds a bit blown out of proportion, but I have experience in Risk Management in a clinical setting and would not set foot in a M.E. establishment.

scatcat · ‎03-15-2010

I went once with a gift certificate. Hard sell with joining. Plus I was turned off by the number of reminders and signs on how much to tip. I guess it's for the benefit of the therapist, but I was annoyed by it. I can do the math. They will call your house to get you to come back I have a single male friend who joined and likes it

Nuttmeg · ‎03-09-2010

On 3/5/2015 sfnative said:
It's difficult to evaluate one M.E. from another; e.g., the quality of the staff from one location to another-but keep reading. How educated are these people, how deep do they go in the hiring process, etc.? The reason I bring this up is that we had a condo neighbor in SOCAL who was an optician and wanted to change careers, so decided to become a massage therapist. OK... Nice gal. So, she goes to massage school for 4 maybe 5 months and wah-lah, she's working at a M.E. What? Is she really educated enough to place hands on anyone??????

My daughter, on the other hand, is a clinical massage therapist, has a B.S., is a certified yoga instructor and went through an intense 2 year degreed program before she took the national, state and local exams before she could be licensed. According to my neighbor, she took none of those exams.

Now fast forward to about 2 years ago. My daughter was asked to testify in court as an expert witness in a case where a male massage therapist was giving a female client an upper body massage. The client began experiencing moderate to severe pain in the area of the neck and asked the massage therapist to stop. He did not. She asked him again to stop. He did not. Finally, she got off the table and left. Bottom line: she experienced a herniation in her neck while he was manipulating the tissue and structures in her neck and eventually required surgery.

My bottom line: I don't believe that M.E. massage therapist have sufficient education in human anatomy, physiology and massage technique to provide services without increasing the risk factor.

I know this sounds a bit blown out of proportion, but I have experience in Risk Management in a clinical setting and would not set foot in a M.E. establishment.

A massage therapist has to have a license to practice. You should ask to see paperwork.

The OP may want to contact a physical therapy center/ Sports Medicine in your area for a person qualified to do massage.

dobiesrule · ‎07-24-2014

Went once and never went back. Aside from the fact the massage was only so so, I was shorted on the time and the suggested amount for a tip is ridiculous. It came to about 30-35%. I am also suspect of the amount of training they have. I go regularly to a woman who is trained in medical massage. She is fantastic. Terrier, you can do better that ME.

Meowingkitty · ‎06-19-2010

I used to go several years ago. Never again. Hard sell to join. Kind of creepy sometimes. Just never felt relaxed. Mostly just wanted to get it over with wondering why did I join in the first place. I had a guy who kept bumping into my hand with his crotch as I was on my stomach. After the second time I moved my arm but couldnt wait to go. Also they give facials. Don't get those. The girl burned my skin with some sort of citrus formulation. I am not allergic to anything but this facial burned.