Ticklish, Sensitive, and other touch concerns - can I still get a massage?

There are many reasons why people can be hesitant to get a massage. A massage is supposed to be a relaxing, healing, and calm experience. But if someone has a sensitivity to being touched, the mere thought of massage can be intimidating and stressful.

Massage therapy has a lot of benefits, both physical and mental. It can help aches and pains, recovery from injury, or even preventing injuries. It can also provide lots of mental benefits as well. But massage therapy, by definition usually involves a therapist touching someone. Sometimes touch isn't comfortable, and there are many valid reasons for that.

If someone is very ticklish, they may be unable to relax because of either the tickle sensation on their skin, or the uncontrollable flinching. It can also lead to tensing up the muscles more trying to control not moving or flinching. Skin or some body parts can be very sensitive to touch, so deeper contact or certain types of massage strokes can be anything but relaxing. Additionally, there could be other reasons for being uncomfortable with touch because of events like past abuse, body insecurities, trauma from past injuries, or more. Where massage can be very beneficial, for some it can actually be more traumatic.

So does having any type of touch issues mean that someone can never have a massage? Not necessarily.

Open communication and honesty with the massage therapist is a valuable start. Some people may be hesitant to open up to a massage therapist about their issues or concerns, especially about touch sensitivity. But if the therapist is aware, they should be willing to work with their client to find the most comfortable way to go about making the massage fit to achieve their goals for the massage. The client doesn't have to go into their entire back story, but a brief recap of the main sensitivity issues and what kind of reaction happens with certain types of touch is a good starting place. On the therapist's side, they should be willing to keep an open line of communication throughout the massage. Frequent check-ins about pressure, asking if what they are doing feels ok, and willingness to change up their stroke or technique can help both the client and therapist make the massage successful.

For the therapist, they may change up certain strokes; for example, less light gliding and more tactile kneading if an area has a tickle. Or likewise, gentle light strokes instead of deep percussion if an area is more painfully sensitive. There are changes the therapist can make to their stroke, pressure, changing the draping, or if they need to avoid a certain body part. Ultimately, every therapist has the goal of using massage to help a client reach their goal, whether it is pain relief, relaxation, or whatever, and they should be able to adapt to what the client needs to be most comfortable. It is most important that the client feels comfortable with being able to communicate with their therapist, and the therapist is willing to work intuitively to adapt as needed for their client.

If touch is still too difficult, there are some massage modalities that involve little to no physical touching. They don't necessarily achieve the same results in the same way as kneading out that "knotty" spot in your shoulder, but in the hands of the correct practitioner, there are some non- or little-touch modalities that can help give relief. Modalities such as Reiki, Cranio Sacral Massage, or Zero-balancing are more energy work based modalities that require little to no touching or rubbing, which may be more comfortable for someone with touch sensitivity. Lymphatic drainage is a very light modality with a very gentle touch, and myofascial release involves gentle pressure and a gentle stretch in specific spots or areas instead of a lot of long strokes or deep kneading.

So having a sensitivity to touch doesn't completely restrict the possibility of massage. Good communication, a willingness on the parts of both the therapist and client, and possibly some experimentation to find the right type of modality are all ways that someone who is uncomfortable with touch can still experience the benefits of a good massage.

(Author's note: And if you are ticklish, especially in the feet, it is always appreciated if you warn the therapist ahead of time. I can't tell you the number of times I've been kicked in the face, chest, or gut when I unknowingly start to massage someone's foot and they suddenly involuntarily kick me. I'll gladly thank you for the heads-up!)