by Briar Brakhage
A valuable tool for caring for the health and wellness of our bodies is massage therapy and bodywork. Massage is not just for relaxation and pampering. Therapeutic massage can address many painful conditions, such as headaches and migraines, low back pain, and muscle strains and sprains. Massage therapy can aid in circulation and lymphatic drainage, which can help reduce swelling and inflammation, and can help break up scar tissue. It can work in conjunction with other health work, such as physical therapy, chiropractic care, and recommendations by a physician, and, as a regular part of a wellness routine, can ease chronic pain and reduce stress.
Transgender people in particular can benefit from massage therapy. According to a study published in the European Journal of Pain titled “The Burden of Chronic Pain in Transgender and Gender Diverse Populations,” as a group, transgender people are more likely to be diagnosed with chronic pain than cisgender people—specifically noting that those on hormone replacement therapy and those with anxiety and depression are all more likely to be diagnosed with chronic pain. However, when I speak about massage with trans people in my community, many express hesitance due to fears of discrimination or abuse and anxiety about the process of massage. From the very start of my education in massage, I have seen that the transgender community is underserved in massage therapy despite its specific needs for bodywork. To demystify massage therapy, I spoke with Dan Wood, LMT (he/him), and Teresa Faulk, LMT (she/her).
A young trans woman explained to me that she experiences pain in her back due to the efforts she takes to maintain a feminine posture and from wearing the occasional high-heeled shoes. Dan explains that a massage therapist can help a client not only by easing some of the pain and discomfort but also by teaching habits. “If we are putting ourselves in a position of strain to change our posture, the practice is going to be harder,” Dan says, “but we can balance it out with proper exercise and strengthening routines.”
If someone is wearing high heels and shortening their calves, Dan says they need to do stretches and exercises to support the changes this makes to their body. He shared a similar perspective on someone who binds their chest, saying, “When they remove that garment at the end of the day, they should do at least ten deep breaths to fully expand their chest, really move their muscles in their rib cage, lift their diaphragm up and down and their chest up and out, and this will help to reestablish the pattern of movement they need.”
Another reason a trans person may see a massage therapist is for post-surgical massage. For example, if a trans man gets top surgery to flatten the chest, scar tissue is likely to develop. “Particularly in the chest area,” says Dan, “if scar tissue develops in that fascia, it’s going to restrict movement in your chest, in your rib cage—just like it would if you had on a jacket that was too tight for you. Different types of massage can be very effective at allowing the scar tissue to form properly.”
Teresa Faulk agrees, stating that the best type of massage for someone dealing with scarring from top surgery would be myofascial massage. She also notes that for a massage therapist to do this kind of work with a client, the client must have a lot of trust with their therapist, and this takes time. Developing a relationship with a massage therapist often requires repeated visits to build rapport and trust.
In Teresa’s practice, her goal is not necessarily to affirm a client’s relationship to their body but rather to remain neutral to the body. As a massage therapist, Teresa responds to her client’s needs on an individual basis. “A body is a body is a body,” she says, and “everybody’s body is different.”
To Teresa, the whole point is to feel better. “We aren’t here to fix anybody,” she says, “but massage is a great way to increase dopamine and ‘good-feeling’ hormones.” Getting “that good stuff” going, as Teresa puts it, can not only improve a client’s relationship with their body but can even improve confidence.
Dan also discusses the power of touch, saying, “I think safe, proper touch is a beautiful nonverbal way to express acceptance and unconditional caring.”
While external acceptance is powerful and valuable, massage can also affect a client’s own self-image. “Learning that your body can provide you with a sense of joy is great. The body responds to touch. The positive transfer between two people can help to make your body start to feel like yours.” Dan shares that he has worked with many clients with different kinds of body dysphoria, and he believes that one of the most important ways to help with that is through human connection and human energy to provide a sense of well-being. “It can help you begin to love your body again. Providing a lovely experience to your body helps rewire how you think about it and how you feel.”
It has been my goal since I decided to enter into a career in massage therapy to provide quality massage therapy to my trans community to help alleviate some of the pain and anxiety often suffered by transgender people. Massage therapy can treat injury, improve one’s relationship with the body, ease stress and anxiety, and provide human connection. Massage therapy has the potential to encourage and create true trans joy, and I can think of little that is more sacred and valuable than that.
If you are interested in booking an appointment with Dan Wood, he can be contacted at the Massage Institute of Memphis. If you are interested in booking an appointment with Teresa Faulk, she can be contacted on Instagram at @treefaulk. If you are interested in booking an appointment with me, Briar Brakhage, I can be contacted on Instagram at @briarpatch.brakhage.
