How May a Massage Therapist Save Your Life?

Citing the May 2025 AMTA Journal, Stay Sun-Smart: Your Guide to Healthy Summer Skin, massage therapists "are in a unique position to see parts of your clients’ bodies that are not easily visible to them, like their back, for example. For clients you see regularly, you might also be one of the first to notice if a mole changes shape or color, or a new spot appears." How true this is. Very early on in my massage therapy training, this was a mantra taught by all of my instructors. They taught us to be watchful for any unusual marks or moles that we found on a client's skin, particularly on backs or places that do not appear easily in a mirror. They stressed that we could be the first response to a life threatening situation. With that knowledge, I have always been attentive to things of that nature. There have been more than a few times that I have made note to keep an eye on something, to myself as we were also taught not to needlessly worry someone. However, there have been a few times where I felt justified in notifying a client on the table about anything unusual and both of us went on watch mode. A colleague of mine even saved someone's life. She and one of her clients were alerted of a signiifcant change and after checking with her doctor, had the ealy stages of a squamous cell carninoma that early treatment of prevented anything worse. So yes, I am a believer in regular massage and yes I do pay attention, every single time. Grateful to my instructors for passing along that gem.

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