The prospect of going for your first massage treatment can be a little intimidating when you don’t know what to expect.  Here I will provide some information for those of you who haven’t made that first call to book an appointment because you are unsure of what massage therapy is all about.

First, make sure that you are booking an appointment with a registered massage therapist.  A registered massage therapist will have either the designation, MT or RMT following their name in their promotional materials.  This designation ensures that the practitioner you’ve chosen has met all of the requirements of her/his professional massage therapy regulatory body. 

Before Your Treatment

When you call to book a massage therapy appointment you will be asked if you have had any experience with massage before and what type of treatment you are looking for.  In an initial conversation I will also ask generally about what you are hoping to achieve through massage treatment. 

It is a good idea to arrive a few minutes early for your appointment, as you will be asked to fill out a brief health history form before the treatment.  The health history form assists me to provide an effective treatment for you while ensuring your safety.  All information provided is kept confidential and your verbal or written permission is required for any health information to be released. 

Before beginning the treatment I will interview you briefly about the health history information you have provided and give you an opportunity to provide any additional health information.  After the interview, I may ask your permission to, perform a postural assessment, assess your range of motion, or palpate the areas of the body that are currently presenting symptoms. 

Based on the interview and assessment I will propose to you what I think the most effective treatment would be and review all of the areas of the body to be treated.  You are encouraged at this time to ask questions and modify the treatment plan if you would like to make any changes. 

 

 

Once the treatment is agreed upon, I will instruct you on how to position yourself on the massage table, covered by a sheet and blanket, and leave the room so that you can undress to your level of comfort in privacy. 

During Your Treatment

Throughout the treatment, only the part of the body being worked on will be uncovered at any given time.  If you would feel more comfortable remaining fully clothed for the treatment that is also an option, it will simply limit the techniques I am able to use. 

You will be encouraged to provide feedback regarding the level of pressure throughout the treatment so that your comfort is maintained.  The old adage, “No pain no gain”, does not always necessarily hold true. 

There are some massage techniques that can be painful and they are only used with the client’s permission in order to elicit a therapeutic effect.  In this instance, a pain scale will be established with you to ensure the pressure is maintained within your tolerance level. 

Conversely, if you find the pressure to be too light during your treatment you are encouraged to let your therapist know.  It is after all your time and you deserve to enjoy it.  

During treatment I may incorporate some stretches and joint mobilizations that will require your participation.  Conversation will be kept to a minimum and focused on the treatment so that you can bring your awareness to the body and achieve deep relaxation.  Focusing on your breathing throughout the treatment will be very helpful in this process. 

After Your Treatment

Once the treatment is completed, I will leave the room and ask you to take a moment on the table before getting up and dressed.  Once you are dressed and come out of the treatment room, I will discuss with you my clinical findings, future proposed treatments, and homecare exercises that you can do to complement the treatment.