Massage therapy is a treatment that can be both therapeutic and relaxing. Using general Swedish massage techniques, your Registered Massage Therapist can ease stress from your body, while rejuvenating tired and sore muscles.
Here’s what to expect from your first appointment:
Before You Book:
Consider the length of the treatment. Massage treatments are available as 30-minute, 45-minute, 60-minute and 90-minute treatments. It is recommended for your first appointment to book 60 minutes. This allows time for your Registered Massage Therapist to review your health history form, do an assessment as necessary, provide treatment, reassess and provide home care. Less time will limit the amount of treatment you actually receive.
When Booking:
You will be asked to fill out a health history/intake form. Please make sure to fill this out prior to your visit, as incomplete forms will result in having to complete them during your visit, which will mean reducing the amount of treatment time you receive. Please be as honest and thorough as possible to give your therapist a complete picture of your health. What you think may not be important, could be more important than you realize.
Try to pick a time for your massage when you have the ability to relax afterward. Schedules can be hectic, so this may not always be possible, but I recommend that patients refrain from doing anything too physically taxing immediately after a massage, like going to the gym or playing sports.
Before Treatment:
Please arrive five minutes early to ensure your therapist can take you into the treatment room on time. If you are late, your therapist may not be able to accommodate your full treatment time. It will also give you a couple of minutes to relax before your treatment and sip some water should you like.
During Treatment:
Your Massage Therapist will go over your health history form, ask questions regarding treatment goals, discuss what areas you would like treated, instruct you on how to get on/off the table and give you the opportunity to ask questions. The therapist will then leave the room to give you time to undress to your comfort level, should that be necessary for the treatment, and give you time to get on the table. The therapist will knock on the door before they come back in.
Massage therapy treatments can be both relaxing and therapeutic. If there is a specific problem area or injury, treatment of the area can sometimes be somewhat uncomfortable (most people describe it as relieving pain). Please make sure to communicate with your therapist if the pressure they are using is becoming too uncomfortable or if you would like more pressure. Also, let your therapist know if they are doing something you are really enjoying or something you dislike. Everyone is different and not every technique feels good to every person. The best way to have an amazing massage to communicate with your Registered Massage Therapist!
Once the treatment is over the therapist will again leave the room giving you time to dress.
After Treatment:
Once the treatment is over and you are dressed, the therapist will instruct you on home care. This may just be the instruction to increase water intake for the day, as massage therapy can be dehydrating. It may also be teaching you different stretches or strengthening exercises. Hydrotherapy instructions may also be given, such as using heat/ice or an Epsom salts bath.
Depending on the patient, condition and how long they’ve been in pain, it may take more than one treatment to provide relief. Your Registered Massage Therapist will instruct you on the appropriate amount of time until your next treatment.
For the next day or two after a massage, some patients may notice some skin tenderness in the areas treated. Massage can cause some inflammation through the course of treatment. It may take up to 24 hours for the full effect of a massage to be felt.
If you would like to experience the therapeutic and relaxing benefits of massage therapy for the first time, please contact our Oakville clinic, located in beautiful Bronte Village, for more information.