What You Can Expect at Your First Massage Therapy Appointment
You finally caved in and booked yourself a massage: congratulations! Those that work in massage therapy are ones that usually get sore themselves, and know how to work with a client based off this. Choosing a massage therapist that listens to your needs and what your body needs signifies that they’re someone you want to continue using.
When you’re at your first visit, you should expect to fill out a form first to explain what the primary soreness concerns are within your body. Whether it’s in your arms and hands because of your job, or somewhere else like your back or your legs, you’ll want to put this down on the form and bring it to the attention of your massage therapist as they look over your information. When your therapist reads over your information, and they ask you what areas, confirm or reassure that it’s those areas, or correct them if they didn’t get the area right (which is rare, since it is on the form and all). If your therapist doesn’t address those areas, and doesn’t listen to you saying, “hey, please only work on these areas”, then you should consider redirecting their attention, or finding someone else when you leave the facility.
If you do not want a nightmare, make sure your massage therapist’s facility is following these protocols before and after your massage therapy treatment:
- Health history form – As we mentioned, you will be filling out a health history form. In filling this out, you will be able to tell the massage therapist what is and isn’t safe for you (if you’re allergic to specific essential oils), etc. Your therapist should also know if what your treatment goals are. Never hesitate to ask them to look over your form. You’re paying and they’re on your time, not the other way around.
- Ask the proper questions – You should never finish your session without asking questions. Make sure to ask them about goals with your pre-existing conditions, if any at all. Make sure the questions are specific and not generic, as not everyone’s body is the same. You should ask what makes your specific soreness worse or better, and discuss when it started or how it came it to be.
- Assessment of the situation – After the hard-hitting questions are asked, you should see that your therapist does a bit of an assessment. That’s why it’s better to book longer appointments, so the treatment can get started effectively after the assessment and you don’t have to feel like you were barely massaged.
Explanation of the treatment – Before getting on the table, your therapist should explain to you the type of treatment that is going to happen and why it’s going to happen. Then, you may find that they’ll tell you what’s causing this issue and what you can do to prevent this soreness from reoccurring.
