First Massage FAQ's

When should I not get a massage?
There are several contraindications for receiving a massage. If you have any of the following conditions, you should NOT get a massage:

. Fever
. Any type of infectious disease
. Systemic infections
. Severe cold
. Fracture, bleeding, burns or other acute injury
. Liver and kidney diseases
. Blood clot (unless you have a doctor's written permission)
. Pregnancy-induced diabetes, toxemia, preeclampsia/eclampsia
. High blood pressure (unless under control with medication)
. Heart disease
. Open skin lesions or sores (therapist may work around them if localized)

The guidelines here are pretty straightforward. You don't want the massage to make an underlying medical condition worse, and you don't want to pass anything contagious to the massage therapist. If you're unsure about whether a minor condition should prohibit you from getting a massage, call before your appointment. If you have a chronic medical condition, check with your doctor before proceeding on a course of massage therapy. For some illnesses, other bodywork modalities/techniques may work well.

This is my first massage. What can I expect when I arrive?

At your initial visit, you will be asked to fill out a client intake form. Please arrive 5- 10 minutes prior to your appointment time or download the form ahead of time in order to fill it out before your session to bring with you. The information on this form provides the massage therapist with your name, address, and phone number and a place to list any underlying medical conditions. The therapist should be aware of any of these. Even if you have an allergy to something in the oil the therapist uses, you should list this. You will be asked at any subsequent visits about any new medical or physical conditions. If you're not asked, volunteer that information if there is anything the therapist should know.

What if I'm overweight or embarrassed about my body?

You wouldn't believe how many times I've heard someone say they'd get a massage if they lost weight first or didn't have that cellulite on the back of their thighs. Don't let this stop you. You're denying yourself quite a pleasurable experience.
Massage therapists see bodies in every imaginable shape and size, from young to old, and they're not there trying to judge your physique or ogle your body. They're professionals who have found massage to be a wonderful gift to give to men and women alike, regardless of age and weight, and are proud of what they can offer to people in need of help or just wanting to enjoy the sense of touch.

What happens during a massage?

When you first arrive at the massage therapist's office or when they arrive at your home, you'll be asked to fill out a client intake form. This will give the therapist the personal information about you that will guide them to give you the style of massage most appropriate for you. Don't hesitate to ask questions about anything which you're unsure, or any concerns you might have. If you're expecting something in particular from the massage, make sure this is told to the therapist. For example, if you've been having a lot of tightness in your right shoulder, and you'd like some extra attention given to it, tell the therapist. If you prefer a lighter or deeper massage, make that preference known. The massage therapist will discover your tight and sore areas during the massage, and will prioritize the time spent on these areas, and may do less work on areas that don't need as much attention. Letting the therapist know ahead of time about these problem areas, lets them prepare to spend some extra time there.
Once you've finished with the intake, the massage therapist will give you some privacy to get undressed and get on the massage table. A drape, either a sheet or towel, should be provided. The therapist should have advised you to start the massage lying on your stomach or on your back.
Once you're undressed and under the drape, the therapist will come back into the room. For the most part, your work is done, and all you have to do is relax and enjoy. The therapist will undrape the section of the body that they will work on first, and apply a lubricant, either oil or lotion, to the skin.
When the therapist finishes with one area of the body, they will put the drape back over that part, and undrape the next section to be massaged. At some point, you may be asked to roll over under the drape, and the therapist will continue with the other side of the body. When the massage is over, you'll be left in private to get dressed again. If a towel was used for a drape, you can wipe off any excess oil with it. The therapist will return, and this is a good time to tell them how you feel, if you have any concerns, settle the bill, and make your next appointment.

What parts of my body will be massaged?

There are different reasons why some massage therapists skip different areas of the body. For some it may just allow them to concentrate on areas of the body that are typically the areas that need the most work. They would rather give fuller attention to these areas and not do areas that usually are not a problem for most people. If you would prefer these areas to receive some massage, you can ask the therapist to do so, and they may agree.Some therapists will ask you during the intake if you have any areas of your body that you would prefer not to be massaged.

Do I have to be completely undressed?

You should undress to your comfort level. The massage therapist will work around the clothes left on the best they can. You should realize that this may mean that certain areas of the body may not be massaged at all, or may only receive minimal work there. The pieces of clothing left on the most often are either panties or boxer shorts.

How often should I receive a massage?

The answer here depends on the reasons for receiving the massage. If a client comes for some injury relief, and to relieve chronic tightness that is interfering with their daily lives in some way, weekly sessions may be necessary for a while to build on each session's improvement in their relief and healing. For those who use massage as preventive care and managing the daily stress in their lives, once a month may work for them. I feel that a maximum of three weeks between massages works best for preventive care. For most people, the frequency of the massages they receive is limited by their pocketbook. Refer to my Standing Appointment Discount to see how I reward people for dedication to taking care of their bodies on a regular basis. It's an unfortunate fact, but once many people realize the benefits it provides them, and the pleasure they receive from it, they find a way to incorporate a regular session into their budget.

Will my massage hurt?

That depends on the type of massage and the depth of the strokes. A light massage that doesn't probe very deep into muscles shouldn't hurt. At the same time, the light massage won't be able to work out any stress that's deep within those muscles. A muscle that is relaxed will be supple and soft and won't hurt when rubbed. Muscles that are tight, and in many cases have been chronically tight for a long time, may have that "good hurt" feeling with a deeper massage. Think of that "good hurt" as the feeling you get when you stretch a sore muscle during exercise or a yawn. Muscles can be very sore from overuse or tightness, and that good hurt can become painful. A sharp pain may indicate a muscle that has been injured and has some sort of inflammation. In this case, you don't want the deep work to continue in this area. A deep massage with tight muscles may leave some residual soreness the next day.