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It’s my first time ever getting a massage, what do I need to know?"I’m so glad you decided to give Massage Therapy a try! Although there is not much preparation on your end before coming in for a treatment, there are a few things you can keep in mind to make your experience better. 1. Arrive 5 minutes early to your first appointment. You should be able to complete your health history form online before your appointment. However, if you are unable to complete the form or need help completing the form, arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment. This will allow you to settle in and ask any questions you may have. 2. Make sure you’re hydrated and not too hungry nor full. If you are planning to have a back massage, your therapist will be applying downward pressure on your back with you facing down. Although a relaxing massage can improve and speed up digestion, it may feel uncomfortable to go in with a full stomach. 3. You will be asked to undress to your comfort level. Having direct contact on skin allows better glide of certain massage techniques. Since it is your first time having a massage, you may or may not feel comfortable undressing fully. Keep in mind that you will always be covered with a sheet or blanket and your therapist should only be uncovering the area to be worked on. If a sensitive area (breast, chest wall, glutes, inner thighs) is indicated for treatment, your therapist should inform you and obtain your consent before massaging these areas. You can also request your therapist to massage you over your clothes, but the experience will be slightly different. 4. Communication is key! Massage Therapists usually appreciate the feedback you give them. If the pressure is too much or too little, or if the technique is not comfortable for, feel free to let me know 5. If I do a good job, you may fall asleep or drift in and out, and you may even feel hungry. Your stomach might growl during treatment. This is due to the activation of your parasympathetic nervous system - meaning your body is resting and digesting from the treatment. This is very common and normal response when you relax, so don't feel embarassed! 6. You may feel sore or tired the next day. There’s not enough research for me to tell you exactly why this happens, but I personally believe that it’s because your body is adapting and adjusting to getting a massage. Every body reacts differently. Some patients feel the soreness no matter how light the pressure is, and some feel fine the next day after a deeper treatment. However, you should feel more relaxed once the soreness subsides. Check out the next question to learn more about what to expect on a typical first appointment.
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What should I expect on my first appointment?When you visit a new Massage Therapist for the first time, you are required to fill out a health history form. The purpose of completing this form accurately is so your therapist can obtain an accurate picture of your health status in order to provide you a safe and effective treatment. You should fill this form before the start of your appointment so your therapist would have enough time to review it thoroughly and not cut too much time from your hands-on treatment. Based on the information given on your health history form, the therapist will ask you a few questions related to your concerns and conduct assessments to determine the source of dysfunction. The therapist will then develop and explain the treatment plan to you and address any questions/concerns you may have. Once you are ready to start the treatment, the therapist will leave the room to wash their hands while you get undressed to your comfort level and lay between the sheets for treatment. During the treatment, depending on the techniques the therapist applies, you may feel pressure, movement, or a stretch in your soft tissues. You may experience slight sensations of pain before the tissue release but your pain level should NEVER exceed what you would normally feel with a stubbed toe. You should communicate any untolerable sense of discomfort or pain to your therapist. After the treatment, stay in the room but open the door slightly so that I knows that you’re ready for me to come in. I will ask a few follow up questions to see how you feel after the treatment and recommend a few exercises you can do at home to keep your tissues healthy. It is important for you to be honest with your feedback so I can make adjustments to your next treatment if necessary.
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How long should I book for my massage?Typical treatments range from 30 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on your needs. Generally, you can refer to the following guidelines: 30 min - Used for follow up treatments for 1 area of focus. Perfect for patients who want to get away for a moment from their busy lives 45 min - This length of treatment is used for a thorough follow up treatment for 1 main area of focus either in the upper body or lower body. 60 min - This is the standard treatment length for most appointments. Perfect for patients who want a general full body treatment with 1-2 areas of concern, or a detailed treatment for 1 area of concern. Recommended for patients who have not had massage therapy before or patients. 75 min - A great length of treatment with just enough time to go through the entire body thoroughly. Perfect for patients who have 2 areas of concerns. 90 min - A perfect length to get into a deep relaxation state of mind while allowing enough time to alleviate body aches and concerns throughout the entire body. Great for patients who have at least 2 areas of concerns. I recommend spending more time on the head, neck, and shoulders to unwind the nervous system for a full relaxation experience. **Note: Some add-ons to the treatment, such as a Peppermint Scalp Massage may extend the length of the treatment.
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How often should I come in for a treatment?It depends. Many patients come in once a month for general maintenance, and some try to coordinate with how much their health benefits allow. I’m a strong believer in listening to your body. If your soft tissues start to feel discomfort, tense, fatigue, or stress, that would be a good sign you’re due for a massage treatment. Please don’t wait until you’re in excruciating pain to seek help. Often, there are a lot of things a massage treatment can do to help prevent you from getting to the “excruciating pain” stage.
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When should I NOT come in for a massage?In general, you should not come in for a massage if you experience the following: Fever (oral temperature above 37.8*C) If you suspect to have an infectious disease (including a cold/flu) Uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure over 120/80) - If you have high blood pressure, I can measure your blood pressure before the treatment to ensure it is safe. Cancer (massage should be approved by your doctor before booking appointment) Blood clots/aneurysm (massage should be approved by your doctor before booking appointment) Liver or kidney conditions If you are unsure whether it is safe to come in for a massage, please consult your doctor before booking an appointment.
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What should I do after a treatment?It depends on the reason and time of day you have your massage, but regardless of when you get a massage, make sure to stay hydrated before and after the treatment. We will review this at the end of each treatment. For now, here are the generals: Morning - Getting a massage in the morning may help you alleviate the stiffness you feel as you wake up. You may feel more relaxed and productive for the rest of the day. If your intention is to relax the mind and body before the start of a busy day, all you have to do is carry on with your day and take it easy as much as you can. If you have time, you can throw in a nice warm/hot shower after the treatment. Evening - Many people book their massage appointment after work so they can relax and sleep better. In this case, you can take a warm/hot shower after the treatment and relax for the rest of the evening. Try to avoid any vigorous exercise for the day. If you are keen on moving after the treatment, I would suggest light stretches or yin/restorative yoga. Rehab - If you’re coming in for a massage to rehab an injury, then follow the protocols for your injury.
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What should I do to optimize the benefits of the massage treatment?Whenever a patient experience consistent progress in their health, I can only take half of the credit. I like to believe that a successful and effective treatment plan takes 2 to accomplish. Part of the success is from the treatment I provide, and the other part is up to you to maintain the health of your tissues. After each treatment, I like to take some time to check in to see how you feel after the massage. I will also recommend various stretches and exercises you can do at home to help maintain the benefits you received from the massage treatment.
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What is out of scope for a Massage Therapist?Massage Therapists only work with soft tissues and joints. It is out of our scope to do any joint mobilizations that’s above grade 5 (what chiropractors would do) or to provide advice outside the realm of soft tissue (ie, nutritional/psychotherapy advice just to name a few). If you do need help that is outside of the scope of my work, I will be glad to direct you to the right resources and professionals to help you out.
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How often do I need to update my health history form?You need to update your health history form every time there’s a change to your personal or health information. Otherwise, you will be asked to review your health history form and confirm that the information I have on file is accurate once a year.
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Do I really need to do an assessment before starting the treatment?Assessment is a very important part leading to an effective treatment plan. It allows the therapist to determine the actual source of dysfunction that’s causing your pain rather than just treating the symptoms. Doing assessments may cut 5-15 minutes into your treatment time depending on the severity of your concern, but your treatment will be more effective in the long run. I usually do many assessments as I’m treating on the table and palpate areas of dysfunction to save time, but there are a few assessments that I cannot accurately conduct without having you to stand or sit up. In this case, we will complete the assessment process before your treatment.
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What is considered an area of sensitivity? What are the steps a Massage Therapist should take to obtain consent before treating an area of sensitivity?According to the CMTO, the areas of sensitivities include: chest wall, breast tissue, glutes (buttocks), and inner thigh. Before assessing and treating these areas, the Massage Therapist will need an informed written and verbal consent from you, and the area(s) have to be indicated for treatment. Informed consent means that you clearly understand the purpose, risks, and benefits of the assessment/treatment; ability to request for modification; ability to stop the assessment/treatment; ability to withdraw consent; and given the opportunity to ask questions. The Massage Therapist needs to obtain informed consent for areas of sensitivities before every treatment.
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Should I tip my Massage Therapist?It makes me really happy to know that patients are satisfied and feeling good about their treatments. However, as a healthcare professional (similar to a dentist, chiropractor, physiotherapist, etc), paying a tip is not necessary nor expected. If you are happy with your treatment, the best way to support me would be to share your positive experience with your friends and family and stay connected.
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What is the best way to schedule an appointment?The best way to schedule an appointment is to book online. That way, you will be able to see all the available and open time slots that would work with your personal schedule. If you don’t have access to a computer or Internet, the second best way is to text me at 416-825-0029 with your name, email address, phone number, and time you would like to come. I am usually very responsive, but I like to leave my phone off/silent during treatments. I will try my best to respond within 1-2 hours.
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What if the time slot I want to book for is unavailable online?If a time slot you wish to book for appears to be unavailable online, please contact me by text or email and be sure to include your name, contact information, and time you want to book. I will see if I can open up my availability. I like to accommodate everyone the best that I can by opening up my availability throughout the day, but to ensure that I am performing at my best, I can only accommodate up to 5 massages a day, 6 if I am ambitious before tiring out. If we cannot find a time that works on a particular day, I will try my best to accommodate you for a different day.
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What should I do if I need to reschedule an appointment?You have up to 24 hours before the time of your appointment to reschedule or cancel the appointment to avoid paying a reschedule/cancellation fee. You can do this by simply going online and reschedule the appointment yourself, or you can text, email, or call in and we’ll reschedule it together. **IMPORTANT** If you reschedule or cancel an appointment with less than 24 hours notice before the time of your appointment, you will be charged the full amount of service. Please refer to the cancellation/reschedule policy
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What should I do if I cannot show up on the day of the appointment?I understand that life happens and events tend to happen unexpectedly. If you cannot show up on the day of your appointment due to an emergency or unforeseen event, please try your best to reach out to me by text, email, or phone and I assure you I will be reasonable. I usually would give you a call 10 minutes into your appointment if you haven’t arrived by then to make sure everything is okay, but please don’t ignore my calls. In the case that you do choose to not show up for your appointment and I cannot reach out to you in every possible way I can think of, you will be charged a No Show/Missed Appointment fee equivalent to the full price of the service you booked for. You will have to pay this fee before you can book for your next appointment. For more information, please refer to our cancellation/reschedule policy.
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What happens if I arrive late to the appointment?If you arrive late to an appointment, the time will cut into your treatment time and you will be charged the full amount for the service. For example, if you booked for a 60 minute treatment and were 10 minutes late, your treatment time will be 50 minutes but will be charged for the full 60 minute treatment. Please try your best to make it on time.
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Do you offer Direct Billing?Yes, I can directly bill your insurance company so you don't need to pay on the day of your appointment. Any remaining costs not covered by your insurance will be charged to your credit card on file. Please visit Telus E-Claims for a list of insurance companies eligible for direct billing. Direct billing is also available for Greenshield members. **IMPORTANT** In order to successfully and efficiently submit your claim, I will email you the consent form needed to submit the claim on your behalf. Please fill this out and return it to me before arriving to your appointment.
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What form of payment do you take?Cash, E-transfer, Interac, Visa, Mastercard, American Express
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Can you issue an insurance receipt for massage treatments?I sure can! A receipt for Massage Therapy treatments that are performed by a Registered Massage Therapist can be used for insurance purposes.
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Can you issue an insurance receipt for gift certificates?Unfortunately no. I can give you a receipt for a gift certificate purchase that would clearly state that the payment is made for a gift certificate purchase or that the service is redeemed with a gift certificate. However, you cannot submit the receipt for insurance purposes.
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Can you issue an insurance receipt for missed appointments?I can issue a receipt for the cancellation fee charged for missed appointments. However, the receipt will clearly state that it is for a missed appointment or late cancellation. In most cases, insurance companies will NOT cover the cost for missed appointments.
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I lost my receipt, can you reissue a past receipt?"For sure! If you lost a receipt, simply reach out to me and I can reissue a duplicate receipt. Please note that the receipt will clearly indicate that it is a duplicate receipt.
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Why do you need my credit card information? How safe is your billing system?I need to collect your credit card for direct billing purposes. In the event that your insurance company does not cover the cost of the full treatment, the uncovered costs will be charged to your credit card. Secondly, the credit card is used as an insurance in case of a no-show or late cancellation. As a reminder, if you do not arrive at your scheduled appointment or cancels the appointment without a 24-hour notice, you will be charged a cancellation fee. I use Noterro to book appointments and collect payments. The information collected is masked and protected; even I cannot see your credit card information. Your card will only be charged after a treatment, for direct billing purposes, or for cancellation fees.
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I want to buy a gift certificate, what should I do?"To purchase a gift certificate, you can email me at zoelucrmt@gmail.com with the amount you would like to purchase and the name of the person receiving your gift certificate. You may also purchase a gift certificate at your appointment, or give me a call/email if you need help.
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The FAQ did not answer the question(s) I had in mind, what should I do?"If you have a question that I did not cover on my website, feel free to reach out to me by text, phone, or email at 416-825-0029 or zoelucrmt@gmail.com
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