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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.