What to Expect From Your First Professional Massage

You may have been referred by a friend, doctor or colleague. Whichever the case,you have scheduled your first massage appointment and you are feeling a little uneasy. It may feel a little intimidating not knowing what to expect, thinking about a stranger massaging you. Let me assure you as long as you have made your appointment with a professional licensed massage therapist you are in good hands (no pun intended).

Fully trained massage therapists from an accredited school are well trained in all aspects of massage as well as anatomy & physiology, kineseology, and pathology. They have been through their state and national board tests, and have learned in-depth the different muscle groups of the human body, and how each of those muscles work and how to treat sore and aching muscles. They are caring individuals who have chosen this profession to help people with relaxation or recovery from an injury and have worked hard to get where they are today. You will not be disappointed by the professionalism that they portray.

Your Appointment;

Your first time you may be asked to come to the appointment a little early so that you may fill out a medical history form. It is extremely important to list all medications and injuries on your form, this will assist the therapist in coming up with a treatment plan that best fits your needs. Medications that you are taking may necessitate the modifications to the treatment plan, for example if you are taking a muscle relaxant this can alter the stretch response of your muscles. Therefore the therapist would devise a treatment plan according to this and deep massage techniques, extreme stretches and full body hydro-therapy applications would be omitted from your massage at this time. Each time you come to your appointments you will be asked if there are any changes to your medications or any new injuries or ailments you may be experiencing.

The Massage;

You will be warmly greeted by your therapist and taken to a private, quiet and peaceful room with a massage table. Here the therapist will advise you step by step on what to expect from your massage. By this time the therapist after reviewing your medical history form will go over a treatment plan with you. You will undress to your comfort level (while the therapist leaves the room) and get onto the table under the sheets and blankets. If for any reason you can not get onto the table by your self the therapist will have made arrangements to assist you. While you are lying on the massage table and covered with the sheets and/or blankets the therapist will knock before coming back into the room and the massage will get started. You will be covered at all times, except for the area the therapist is working on at the time. If at anytime you feel uncomfortable for any reason, be it that you are too cold, or too hot, or the pressure of the touch may be too deep and you feel pain, let the massage therapist know so that they can change the conditions to make you feel comfortable. Remember to take a deep breath and relax.

After The Massage;

The therapist will let you know when the massage is over, by this time you may be in a very relaxed state of mind or even into a lower level of conciseness. Your therapist will then leave the room after advising you to take your time getting off the table, if you get up to fast you may feel light headed or a bit dizzy. You will then get dressed and open the door to let the therapist know that you are clothed. Your therapist will then come back into the room to go over any findings and future treatment plans and to get your feedback as to what was beneficial for you as well scheduling any future sessions. By now you are most likely glad that you made that first appointment and are feeling very relaxed and ready to schedule your next massage.