Before treatment

Make sure it is a good time for you to have a massage.

If you have cold/ flu symptoms or feeling unwell or any skin irritations (eg sunburn) please re-arrange your appointment. During the days before your massage, drink plenty of water and do not eat just before your massage. It’s important that you are relaxed for your treatment so give yourself enough time to arrive on time. If you are rushing and arrive stressed, it will take longer to get into a relaxed state.

If it is your first appointment time will be taken to complete a patient intake form. The form will ask for the following;
Contact Details
Health History
Area of concern
Your level of pain on good and bad days
What helps reduce the pain and what makes it worse

We may send the form out to by e-mail when you book in order that it is completed prior to your appointment.

What happens during treatment?
If it is your first appointment the therapist will review your intake form, medical history, occupational activity, recreational and sport activities and details of injury. It is very important that you are honest with the massage therapist about your health as massage can affect multiple body systems, such as the cardiovascular and nervous systems. You should also let the therapist know about any pharmaceutical drugs you are taking, because massage can enhance or reduce the effect of pharmaceutical drugs, such as blood pressure medication. Knowing your history allows a therapist to determine if there are any reasons you should avoid massage or a particular technique.

Let the therapist know what areas of your body you would like worked on, if there are any areas to avoid, and if you have any techniques that you would like to use or avoid. If you are concerned about undressing, discuss it with the therapist, who should be able to offer you some options. Don’t be afraid to discuss any apprehensions or concerns. All information you give is confidential.

For every session the massage therapist will ask you questions to better design a session that meets your needs and goals within the time allotted. The therapist will outline what will happen in the session and then leave the room so you can undress to your comfort level. When you are ready, lie down on the massage table and cover yourself with a towel on the table. The therapist will knock before re-entering.

The therapist will then conduct a full assessment, analysing posture, taking you through a range of tests which will involve range of motion and strength tests and we will use our hands to palpate around the area of discomfort feeing for abnormalities in muscle structure. This procedure is used to identify the source of the issue.

Following the assessment we will use a combination of different hands on techniques to treat the soft tissue and to restore and increase the range of movement in joints.

Is massage painful?
Based on the style of massage used and reasons for massage there can be some discomfort when having soft tissue massage; it is not entirely pain free, especially with injury treatment. However you should not be in huge amounts of pain crawling to get away from the therapists touch, treatment can be sensitive but not unbearable. Everyone has different tolerances to pain and we all react differently. The therapist will be sensitive with their touch and to encourage you to relax and they will regulate their techniques accordingly. The intensity of discomfort is controlled by you and the therapist communicating together, controlling breathing to relax you and your muscles in order to get the tissue to respond to the treatment.

What to wear during treatment
Underwear is to be worn and a professional massage therapist will never expose genitals or breasts, or any other areas you identify. Only the area the therapist is working on will be exposed, we use towels throughout the treatment to protect the patients modesty and comfort. It is important for the patient to feel very relaxed. If you feel more comfortable, wearing sports shorts thats fine however for ladies a sports bra/ gym top is not advisable. Remember that massage therapists are professionals who are sensitive to possible client issues with touch and are non-judgmental about your body weight, amount of hair, skin conditions, scars, disabilities, medical conditions, or personal history of trauma.

After The Massage

At the end of the massage, the therapist will leave the room so you can dress in private. Do not rush to leave the table its best to wait a few minutes, especially if you feel light-headed. Then take your time getting ready.

The therapist will offer you a glass of water. It is a good idea to drink water following massage to help the body flush waste products.

How you feel after the massage will vary based on the style of massage used, the length of the session, and the demands you place on your body afterward. Feelings range from being relaxed, or energised, to recognizing your true level of fatigue and wanting only to rest.

Clinical types of massage may leave the body free from chronic tightness or acute pain patterns, but may replace it with a mild soreness from the pressure applied. After this type of massage, we suggest you rest the area for a day or two and introduce light activity rather than jumping back into the activity that produced the soreness.

Realize that the benefits of massage tend to be cumulative, so typically, you will feel better as you get additional massages.