Please arrive 5-10 minutes early for your first appointment to fill out a medical history form. You and your therapist will review this along with your goals, then move forward with the therapy session. Please refrain from smoking for at least 45 minutes prior to your treatment, and don’t wear heavily scented perfumes or lotions.

Typically you do not have to ask your doctor first. However, it is advised if you are concerned, or if you are currently under his/her care for a particular issue. Depending on your health history, the therapist may ask you to obtain a doctor’s approval for massage. Unfortunately many doctors are still unaware of the benefits and techniques of massage therapy.

There are some conditions for which massage is not appropriate. The most straightforward is if you have a contagious disease that can be spread though the air, or a skin condition that can be spread by contact such as poison ivy. If you are under a doctor’s care, have had recent surgery or an accident, or have a history of cardiac or circulatory issues you should discuss these with your therapist before your appointment.

There is nothing particular to wear for your appointment. Some people bring comfortable clothes for afterwards. The treatment table will have a sheet and blanket, which you will lie under. You will be given privacy to undress to the point you are comfortable and get under the draping provided. Most clients either fully undress or leave their lower underwear on. During the session each area is uncovered as it is worked, but private areas are neither exposed nor worked.

Yes you can. This would be a regional massage instead of a full massage. A typical full massage includes the scalp, face, neck, upper chest, abdomen, arms, hands, legs, feet, back, and hips. You can ask your therapist to tailor the treatment to include or exclude areas. If your treatment is to relieve a chronic issue such as your back, the therapist may suggest a treatment targeting regions associated with that pain.

A massage should not be painful. Sometimes when working on an injury or chronic area there may be discomfort. The therapist will establish a scale in order to communicate with you and understand how uncomfortable areas are. This way she can adjust to stay in an easily tolerated level. “No pain-no gain” does NOT apply to massage therapy.

My usual answer to this question is three treatments. You may not be completely rid of the problem, but in three treatments of working together you should notice improvement. I also work with you to determine aggravating factors and suggest how you can change or work around them – such as getting a headset to avoid straining your neck while talking on the phone.

Everyone responds differently to massage. Immediately following a massage you may feel relaxed, calm, tired, or reenergized. For 24 hours after a massage it is good to drink more water to continue flushing the system of any metabolic waste released from
the tissues. It is not a good idea to do strenuous activity or workout right after a massage.

Yes. The office is handicap accessible. It is best to discuss your situation before your treatment, so further accommodations can be made if necessary. In some cases the client transfers to the massage therapy table, and in other cases the work is done in the wheelchair.