When you come in for your first massage therapy appointment at KW massage a few things need to be done in preparation for your massage therapy treatment.

I have a health history form that you will need to fill out before we get started (I recommend showing up 10min early to fill this out). You can also print the Health History Form hear and bring it in completed. This gives me a general overview of your state of health so that we can be sure there is no risk to the treatment plan I create for you. Once I have gone over your treatment plane we will have a short discussion about what it is you want me to treat. I try not to take up more than a few minutes with this stage but it is important for me to have a clear picture of what we will be working on before we get started. I commonly ask questions like, where does it heart, what does the pain feel like, what sort of things aggravate the injury and was there and accident to create the injury. Sometimes I will want to have a closer look at your posture (they way you stand) or maybe I will want to do some range of motion testing. These tests will allow me to zone in on the source of your problem. Often, I don’t want to do any of these test, I find I can get the same information while you are on the table by making the testing and treating procedure one and the same

After I get a general idea of what it is I’m going to work on its time to get started. While I go wash my hands it’s your chance to get ready for your treatment. You will always have the final say regarding how you get ready and what clothes you are comfortable taking off. Most of my clients are comfortable removing all their clothing but their underpants knowing that I will always make sure there are always covered discreetly with a sheet. I only expose one part of your body at a time and only that body part I will be working on.
During your massage treatment I will be using an assortment of different massage techniques. Some of these can be relaxing and others can be kind-of tender. Under most cases I feel a little pain is necessary to get the results you are looking for from a massage therapy treatment. This being said it’s very important for you to be clear about you comfort level. On a scale of 1-10, discomfort up to a maximum of 7 is appropriate but any more than that won’t bring you ant more benefit. Just let me know how you’re doing. Some areas more sensitive than others it’s, ok to ask me to adjust my pressure and technique more than once.
During your massage treatment I will try to spark up a conversation. Not only does this allow us to become better acquainted, I also find that a light conversation helps distract you from when I find a sore spot like a Trigger Point or Scar Tissue. This distraction technique allows you to stay relaxed, helps keep your muscles from pushing back against me working and overall reduces the pain. I often try to direct conversation to subjects that might give me clues or hints about what is creating your pain or discomfort. Topics like your work, the kind of car you drive or sports or athletics you are involved often give me lots of information about you posture, repetitive movements you often do or strength or flexibility issues.

When your treatment is through, I will let you know, then go wash my hands again (I do this a lot). This gives you time to get up, get dressed and come out to see me. If during your treatment we discussed any exercises, stretches or heat/cold treatments for you do at home this is when I will go over that in more detail.

After the massage treatment it is also time to handle the payment and rebooking. I don’t have credit or debit machines so cash payment is necessary. Its $80 for an hour massage treatment and $50 for a half an hour massage treatment. If you have extended health care benefits, on my receipt you will find my registration number as a registered massage therapist.  When you send your receipt to your health care company for reimbursement this registration is what they are looking for before approval.