The first treatment
Q. Is massage suitable for me?
A. Most people would greatly benefit from a massage, but there are some medical conditions for which massage is not suitable. In order to ascertain that it is safe for you to have a massage, I will take a detailed medical and lifestyle history from you. This will also enable me to ensure the treatment is specific to your needs. Of course you are always welcome to contact me for a chat before booking a massage, if you would like further information.
Q. Is there anything I should know before coming for my first massage session?
A. These are a few guidelines: don’t eat a heavy meal before the treatment, wear comfortable underwear, drink plenty of water after your treatment, leave plenty of time either side of your appointment so you can relax, and above all enjoy!
Q. I have booked a one hour massage, how long will the whole session take?
A. If you have booked a one hour session, give yourself aproximately 70 minutes in total, to enable a consultation and dressing time.
Q. Can I have a massage treatment if I feel ill or have a cold?
A. No
This is because your symptoms may intensify making you feel worse. There is also a good chance the virus may spread to my other clients (and me).
The best thing to do if you have a cold or any sickness is let me know as early as possible, stay at home and relax. You can always re-book when you feel better.
Q. What sort of clothes should I wear when I come for my massage treatment?
A. Unless you are coming for a sports massage it doesn’t really matter. You will undress to your underwear but will be covered by towels at all times, and only the part of your body worked on at the time will be uncovered to protect your modesty. Good towel management will ensure that you feel safe, warm and comfortable at all times.
If you are coming for sports/remedial massage, please bring a pair of loose fitting shorts if you have any.
Q. What happens during the treatment?
A. After the consultation, you will undress and lie on the couch (covered with a towel). I will start by warming up your muscles with some gentle massage. If you are having a deep tissue or sports massage this will then be followed by deeper work. I may ask you to change your position and lie on your back, front or side to help with the treatment.
If you are having a soothing Swedish massage or LaStone treatment, you only need to lie down, relax and enjoy!
Some clients like to talk during the treatment. That is absolutely fine with me and I may ask you questions throughout the massage. Equally you may prefer to switch off, enjoy the silence or some music, and simply relax.
If you feel that you need more pressure or less pressure, or there is an area where you would like more work, please say so. I will always appreciate your feedback!
What can massage help?
Q. I suffer from frequent headaches. Can massage help?
A. There are many different possible causes for headaches. One of the most common causes is tension on the muscles at the back of the neck and the base of the skull. These are called cervical or tension headaches and they are often associated with neck pain and stiffness. If you are suffering from these type of headaches, remedial deep tissue massage could really help.
Q. I am going through a very stressful time at the moment. How is massage going to help?
A. Massage stimulates the part of the nervous system that needs to be activated for us to be relaxed (parasympathetic nervous system). Receiving regular massage treatments will “wake up” the relaxation processes and “remind” our nervous system that it doesn’t need to be in state of constant alert.
Q. I have lower back / sciatic pain. Will massage help?
A. Sciatica can have many different causes. If the cause is related to soft tissue (i.e piriformis syndrome), sciatica may be greatly improved with deep tissue remedial massage. Although I haven’t been able to help every single client presenting with sciatica, I have been able to help in most cases, so it is always worth giving it a try. If after a couple of treatments you don’t feel any better I will suggest another form of therapy for you to try eg osteopathy or physiotherapy, or suggest you get medical referral.
If you are in any sort of muscular pain, massage can help. It is especially good for neck, shoulder and back pain.
After your treatment
Q. Is there anything I should or shouldn’t do after my treatment?
A . DO drink more water than you are used to after the session.
DO try to relax to enable the muscles to fully benefit from the treatment.
DONT exercise for several hours afterwards and if possible leave exercise until the following day.
You may feel a little light- headed at first, so walk around for a few minutes before you start driving.
Massage will encourage your system to go into recovery mode so you may feel a bit tired and lethargic straight after the treatment, but this should pass quite quickly, leaving you nicely relaxed!
It is possible that you feel a bit of soreness the following day in the areas that have been worked on. Don’t worry about it. It won’t last for long and sometimes things get a bit worse before they get better. I will always contact you after your first treatment to see how you are feeling.
Frequency of treatments
Q. How often should I have a massage treatment?
A. That depends on what you want to achieve. In general, if you are happy with how your body feels and you just want to receive regular sessions for maintenance, I advise once a month.
If you are a very sporty person, it would be better to come more often to condition your musculo skeletal system, so that you can prevent injuries and optimise performance.
If you are treating an injury or specific problem, the best course to follow, is to have a few treatments close together (once a week for 2 or 3 weeks) and afterwards, when you start getting better, you can start coming less often.
As a rule of thumb, it is always best to come for a session before you have any pain or injury.
Prevention is better (and more cost effective) than cure!
