Make the most of Your Massage Treatment
Whether or not you’re a newbie towards the therapeutic massage world, or a veteran, learning how to get the most from your massage therapy treatments may also be a bit of a mystery. Like a masseuse at a busy sports & physiotherapy clinic, and a therapeutic massage patient myself, here are my tips for obtaining the most out of your treatment.
1. Depending on the reasons you are going for treatment, be discerning in your choice of facility. If you are planning for any relaxation treatment it is going to be a bit easier to find a suitable therapist and facility than if you are going for an injury related treatment. Person to person is a great method of getting were only available in your search.
2. When you have made your appointment, make sure to arrive early, especially if you have to complete a health history form. This ensures that you are relaxed, and that you are ready at your appointment time. (this demonstrates respect for your therapists time, something which we appreciate.)
3. Complete your wellbeing history accurately. Whether you believe something is pertinent, your therapist must know in order to provide a safe and effective treatment. This includes past surgeries and accidents, and past or present diagnosis. She or he can’t be sure that your safety if the information you’ve found here is inaccurate, incomplete or misrepresented. And, on a legal note, she or he can’t be held liable if you have withheld or misrepresented your health information.
4. Don’t eat a sizable meal within 1-2 hours before getting cure – the body is busy digesting, and honestly, it’s just plain uncomfortable to lie on the full stomach.
5. Empty your bladder before your treatment time. Think of it this way – maybe you have attempted to sit through an extended movie when you really have to go? Exactly, except it feels 10x worse when you’re laying on the full bladder. (believe me!)
6. Talk with your therapist. If you are nervous or want to ask a question, it is your to express how you’re feeling. The same goes for the comfort level during the treatment. Personally, I want to know if there can be potential issues in order to preempt any confusion and establish a therapeutic relationship of trust and respect.
7. Let your therapist know if you want to talk or otherwise. I generally have a client’s lead – if they speaks to me, i quickly respond; if not, then I keep quiet except for asking about comfort levels. If you find that your therapist is chatty, but you want to “zone out”, tell them so.
8. Realize that if you’re receiving treatment for any specific condition, compliance is essential with treatment plans, home care and remedial exercise. Since massage therapy is a passive therapy, it is simply about 20% of the process of recovery from injury or conditions. Follow therapeutic recommendations and you’ll prolong the results of treatment and improve a lot more quickly.