Massage Therapy: What to Expect

Heal.me Team

On a mission to make wellness primary care.

February 22, 2021

Have you ever wondered what to expect when going to a massage therapy session? In this article, we are going to find out. So let's get started . . .

Massage Therapy: What to Expect

Knowing what to expect when trying a new holistic treatment option for back pain, can help prepare you for the experience. One way to do this is to learn about what massage treatment is like. There are two aspects of what you can look forward to while experiencing massage treatment -what happens on your first visit, and what happens on all the further occurring massage treatment sessions.

First Treatment

During the first massage treatment, your health history will be collected, and an interview will be conducted. Then, you will receive your first massage. The following is what to prepare for when it comes to those two first steps occurring.

Health history: The massage therapist will conduct a full health history. Depending on the location, it could either be collected through an in-person interview or paperwork filled out in the waiting room before your message.

Interview: Massage can have an impact on many of your body's systems. The interview between you and the massage therapist is meant to help establish an understanding of what medical conditions you live with, what reasons you have for seeking massage as a holistic treatment for back pain, the things that alleviate and increases your pain. The massage therapist will also want to know what medications and supplements you take, how much you partake in drinking alcohol, smoking, or other recreational drugs. All of these factors in the interview process lead to the massage therapist having an understanding of your needs. It helps answer the following three questions for the formation of your massage treatment plan:

Which massage techniques will best serve your needs?
Which massage techniques should be avoided?
Are there reasons why massage would not be the right holistic treatment option for you?

Massage: Receive your massage, relax, take in the experience. The massage therapist will use a drop, so only the area or areas they are working on is what is:

Follow Up Massage Sessions

As you go through your follow-up massage treatments, you will no longer need to do the interview process, or provide a health history. What is essential is to keep your massage therapist updated on any medication changes, and or changes in your health. Another crucial aspect of informing your massage therapist about is any injuries you may have experienced. If you recently bumped into something or fell and developed a bruise or cut; telling your massage therapist during a follow-up message is helpful for your massage therapist for when they do your massage session. Your massage therapist's goal is to help your body relax and alleviate your pain not add to it.