Frequently Asked Questions
What should be expected from the first visit?
Do I have to get completely undressed?
What do I need to do during a treatment?
Can someone come with me?
How long does a massage last?
Will the massage be painful?
How will I feel after the massage?
How often should I have a massage?
Can I make adjustments during the treatment?
What is a muscular knot?
Why do we get knots?
How do you get rid of knots?
What should be expected from the first visit?
You will be asked to fill in a simple health history form. After this, the therapist will ask you some questions to find out what you would like from the massage, and if massage is the right treatment for you. If massage is right for you, the therapist will then proceed with a treatment.
Do I have to get completely undressed?
You only need to get undressed to the point you feel comfortable. You will be left in privacy to get undressed and make yourself comfortable on the massage couch. There will be towels that will be used to cover the areas not being massaged.
What do I need to do during a treatment?
The main thing you need to do during a treatment is make yourself comfortable! The therapist may ask you to adjust your position occasionally so they can massage different parts of your body. If you need to change your position to make yourself more comfortable, go right ahead.
Can someone come with me?
Yes. There is a comfortable waiting room and also a spare comfortable chair in the therapy room. Please let the therapist know in advance if you would like someone to come with you, as they need to prepare the waiting room.
How long does a massage last?
A massage normally lasts one hour. To see the cost please see the “Price” page.
Will the massage be painful?
There are two types of pain in massage. There’s “that is deep but it feels good and it’s helping” and there’s “that really hurts – stop!”.
The massage therapist will massage to the point of relaxation or to relieve any tension or discomfort, but not beyond that.
How will I feel after the massage?
Most people have a sense of deep relaxation after a massage. This is often accompanied by a marked decrease or complete freedom from aches and pains that may have been troubling you for a long time. The treatment can lead to increased energy, more productivity and the ability to function on a higher level. Freedom from pain can make you feel stronger, more agile, more mentally alert, and better able to relate to friends and family on a deeper level.
How often should I have a massage?
Sometimes one massage is enough to resolve an issue. However, it can take longer: most problems that can be resolved through massage take 1-6 treatments, with 1-2 weeks between treatments.
If you want a regular treatment so that you feel better within yourself and problems do not occur, you should aim for at least one massage per month. Having a massage less frequently than this will be a treat, but will not be the preventative maintenance that many of us need. People who come regularly frequently comment on how areas of discomfort that flared up every so often do not do so anymore: they are in less pain and their life is better.
Can I make adjustments during the treatment?
Remember: this is your session. It is up to the massage therapist to adjust their treatment to your requirements, not the other way around.
If you want to adjust your position, please do so.
If you want anything adjusted, such as areas being worked on, the temperature of the room, how the towels are positioned – just ask.
The therapist wants it to be a comfortable, relaxing and enjoyable experience – you will not hurt their feelings by asking them for changes to make it a nicer experience.
Also, you may want something different from one treatment to another – for example, you may want your neck and back massaged in one treatment, and your lower back and legs treated the next time. This is perfectly OK – just let the therapist know
Always remember: this is your session.
What is a muscular knot?
Our muscles are layered and these layers cross each other at various angles, often with several layers of muscles on top of each other. You may find that at these crossings, rather than gliding past each other nicely as usual, muscles may become adhered or “stuck” to their surrounding structures, resulting in a crunchy, lumpy, hard and painful spot that can feel stuck and uncomfortable. The word “knot” is a misnomer, as muscles aren’t literally tangled up. An adhesion can start to limit your range of motion, making it harder to move or stretch in a certain direction, which is often uncomfortable and painful.
Why do we get knots?
Muscular knots occur for many reasons, but most commonly because of posture and sitting still (for example, in front of a computer or at a desk) for too long. When we don’t move around, we don’t allow proper blood flow – blood is important because it lubricates muscles, brings fresh oxygen and nutrients to them, and takes away the waste that accumulates over time. We aren’t meant to be sedentary – our bodies need movement and action to stay healthy. Another contributing factor to muscular knots is dehydration – muscles are a spongy tissue, and need to stay well hydrated to perform at their best. Coffee and alcohol are diuretics (they make you urinate): in order to stay well hydrated and in good shape, our bodies require water. Injuries can also contribute to muscular knots.
How do you get rid of knots?
Often a good way to treat knots is through massage therapy. When massaging, the therapist can gently work into the area surrounding the knot, but apply sustained pressure into the knot itself. You can often feel a sense of release as the therapist is massaging. This sense of releasing often continues after the massage, allowing the muscles to relax more and more.