There are several contraindications for receiving a massage. If you have any of the following conditions, you should not get a massage:

• Fever
• Any type of infectious disease
• Systemic infections
• Severe cold
• Fracture, bleeding, burns or other acute injury
• Blood clot
• Pregnancy-induced diabetes, toxemia, pre-eclampsia/eclampsia
• High blood pressure (unless under control with medication)
• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Open skin lesions or sores (therapist may work around them if localized)
• Prohibited by a physician

The guidelines here are pretty straightforward. You don't want the massage to make an underlying medical condition worse, and you don't want to pass anything contagious to the massage therapist. If you're unsure about whether a minor condition should prohibit you from getting a massage, call your therapist before your appointment. If you have a chronic medical condition, check with your doctor before proceeding on a course of massage therapy. For some illnesses, other bodywork modalities may work well.

I've scheduled a massage, now what should I expect?

At your initial visit, you will be asked to fill out a client intake form. It has a place to list any underlying medical conditions. The therapist should be aware of any of these. Even if you have an allergy to something in the oil the therapist uses, you should list this. You should be asked at any subsequent visits about any new medical or physical conditions. If you're not asked, volunteer that information if there is anything the therapist should know.

After the form is completed, you will be escorted to a private treatment room where your therapist will examine you for the root cause of your disorder by examining the tissues around the discomfort, and examining muscles nearby that might be implicated. Then, your therapist will look at your overall structure to see if other imbalances exist that contribute to your condition.

Finally, your massage therapist will use myofascial release, trigger point therapy, muscle stripping, manual lymphatic drain, neuromuscular realignment and other techniques to address your condition.

How many visits should it take?

Usually, four to ten visits is enough to correct the disorder. You should see vast improvements at the end of your first visit. There are two exceptions to this: 1) If your condition is caused by habitual poor posture, then a few more treatments may be needed. 2) Your condition is something other than a soft tissue disorder such as a misaligned joint. If this is the case, massage may still help significantly, and you will be referred to a trusted specialist.

What is not included in a therapeutic massage?

Sex or sensual massage is not a part of our office practice.

How much will a massage cost?