What should I expect from my first massage?

By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB

Massage therapy is not supposed to be scary, however it can be quite intimidating to someone who has never received massage before. there are many reasons that you may not want to get a massage. It may be because you don’t know what to expect, or maybe you feel weird having someone touch you. Or you have had bad experiences in the past. I will try to answer some frequently asked questions here and help new(er) massage clients figure out what is going on.

Know first and foremost, massage therapy (in my opinion) is a conversation between the massage therapist and client. You are here because you have muscles that hurt, or you just want to relax a bit. I am here to help you in that process, whatever that may look like. It is different for each and every person I work on, and sometimes it differs with one person from day to day. Every session is unique onto itself.

The first thing I like to do when someone new comes to me is get to know them a bit better. Yes, there is usually a health history intake form. It allows me to be aware of things that I may not want to work on, or be cautious of (which I will address in another blog). I also like to find out what the persons goals are for the session (and I ask this at the beginning of every session). Because someone may just want a relaxing massage, or they may have something that they need worked out. This is also where I find out what you may or may not want massaged. If you can not stand having your little toe massaged, this is where you let me know so that I can avoid doing just that.

Next is the actual getting ready for the massage. The getting on the table phase is the part we’ve all been waiting for, right?! But what is appropriate for getting on the table? What do I leave on, what do I take off? Or what if you don’t feel comfortable with being undressed? There is one thing you do need to know. During your massage, you will be covered. We use what is called draping (not to be confused with the drapes you use on your windows, though it’s kind of the same thought process). We use sheets and blankets to cover you while you are on the table and only uncover the part of the body we are working on. If we are working on a left leg, that is all that is uncovered from under the blankets.

With that being said, if you do not feel comfortable unclothed, please feel free to keep your clothes on. Many people will leave undergarments on, as that still allows the therapist to get to all appropriate areas with ease and yet still allows the client to feel covered. Because we would rather have you clothed and comfortable rather than the opposite. Also know that your massage therapist will be leaving the room to allow you to undress and get on the table. There are things they also need to do to make sure they are fully ready to give you the best massage ever!

And once you are on the table, the relaxing can commence!! The space will be quite so that you can focus on decompressing and healing. If you choose to talk, that is up to you, but this is *your* time. I do encourage people to talk about one thing. Pressure being used. You are here to get what your body needs to relax. Pressure used is a very subjective thing, and everyone feels pressure differently. Feel free to read my blog about pressure. Getting the right pressure requires discourse between client and therapist, because the therapist can’t read your mind if the pressure is correct for you or not.

After your massage is finished, your therapist will leave the room to allow you to get off the table and get dressed. We will typically make sure you are feeling good after your massage, and inform you on the benefits of drinking lots of water for the day.

“What about tips?”, you may ask. There are some places that don’t allow your therapist to accept tips. You may ask them if you want to tip them. Tipping is left to your discretion.

At the end of it all, it is your day to enjoy. I hope I have been able to answer some questions, or alleviate fears. If you have any other questions, do feel free to ask. Because knowledge is empowerment.