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questions and answers before massage therapy

What You Need to Know Before Your First Massage

Your Most “Pressing” Massage Therapy Questions, Answered!

Making an appointment for a therapeutic massage treatment from a professional RMT is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. Massage therapy has proven benefits for your physical and mental health. If you’ve never had a professional massage before, though, it can also be a daunting prospect!  

To help you prepare for your first massage—or maybe give you the confidence boost you need to pick up the phone and make an appointment—we’ve created this cheat sheet. It’s based on some of the most frequently asked questions that we receive from new clients at our student massage clinics in Edmonton and Calgary.   

How long is a massage? How much time will the appointment take?

Most massage therapy treatments are 60 minutes, though some RMTs will offer 30-minute, 45-minute, or 90-minute treatments.  

But regardless of the treatment length, the actual appointment will take longer than that. That’s because there’s more to a massage therapy appointment than just the time you spend on the table.  

The steps of a typical therapeutic massage appointment are: 

  • Filling out a health history form and any other new-client paperwork 
  • Interview and assessment. Before you get on the table, your massage therapist should check in with you about your goals for the session, review your health history, and discuss their treatment plan, and get your consent for the massage. Depending on your needs, they may perform a non-invasive physical assessment. They might assess your posture or gait, test your range of motion, or palpate (gently touch) parts of your body.  
  • The massage itself. The best part!  
  • Homecare consultation. After you’ve gotten dressed and are off the table, your RMT will give you personalized advice on how to maintain the benefits of your treatment. They may show you some stretches or simple exercises, or even self-massage techniques that you can use at home.  
  • Payment and rebooking.  

 To help you plan out your day, ask about the length of the appointment when you’re booking.  

Can I keep my clothes on during the massage?

If you want to!  

Before you get on the table, your massage therapist will explain what areas of your body they’re going to treat that day. They will ask you to undress to your level of comfort, and then leave the room while you undress and get under the sheet or blanket. Most people take off all their clothes, or leave on only underwear, but it’s up to you. It’s your massage! 

Of course, any clothes you’re wearing will impact your massage experience. Your massage therapist may not be able to perform some techniques through fabric, or the techniques may not be as effective.  

If you plan to leave your clothes on over an area of your body that is going to be massaged, it’s a good idea to mention this to your RMT during the interview. That will allow them to adapt their treatment plan to meet your needs.  

Please keep in mind that any clothes that you wear during the massage may come in contact with the massage lotion, oil, or gel that your RMT is using. These products can also transfer to your other clothes when you get dressed after the massage, so it’s best to wear casual, machine-washable clothes to your appointment.  

Will my body be covered during the massage?

Yes! When you are on the massage table, you will stay covered by a sheet, towel, or blanket. Your RMT will only uncover the area of the body that they’re currently working on. The rest of your body will remain securely covered. Extra care is taken to shield your body when you turn over, and when draping around sensitive areas like your glutes, chest, and abdomen. 

If you get cold during your massage, mention this your therapist. They can provide extra blankets or even give you a heating pad.  

How do I choose a massage therapist in my community?

There are lots of great massage therapists out there but finding the right RMT for you takes more than a quick Google search.  

It’s worth taking a few minutes to do some simple research before you book an appointment with a professional massage therapist. Start by thinking about what your goals are for the massage. Do you want a relaxation massage, or are you looking for a treatment that will target a specific issue like TMJD, back pain, scoliosis, or arthritis? Do you want to combine your massage treatment with other therapeutic modalities like cupping or manual lymphatic drainage? What’s your budget? Do you have insurance coverage? 

Once you have a little bit more of an idea of what you’re looking for, it’s time to start your search.  

The best way to find the right RMT for you is to ask around! Ask your friends and family if they have a therapist they like (and why). Other health care professionals can also be great sources of recommendations. Many physiotherapists, chiropractors, and even family doctors have a list of RMTs and clinics that they regularly refer their patients to.  

You can also search the therapist directories of your province’s professional associations or regulatory college, such as the MTAA and NHPC in Alberta, and the CMTBC in British Columbia. These directories usually let you search by name or location, which is very convenient.  

It’s important that any massage therapist you visit is qualified and licensed or registered in your province, and checking with a provincial college or association is a good way to make sure your RMT meets the minimum training standards required where you live.  

If you live in Alberta, Saskatchewan, or another province where massage therapy (and massage therapy education) aren’t standardized and regulated by the government, it’s important to ask your RMT where they went to school.  

Of course, we recommend finding a Vicars therapist! But if you’re not lucky enough to have one of our grads in your community (or if they’re simply too busy to take on new clients), try to find an RMT who was trained at a CMTCA Accredited program, or a college on the MTAA Approved Schools list.  

If you live in Calgary or Edmonton, give one of our teaching clinics a try!  Your therapist will be a first- or second-year massage student, and there is a Vicars faculty supervisor there to support them. Some of our regular clients visit our clinic in between appointments with their fully trained RMT, but the student clinics are also a great way for beginners to give massage a try for a lower price than a traditional clinic.  

 

Wherever you go, we hope you enjoy your massage—we’re sure it will be the first of many! 

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a career in massage therapy
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Massage Therapist Dress Code

What Do Massage Therapists Wear? 

There are lots of wonderful things about being a massage therapist. Some of them are big and obvious: helping people heal, being your own boss, building strong therapeutic relationships with regular clients…the list goes on. And some of them are smaller, but no less satisfying. One of those little perks of the job that is sometimes underrated: the uniform is so darn comfortable! 

Massage therapy is a physical profession, and a massage therapist’s wardrobe needs to be up to the task. RMTs need their clothes to meet a range of practical demands. So what is the work attire for a massage therapist? 

There isn’t a universal uniform that all massage therapists wear, of course. Therapists choose their clothing based on their clinic environment, their personal preferences, and other factors. 

But regardless of where a massage therapist works, there are some general principles that they all follow. In this blog post, we’ll give a general introduction to standard clothing, shoes, personal presentation, and PPE for massage therapists. 

RMTs dress for success (and comfort, and hygiene, and flexibility…) 

When it comes to clothing, the number one priority for massage therapists is always practicality. Everything that they wear is chosen because it will help them perform their jobs effectively, safely, and comfortably. 

A massage therapist’s work outfit must meet all the following criteria: 

  • Allow a full range of movement of your entire body. 
  • Fit loosely, but not so loosely that they will accidentally touch a client while they’re working. 
  • Sleeves shouldn’t reach past the elbow. 
  • Fabrics should be breathable and suitable for the clinic conditions. Treatment rooms are kept at a comfortable temperature for the client, who is partially undressed and not moving. The therapist is moving and working hard, so light fabrics are best.. Some therapists will wear sweatbands on their foreheads! 
  • Everything needs to be machine-washable (including hot water washing). 
  • No jewelry that’s going to come in contact with the client. . This obviously means rings and bracelets, but includes long necklaces that can get in the way when you’re leaning close to your client. 
  • Long hair should be pulled back away so that it’s not in your face, and so there’s no chance it will touch your client. 
  • Fingernails must be kept extremely short with no nail polish, gel, or acrylics. This is for the sake of hygiene. 

For most RMTs, the simplest way to tick all these boxes is to wear scrubs, or a scrub top with comfortable pants. Scrubs look professional, and are well-cut, light, and hold up well to frequent washing. There’s good news for those who want a hint of fashion along with their function, too. Scrubs have come a long way in the last few years, and there are lots of flattering styles, colours, and patterns available. 

Put your best foot forward 

A lot of people are drawn to massage therapy precisely because it’s not a desk job and they get to be up and moving all day. But being on your feet stops being fun when those feet start to hurt! Choosing comfortable, well-fitting footwear is a wise investment IN.Massage therapists wear flats that provide plenty of support and cushioning for their feet. Cushioning is especially important for therapists who work in treatment spaces with hard flooring like laminate, linoleum, and tile. 

Safety first: Personal protective equipment for RMTs 

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, massage therapists around the world have focused on keeping themselves and their clients safe, following the public health rules set by governments and professional organizations. This has included increasing the amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) that they wear while at work. 

The use of PPE like masks and gloves isn’t new to massage, though. There are some techniques and circumstances that require special equipment to keep both the massage therapist and their client safe. 

Take TMJD massage, for instance. Temporomandibular joint disorders are a group of conditions that can cause jaw pain and tightness, headaches, difficulty opening the mouth all the way, and noise when the jaw moves. It’s usually caused by muscle tension in the face, jaw, and neck as a result of stress, trauma, or postural dysfunction. Massage can be an extremely effective treatment for TMJD. Therapists use both extra-oral and intra-oral techniques. Extra-oral means outside of the mouth: the RMT massages the neck, face, and head. Intra-oral means inside the mouth: the RMT massages the muscles of the cheek and jaw from inside the client’s mouth. Massage therapists always wear disposable gloves when doing intra-oral work. 

One more thing while we’re on the topic of COVID-19 precautions: most Canadian jurisdictions are beginning to loosen the public health restrictions that they created to fight the pandemic, including rules for massage therapy clinics. This is a welcome development because it’s a sign that all our sacrifices and hard work (and the time spent in line for the vaccine) are paying off! But as we all know, we’re not out of the woods yet. So though many mandatory restrictions have been lifted, a lot of massage therapists are choosing to keep some of their COVID-19 rules in place for now. Some clinics are still asking their clients to wear masks, and many are still wearing masks themselves. This is because many people who rely on massage as part of their health care routine are in higher-risk groups. By keeping some rules in place temporarily, therapists make sure that their clinic remains a safe space for their most vulnerable clients. When you book your next massage, make sure you double-check their latest clinic policies so you know what to expect! 

What do Vicars students wear? 

At MH Vicars School, we have a dress code that our students follow whenever they’re in class, at the clinic, or representing the school at an outreach event. Our students spend most of their time on campus doing hands-on work, so in order to be an effective student, they need to be dressed for the job. 

The school dress code is a scrub top and plain loose-fitting scrub pants or athletic pants. Sweatpants and leggings are not permitted. Scrub tops may be any colour, pattern, or style, as long as they are clean and massage-appropriate. Midriffs and shoulders must stay covered;
the scrubs should fit loosely to allow full range of movement in class. Students wear cloed-toe shoes  

Our dress code for class and clinics is very simple. Students, and many instructors, wear scrub tops and plain loose-fitting scrub bottoms or athletic pants. They wear flat, indoor-only supportive shoes, usually sneakers. 

A career as rewarding as scrubs are comfortable 

At MH Vicars School, you will develop the skills you need for a successful career as a massage therapist. Blended learning allows you to combine hands-on training with flexible at-home work. For more information about our exciting program, call our friendly admissions team toll-free at 1-866-491-0574 today or attend an online open house! 

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