What To Expect For Your First Massage 

No matter how popular massage has become over the last decade, many people have yet to experience massage therapy and what it has to offer. We often have clients that truly and honestly don’t know what to expect during their first massage and don’t always know what to do…and that’s ok. We are here to help guide you through the process—and trust me, it’s a painless process…well, unless you want some deeper work, then you might endure some discomfort.

Scheduling a Massage

So how do you even make an appointment?!?! You can either call/text us at our office number (919-548-8459), or you can schedule online at our website: https://functionalbt.wpengine.com/booking.

If you’d like to know a little more about the services we offer before you make an appointment, you can also visit https://functionalbt.wpengine.com/services.

Booked My Massage, Now What?

Massage Intake Form

When initially scheduling your appointment at Functional Bodywork Therapy, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a link to our Health Intake Form. This form HAS to be filled out prior to an appointment. I know, I know. It’s not fun to fill these out, but we are required by the Licensing Board to gather this paperwork. In addition, we need to know your medical background, as some pre-existing medical conditions make massage a bad idea. There are also instances where we might need to do different types of positioning, etc., so we need to know this ahead of time to prepare the room. Lastly, if we feel you will need clearance from a medical doctor before proceeding with the massage, we will ask that you bring a doctor’s note.

Arriving for Your Massage Appointment

Alright, so you’ve made an appointment, filled out your intake form, and drove to our office…what now?!?! Well, in the wonderful world of COVID-19, we’ve had to change things up a bit on how and when our clients enter the building. You are asked to wait in your vehicle until your therapist sends you a text message or calls you to invite you into the building. At this point, the therapist will either meet you in the lobby or out in the hallway to take your temperature. As long as your temperature checks out, you are granted entry into the treatment room.

Once in the treatment room, we will start the session by reviewing your intake form and discussing your concerns and goals for the session. The therapist will let you know what they will focus on and why during the session to reassure and educate you. Many are not aware that the area the pain is coming from is not necessarily the area that is causing the pain, so we might work in areas that are not local to the area of pain. During this conversation, we will review tools or techniques that we may or may not use and their effects on the tissues, as well as discuss pressure during the treatment. After the discussion, the fun stuff begins.

New clients often ask us how they should dress, what they should or should not take off, etc. And our answer is always, “Whatever you are most comfortable with!” If we are working mostly upper body, it is easier if everything is taken off; however, this is your massage, and we want you to be comfortable. We will always let you know if you’ll start face up or down under the sheet, so you can undress to your comfort level. At this point, we step out of the room to wash our hands while you undress and get set up on the table for the session. After a few minutes, we will always knock on the door before entering the treatment room to ensure you’re ready for us to come in and begin the treatment.

During the session, we will check in with you about the pressure of the massage to make sure nothing is too intense or too light. Your areas of concern will be addressed during the session to help achieve your treatment goals. We ensure that all intimate areas of the body are covered at all times, and we will drape the body accordingly based on what body part we are currently working on. Communication during a massage is a BIG DEAL! If we are not made aware that you are uncomfortable or unsatisfied for any reason, then we are unable to adjust and make changes. Please ALWAYS communicate with your therapist! It doesn’t hurt our feelings if you ask us to change something; this is your session!

At the close of your session, you can take your time getting up and re-dressing while we wash our hands once again. We’ll meet you out at our check-out area when you’re ready to go. Here, we will wait with a small bottle of water for you and ask how everything feels…and of course, we always hope you say “AMAZING,” or something to that effect. At this time, we may suggest some different stretches or mobility techniques. We’ll process your payment, rebook you for your next appointment, then send you on your—relaxed, but maybe slightly sore—way.

So what are you waiting for?!?! Schedule your session today!