In a world of social anxiety, stress, depression, and Social Distancing, massages to improve mental health are really important. But, ironically, it’s those very things that can trick you into thinking it’s intimidating if you’ve not booked a massage before. So we’ve compiled a list of ten questions you should ask us (or any massage therapist) before you book and ten things we’re going to ask you – so there are no nasty surprises!

We will ask you:

1. Have you ever been to a massage therapist before?

This will help us narrow down how we can help you. Have you had a massage before, and did it work for you, were you happy with the pressure, was the outcome as expected? If not, then we can move on to the next question.

2. What brought you to us today?

We’re specifically looking to see if there’s a condition you’d like specific treatment for, or if you’re just looking to relax and be pampered. If you’re looking for regular appointments, are you going to be needing a therapist who can come to you?

3. Are you in pain? Or do you have any long-standing conditions?

Regardless of whether it’s just a ‘bump’ on the knee or a long-standing pain issue, we need to know if you’re suffering at all and where. Massage techniques differ, and we like to be able to know in advance if anything hurts so that we can avoid that area. If you are suffering from any long-standing conditions, we will also need to know if you’re on any medication as it may affect how we treat you.

4. How are you affected by this injury?

If your injury impacts the way you walk or move, it will also impact how we treat the pain and how often we’re likely to see you for the massage. If it also impacts your posture or muscles in a different area are compensating, we should be able to help.

5. What is your profession?

Your working lifestyle and background on how you’re spending the majority of your time will make a big difference to your posture, and where we expect to find pain. There’s a big difference, for example, between an office worker and a scaffolder. Whilst they both might suffer from back pain, the areas affected will be different and will require different care.

6. What is your Exercise Routine?

We’re not looking to shame you for not working out, or spending all of your time in the gym. But similarly to your working lifestyle, the exercises you do will have an impact on your body and where we might find painful muscle swelling.

7. Have you tried anything else to help the pain?

Simply put, it helps us to know if you’ve tried any other conventional (or unconventional) remedies. Medications such as paracetamol and ibuprofen can affect how you respond to a massage.

8. Do you have any allergies?

The last thing we want is for you to break into a rash because you’re allergic to one of the ingredients in our oils or cleaning products, so make sure we know if you’re allergic to something, even a little bit!

9. What do you know about the massage process?

If the basis of your knowledge about massages comes from films and TV, that’s fine. Except, rarely is real life anything like that! We just need your honesty, so that we can talk you through what is going to happen and what you can expect.

10. How often would you like to receive treatment?

This is a scheduling thing more than anything. If you’re looking for regular treatments at the same time each week, we need to know in advance. If, however, you’re looking for ad-hock treatments whenever is convenient, that works too! It all depends on the outcome you desire, most people find monthly bookings beneficial to help with issues while others prefer fortnightly.

And here are the questions you should ask us!

1. What License, Certificates and Insurance do you have?

We’re happy to talk about our qualifications and experience, and any massage therapist who isn’t is waving a big red flag.

2. Will the massage hurt?

For the most part, massages do not hurt. But if you’re suffering a particular condition or muscle tension in a certain area, we can answer that question more thoroughly for you.

3. Does it matter that I’m ticklish?

Generally, no. But don’t be afraid to let us know if the massage is tickling you. We’ll change the level of pressure as it should be a relaxing experience.

4. Do I need to take off all my clothes?

Depending on what kind of massage you’re having, we can discuss this with you. Please be aware that this is a professional therapeutic massage. Please ask us about the Hydrotherm massage, as you might not need to lie on your front either if that’s an issue for you.

5. Does it matter if I fall asleep or snore?

Falling asleep during a massage is more common than you think. If this is something you’re worried about, let us know and we can talk to you about it.

6. What if I need to go to the restroom?

Again, not as uncommon as you might think. Just let us know if you need to go because trying to wait out the massage will just make you more uncomfortable.

7. What should I do about paying you?

Each massage therapist is different, especially as we’re independent. But we’ll let you know how much the massage will cost upfront so that there aren’t any nasty surprises. Soothicity accepts card payments, bank transfers or cash payments.

8. Do I need to come to you, or can you come to me?

We’re incredibly lucky as we have both a Therapy Room in Dover and a travel-adapted massage table. But this isn’t the case for all massage therapists, so make sure you know if you’re supposed to be somewhere for your appointment.

9. Will the massage leave any bruises?

No! Whilst you might feel tender for a little while after the massage, there shouldn’t be any marks left at all, if you are left with bruising please do inform your therapist.

10. When can I book again?

This is our favorite question and we will discuss your unique body! We look forward to seeing you again soon!