What to Expect

What to expect on your first visit:

1. On Arrival

On arrival you will be greeted by one of our fabulous reception team members.

2. New Client Form

You will be asked to kindly complete our “new client form” which only takes a couple of minutes. This helps us to get a better understanding of your preferences, priorities and injury background.

NB: If you would like to save yourself some time please feel free to fill out our new client form, print it and bring it along so you don’t have to arrive early for your first appointment.

Download New Client Form

3. Take a Tour

One of our fantastic therapists will introduce themselves to you, show you through our clinic, lead you to one of our curtained cubicles or ”quiet” rooms and then ensure you feel comfortable.

4. Assessment

Our therapist will then perform an assessment on you, to gain a better understanding of your injury history and/or the condition of your range of motion and then agree on what areas take the most priority for treatment today.

5. Get Changed

The therapist will then leave the room so you can change out of your main clothing, down to your underwear if you are comfortable to do so, and give you a towel for covering your body for privacy.

6. Begin Treatment

When your therapist returns, they will begin the hands on treatment; talk you through what they are finding, how they will help you improve it, and how you can help yourself to improve.

7. Discuss Progress

Towards the end of the treatment the therapist will discuss what progress you have made. Depending on your presenting condition, you may require a treatment plan to be put in place. This could be weekly visits, monthly or bi-monthly visits depending on your goals and outcomes you are hoping to achieve, and your response to treatment.

8. Further Advice

Your therapist will encourage you to keep up your water intake and if you are not familiar with remedial massage, please ensure you take the time to read our “what to expect after a treatment” section on our website.

9. Finalise Appointment

After your treatment return to reception so that they can help you claim with your health fund and make any future bookings you require.

In the first 24 – 48 hours after a treatment you may feel:

Tenderness or superficial soreness through the area massaged particularly if it is your first massage of this kind. Those who are susceptible to bruising may bruise through some areas worked. You may find you feel tired or lethargic.

Why discomfort may occur post treatment:

A muscle is made up of bundles of muscle fibres. If a muscle has been damaged or put under a lot of stress, micro tears occur within the muscle fibres. When the body starts to heal, it lays down new fibres in a mesh like pattern. This process can cause adhesions or scar tissue within the muscle which may decrease range of motion. Massage realigns these fibres so that the muscles can relax and contract properly. The pressure required to realign these fibres, particularly in the deeper muscles, can cause slight inflammation commonly known as bruising. If the tightness, spasm or active trigger point within a muscle occurs in deeper layers, then it may be necessary to apply relative pressure through the superficial layers of tissue to get to the deeper layers of muscle. During this process a slight inflammatory response may occur which may be felt as tenderness or bruising over the area worked.

What you can do to help minimise soreness after treatment:

Do any stretches or self trigger-pointing that the therapist has recommended to encourage the muscles to stay in their new lengthened position. Increase water intake to help flush out waste products that are released into the system after a massage. This will help reduce the feeling of tiredness that may occur. Approximately 1 litre on top of your normal intake is recommended. Avoid excess alcohol, tea, coffee and other toxins for 24 hours after a massage so that you are not further overloading the lymph system while it is trying to effectively eliminate waste products. If you intend to exercise in the 24 hours following a massage, please consult your therapist regarding guidelines. It is essential that you warm up and cool down well pre and post exercise, particularly after a massage has altered your muscle length. Follow the directions that the therapist has given in regards to using heat or ice treatment.