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Do I have to undress completely for a massage?

One of the first things that will happen in your appointment is discussing your health history and what brings you to the clinic. As part of your assessment, your massage therapist will discuss with you how the appointment will unfold. You will be guided as to what is most ideal for undressing for your treatment needs. I always suggest for undressing that you undress to a level that is comfortable for you. If that means leaving garments of clothing on or off, that is up to you. Massage therapy works really well with skin on skin contact but your massage therapist will be able to work over any clothing that you leave on.

One of the first things that will happen in your appointment is discussing your health history and what brings you to the clinic. As part of your assessment, your massage therapist will discuss with you how the appointment will unfold. You will be guided as to what is most ideal for undressing for your treatment needs. I always suggest for undressing that you undress to a level that is comfortable for you.

If that means leaving garments of clothing on or off, that is up to you. Massage therapy works really well with skin on skin contact but your massage therapist will be able to work over any clothing that you leave on.

The same goes with areas of your Healthy Body that will be worked on. We must obtain consent to treat any part of your Healthy Body and must adhere to that consent in our treatment. So if you are not comfortable with any part of the proposed treatment, mention it to your massage therapist so that your massage can be adjusted to your comfortable level. The biggest thing to remember is that this is your time, you’re paying for the experience and everything should be to your comfort level.

If anything needs adjusting (i.e. level of undressing, areas to be treated, pressure of the massage, pillowing on the table, etc.), keep communication with your therapist open
and make sure that they know what will make you more comfortable. There should be nothing that happens during the massage that makes you feel uneasy. Being comfortable during the massage is beneficial therapeutically as well because one of the main goals of massage therapy is relaxation and if you cannot fully relax, the massage may not be as enjoyable or productive.

Depending on the reason for your visit, there may be certain areas of the Healthy Body that may need to be treated for the most effective massage. For example, coming for a massage for a shoulder injury, your massage therapist may want to work on your shoulder, arm and parts of your neck and chest depending on the muscles that are affected.

This is simply an outline for treatment and your massage therapist will discuss with you the reason for treating every area that they touch. If any of the proposed treatment areas would make you uncomfortable, any part can be avoided as requested.

Please feel free to discuss these issues with your massage therapist to ensure a treatment that is both comfortable and effective.

For more information on massage therapy at ProActive Rehab please call us at 705 788 1480.