Since massage is medical in the state of Washington, your massage therapist will do a verbal medical intake with you before every session in addition to the intake form you fill out for the spa. This verbal intake gives your therapist more information about what is currently going on with your body and any changes that might have happened since you filled out the initial intake form. Here we discuss five things that you should talk to your massage therapist about during the verbal intake before your massage session.

1. Any past or current injuries

Have you broken a bone before? Dislocated a joint? Strained a muscle? All of these injuries are vital information to tell your massage therapist about. Things like how and when the injury happened, what recovery looked like, and how it’s doing now gives your massage therapist a clearer picture about your body‘s story and how the area is currently doing. Any current injuries should also be disclosed to your therapist.

2. Current problem areas

Any areas that are sore, tight, or giving you trouble should be mentioned to your therapist to help guide your massage session. It can also give your massage therapist context as to what is going on with your body. You might even have an injury that you don’t know about!

3. Daily life stressors

Do you commute for two hours a day? Work on a computer or sit at a desk 40 hours a week? Have children? Mention any and all life stressors to your therapist- they might seem like trivial parts of your everyday life, but they can be contributing to your body’s poor posture and pains. These also give your massage therapist an idea as to which areas of your body are being affected- which in turn may give you better relief from your massage session.

4. Any medication changes

Did you start taking a new medication? Even if it’s an herbal supplement, please let your massage therapist know so that your medical information can be updated. Certain medications can cause various reactions to massage and some may even contraindicate massage all together. Medications such as muscle relaxers and heavy duty pain relievers should not be taken before your massage appointment as they can change the way your tissues respond to massage.

5. Changes in daily activities/ exercise

Have you started a new exercise program since your last massage? If so, tell your massage therapist. Your muscles will most likely have micro tears from the workout and have an overall general soreness that massage can help alleviate. You might also be working new muscle groups that you haven’t worked much before. Your massage therapist will be able to assess which muscles need to be worked and in turn help you achieve better results from your massage session. Your therapist night also be able to help you identify any problems that your new activity is causing in your muscles and help address them.

At Ballaura Wellness Spa in Olympia, Washington, our massage therapists want to see you make progress towards your recovery goals with massage. As such, letting your therapist know these five things can help you get ahead of the game by giving your therapist more background information on your body’s road to recovery.