Your first RMT treatment can be intimidating if you have never booked a session before. There can be a lot of unknowns that can lead to discomfort, anxiety, or just general confusion. We want to make this easier for you by giving you some tips on how to navigate your first treatment at Evolve Therapeutic. In the article below, we will go over all the information you may need to make your first massage therapy treatment as positive and comfortable as possible!
First of all, let's go over what an RMT treatment is…
RMT, or Registered Massage Therapy, is a one-on-one physical therapy treatment that uses manual techniques to alleviate soreness, tightness, and pain in the muscular areas of the body. At Evolve Therapeutic, our Registered Massage Therapists are experts in the body and its functional mechanisms at all stages and ages. They are well educated on different bodily systems in order to properly assess and develop treatment plans based on your current condition. They are able to assess both acute and long-term conditions, and will factor in underlying conditions to treat your specific needs. Through their education and experience, along with the information you provide, your practitioner will be able to customize your session to work on the parts of your body that need the most care. From babies to seniors and everyone in between, RMT treatments at Evolve can help release, relax, and restore sore muscles, and can increase circulation, flexibility, and alleviate discomfort. If this doesn’t sound like what you need, you may require a different type of therapy such as acupuncture, physiotherapy, or chiropractic treatment.
RMT FAQs
- What Should I Wear?
At Evolve Therapeutic, our practitioners most often recommend skin-on-skin contact, so that they are able to most effectively feel the muscles and tendons that need work. However, we want to be respectful of everyone’s comfort levels and boundaries, so we are also able to accommodate treatments through a shirt or pants if needed. If you are uneasy with undressing fully, we recommend wearing a fitted t-shirt, tank top, or sports bra, and a pair of shorts to your first appointment.
- How Will The Practitioner Know What I Need?
The key to fully enjoying and maximizing the effectiveness of your treatment is to communicate with your practitioner. Before your first treatment at Evolve therapeutic, you will be requested to fill out an intake form, which includes a variety of questions on your past and current physical health and the areas where you request work on, to help your practitioner determine how best to help you. Your practitioner will be able to read this intake form before your treatment. Once you meet your practitioner, the first few minutes of your treatment will be dedicated to a physical assessment, where your range of motion, alignment, and areas of discomfort will be discussed and determined. Throughout the treatment, remember to communicate your boundaries, requests, and needs. Our professional registered massage therapists will always put you and your requirements above all else in a respectful manner.
- What Happens During Treatment?
During your treatment, you will be fully covered by a sheet. Your practitioner will uncover the area of the body that needs to be worked on, then re-cover that area when they are finished working on it. In addition, they will use either oil or lotion to allow their hands or tools to glide over your skin without friction, and to effectively press into the areas that require deeper pressure. Your treatment can include a variety of techniques, including Swedish massage, deep-tissue massage, myofascial/trigger point release, muscle attachment release, stretch massage, neuromuscular therapy and craniosacral therapy, depending on your requests and needs.
- Will I Feel Better Right Away?
It can be a common misconception that you will feel better right away after your massage. For many individuals, you may actually feel more sore and uncomfortable in the hours or days after your treatment. This is because the practitioner has aggravated the already-tight muscles in your body, which is essential for helping them release. Once these muscles recover from being worked on, you will feel better. In addition, your practitioner will give you some exercises or stretches to do at home to continue the stretching and strengthening of your muscles.
- Do I Need To Tip?
Although tipping at certain spas or treatment centers have become common practice, at Evolve Therapeutic, our practitioners do not take tips. If you would like to support our practitioners, we encourage writing a Google Review and including their name, which can spread the word about our clinic and encourage more new patients to book with them. The more patients they have, the more income they get, which is even better than a tip!
- When Should I Come Back?
We suggest talking to your practitioner about when you should return for a follow-up session for your specific needs. Some patients need one more session to fully work on the areas that need to be released, while others only need one session. To maintain the work that your practitioner has done to relieve your aches and pains, we recommend booking a regular follow-up; whether that be weekly, monthly, or every few months.
- What if I Have Additional Questions?
There may be some specific questions that we have not answered in this article. If you have any other inquiries, we would be happy to assist you! Email us at info@evolvetherapeutic.com or give us a call at 604-273-7164 to speak to a member of our reception team. If we can’t give you the answer you’re looking for, we will check with our practitioners to make sure you get the correct information!
Are you ready to book your first Registered Massage Therapy session at Evolve Therapeutic in Richmond? If so, click the link below to view our schedule. We are open six days a week and have a variety of licensed and experienced practitioners waiting to help you on your health and wellness journey!
