Massage is a really great way of efficiently stretching muscles, helping muscle fibres to slide against one another and increasing mobility. When receiving any massage - deep tissue, relaxing, invigorating (usually pre-sport), sports - the masseuse should ask you a number of key questions to understand your health and activity level over the past 6 months.
Some of the questions they may ask you to disclose are:
- what is your name, address, date of birth? <- this is so they can contact you in future, if you require any information about the treatment provided
- what is your profession/occupation? <- this can help out ascertain why certain areas of the body experience discomfort e.g. desk job tends to lead to protracted shoulders, tight chest muscles and weak back muscles
- have you been to see a doctor or medical professional within the past 6 months? <- this can sometimes indicate that there are contraindicated reasons why you cannot undergo a massage
- if you have visited a health professional, what was it for? <- again, this is in case there is a reason why you shouldn't have massage e.g. cancer, recent surgery, high blood pressure
- is there any reason you know of why you shouldn't have a massage? <- similar to the above, this is to check that there are no contraindicated reasons why you cannot undergo a massage
- do you have an allergies? <- this one is really important, as it can determine the oil/lotion the masseuse uses
- are you taking any medication? <- medication like blood thinners can indicate that your doctor is concerned of a blood clot and therefore have DVT or similar
- have you taken alcohol or drugs in the past 24 hours? <- if you have taken drugs or alcohol in the past 24 hours, you shouldn't have a massage. The massage will push toxins into your blood stream and could cause damage to your body.
- are there any specific areas of your body where you're experiencing discomfort? <- this will indicate where the masseuse should spend their time