Massage is the manipulation of the body’s soft tissue which includes the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints. Massage therapy is a means of preventing injury, maintaining and improving your well-being, and treating health conditions. Various styles, techniques and modalities are used depending on what the treatment goal is.

Examples of techniques that may be used in your treatment are Swedish massage, joint mobilization, myofascial release, trigger point release, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, lymphatic drainage, static/dynamic stretching, and hot/cold hydrotherapy.

Anyone can get massaged as long as they are able to give consent using verbal and non-verbal cues. In the case of minors and people without the mental capacity to give an informed consent, the consent to treatment is needed from their guardians. That means people of all ages (from babies to seniors), and health conditions are able to receive massage therapy. It is important to give an accurate health history so that modifications can be made to ensure a safe and effective treatment.

The risks and benefits of specific modalities and techniques to be used in your treatment will be discussed with you because they depend on your health condition and treatment goal(s). They affect what positioning, techniques and modalities are safe to use, which ones are to be used with caution and what is contraindicated. Therefore it is very important that the health history form is filled out accurately so that you are given a safe and efficient treatment. .

General benefits of massage:
• Physiologically: increases blood circulation and mobility, improves posture
• Mentally: reduces stress and fatigue, increase alertness
• Emotionally: reduce/address anxiety and depression ​

General risks of massage:
• You may feel soreness depending on the amount of pressure and technique used
• May feel lightheaded when getting up depending on your health condition (eg blood pressure level) and amount of pressure used

An assessment, hands-on treatment (massage) and self-care suggestions are a part of your session.

An initial treatment plan will be given for the first session and an ongoing plan suggested for clinical treatments. The areas to be treated, techniques and modalities to be used will be explained so that you can give an informed consent. Self-care stretches and/or exercises may be given at the end of the session to help further improve your well-being .

Sensitive areas (chest, breast, inner thigh, glutes) will only be treated if there is a clinical reason to. The reason for treatment and draping used will be explained. A special consent form needs to be signed and dated each time a sensitive area will be massaged.

You may decline any part of the treatment plan at any time during your session. 

Visit the website of the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario.