Frequently Asked Questions

Please do not attend your massage if you are experiencing the acute symptoms of:

• Cold, flu or sore throat (first 3 – 5 days)
• Any contagious condition; cold, flu, tonsillitis, bronchitis, skin infections, especially fungal
• Have NOT received permission from your treating physician: massage could be counter-productive to the treatment regime you have been given
• Pregnant and within your first trimester (12 weeks)

As massage stimulates the circulatory and immune systems if your immune system is compromised, that is, you are starting to feel unwell, massage can overload an already full or stressed system. If your body is just starting to fight an infection your immune system is working very hard to combat the illness. It is more than likely running close to capacity trying to keep you functioning. The release of built up waste products in your muscles from massage may well be too much for your body to cope with. The waste may overwhelm your already struggling immune system, and could cause you to succumb to the illness. You may end up being more unwell than if your body had the chance to fight by itself.

As a massage therapist cannot diagnose, nor knows exactly how your body is going to respond, it is not worth the risk to the client or therapist to perform the massage. The best choice is to contact the clinic as soon as you realise you are becoming unwell and reschedule for a later date.

Also, your massage therapist does not want to be exposed to a contagious disease. This kind of sharing is definitely NOT caring.

The first twelve weeks are a critical time for foetal development. Many things are coming together to form the new individual and circumstances have to be just right. As remedial massage may release old waste from tissues, which enters the mother’s circulation, there is too much risk that the massage may over stimulate her body. It is a precautionary measure for mother and baby that massage is avoided in the first trimester.

However, once past 13 weeks, and the pregnancy is going well, massage can be very beneficial to an expectant mother. Treatments are adjusted to suit the requirements of pregnancy.

As frequently as you can afford.

A suggested maximum amount is once per week, as the body requires time to adjust after each treatment.
Fortnightly is often the most beneficial for an initial period of treatment. This gives the body time to adjust to the muscular releases and allows for you to become familiar with the new sensations (often the lack of pain and discomfort) occurring in your body.

Once improvements are felt, a maintenance program of three weekly, monthly to six weekly visits will assist in maintaining health and well-being.

Results depend on numerous factors. It depends on:

• the type of muscular pain, ache or imbalance that the body was experiencing
• how long the discomfort has been present and endured
• the type of activities a person does; either regular repetitive or a once-of movement
• if the individual is pro-active in their health; exercise, diet, stretching, hydrating

Remember, for many people it has taken quite some time to develop aches, pains and imbalances, so it will take time to remedy these. Release and relief can be experienced immediately, but overcoming long term discomfort does take time. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

 

No. Remedial Massage Therapists do not fix anyone. We assist the body in healing itself. We provide the muscles and connective tissue the opportunity to release and realign, creating an ease in discomfort.

No. Remedial Massage Therapists are not qualified to diagnose anything. If your therapists suspects that you may have an ailment, they will refer you to the appropriate medical practitioner.

Remedial Massage should not hurt the recipient. If the person is experiencing pain, their body will go into a protective, defensive mechanism which will prevent any release from occurring. Also the person and therapist will ‘fight’, which is not beneficial.

No pain, no gain was a popular saying in the 80’s. Shoulder pads were also popular… we’ve moved on from that.
There may be areas of discomfort experienced, trigger points especially, however the therapist will be asking the individual for feedback on the pressure that is being applied. These tender, sensitive areas may be uncomfortable for a brief period before release is obtained. Some trigger points create areas of pain or a dull non-descript ache in other parts of the body, known as referred pain. Once treated the associated discomfort will subside and the muscle will present in a softer, relaxed feel.

Post treatment tenderness can occur after a remedial massage for the first 24 – 48 hours. Areas treated may feel sore as they have been targeted and released. Suddenly released muscles may be tender as they are suddenly flushed with fresh nutrients, blood and can finally relax and move freely again. Stretching, gentle exercise and hydration will assist in recovery.

 

DRINK, drink, drink water, water, water
Why? The built up waste products from restricted muscles has suddenly been released through the action of massage. All this waste is flowing through the body, to ensure that it is flushed and removed extra hydration is required. The waste products circulated back into the blood stream, find their way to the kidneys and need to literally be flushed away. Supporting your body with lots of water will assist in this important elimination.

What will happen if I don’t drink? As your body has been inundated with waste products, if it is not removed you may feel very lethargic, experience a headache and feel pretty rotten. So please drink… the choice on how you feel and how your body operates is yours. We would like it to operate the best it can, please drink lots of water.

 

Yes. Weaver’s Remedial Therapies practitioners are acknowledged by health insurance funds. Depending on the package you have with your health insurance fund, you may be able to claim the cost, or part, of your remedial massage treatment. If there is a gap to pay, that will be at your expense. If there is any doubts, or your current package does not include remedial massage, a manual receipt may be issued for you to present and pursue with your health fund.

Electronic processing is available through the HICAPs machine. This facility enables us to electronically process your health fund card. EFTPOS or credit payments can be processed too.