What to Expect at Your First Massage Appointment at Inspire Movements Massage Therapy

First-time guests often arrive with questions they weren’t sure how to ask when they booked the session to begin with.

What do I wear?

Do I need to fill out paperwork?

What does the cancellation policy look like?

How much should I undress?

Can you tell me more about the benefits of cupping therapy beforehand?

What if the pressure is too much or not enough throughout the massage?

These are all reasonable questions. This post answers hopefully all of them before you walk in the door.

First Things First, Before Your Appointment

For every massage session, it is policy that you arrive 5-10 minutes early to do a thorough review of how things are feeling since your last massage or your first session here. We want to discuss everything. If you have questions, lets make time to get them answered and vice versa. The cancellation policy is 48-hours notice without being charged the entire session cost. If a family member or friend can fill the spot we always encourage it, if there isn’t a spot filled, nobody is getting paid. It is fair to both of our times when we can all know ahead of time. Before session begins I will leave to disinfect and give you some privacy. You’ll undress to your comfort level and lay face down between the two sheets. Most clients undress completely or down to their underwear, whichever you are most comfortable with. You’ll be draped with a sheet throughout the entire session – only the area being worked is ever uncovered. You’re always in control of what stays covered, and nothing happens without your awareness.

 Arriving and Intake

Plan to arrive 5-10 minutes ahead of your appointment time. New guests complete a brief intake form before arriving for their appointment, the information outlines your health history, current areas of concern, and any conditions the therapist should be made aware of. This takes about five, maybe ten minutes and helps ensure the session is built around your specific situation rather than a generic approach. Sometimes, we are not your ideal fit for a massage and we can send you off somewhere else, but that isn’t a common case. We just need to make sure that isn’t the case.

Conditions Worth Mentioning

Let your massage therapist know if you have any of the following before the session begins in your paperwork:

Recent injury or surgery

Blood clots or clotting disorders

Diabetes

Active infection or fever

Skin conditions in the area being worked,

Pregnancy

Cancer currently being treated

If you’re on blood thinners.

This isn’t to disqualify you from receiving massage – most conditions simply require the approach to be modified, and your therapist needs that information to do it correctly. Or, we just have to wait a period of time. We just need to know ahead of time. 

 

During the Session

Before you get on the table, your therapist will talk through what brought you in, where you’re carrying pain and tension patterns, and what you’re hoping to get out of the session. The more specific you can be – where exactly the pain is, when it started, what makes it better or worse – the more specific we can be, the better. By putting this on the table before the session begins means we can make the most of the appointment. We can tailor the massage to your actual pain patterns.

Pressure and Communication

Wear whatever you arrived in. There’s no need to bring anything special or change into anything specific before the session. You can and should give feedback on pressure throughout your session. “I’d like more pressure here” and “that’s a little too much” are both useful and welcome terms in any session. Therapeutic pressure should feel like a productive intensity – working into tissue that needs it – not like you’re white-knuckling through something painful. There is a “hurt so good” type of pain and “OMG I’m dying,” we don’t want to surpass the second, always feel free to communicate. Now, if you’re receiving ashiatsu for the first time, the sensation of foot-based pressure is different from hands-based massage. It tends to feel broader and more evenly distributed. Your therapist will check in as the session builds.

What Happens During the Session

Sessions at Inspire Movements focus on therapeutic goals, not scripted routines. Every massage is customized to you, for you, every massage. The work goes where it needs to go based on what your intake conversation revealed and what the tissue shows during the session. If your chief complaint is low back pain, the session will spend significant time on the low back, hips, and the surrounding chain – not split evenly across every body part.

How You Might Feel After The Massage

Most guests feel noticeably lighter, looser, and calmer immediately after a session. It is pretty normal to be sore, like post-workout soreness the next day. Particularly after deeper work – this is normal and typically resolves within 24-48 hours. It is all part of the healing process. This is where the homework comes into play. Whether that is exercises, stretching, additional fluid intake, etc. Drinking water and avoiding intense exercise the same day helps the tissue integrate the work. Movement is medicine so use your best judgement. 

 Booking Your Next Appointment

The most common question after a first session is how often to come back. The honest answer depends on what you came in for. Acute pain patterns typically respond fastest with sessions every 2 weeks to once a month. Maintenance and prevention work every 2-weeks is the standard recommendation for most ongoing sessions. Your therapist will give you a realistic picture of what a schedule looks like for your specific pattern before you leave.

The All-Inclusive Pricing Model

At Inspire Movements Massage Therapy, there is no tipping, no add-on fees ever, what you see is what you will always pay.

A 90-minute session is $195 

A 2-hour session is $240

Just the complete cost. No surprises at checkout, no pressure to add anything. If you want to know about any other services like red light therapy or a tandem massage before or after your session, just ask! If you would like to tip, feel free to leave a review, share posts onto your social channels, refer friends and family members, that goes such a long ways.

Common Questions: Do I Have to Talk During the Session?

It is 100% up to you. If you want to talk, we will have a chat! I you’d prefer a quiet session, we can absolutely oblige. Your therapist will check in on pressure and comfort but won’t fill the time with conversation if you’d rather be still.

What If I Fall Asleep?

Pretty sure this is the only industry where sleep is a compliment. Musicians get applause, we get snores. Falling asleep or staying awake are both normal, It happens regularly and either one is completely fine. It’s actually a good sign that your nervous system has shifted into a parasympathetic state! This is exactly where therapeutic work is most effective.

What If the Pressure Is Too Much or Not Enough?

Always feel free to speak up. Say something. There is no polite reason to endure pressure that isn’t working for you. Adjustments are immediate and are a normal part of every session.

Ready to book your first appointment? Book online or call/text 719-459-0780. Inspire Movements Massage Therapy is located at 1295 Kelly Johnson Blvd, Suite 250 in Briargate, Colorado Springs 80920. Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday 9am-7:30pm.

By appointment only.