Question regarding assessment/session

[Becca :]]]

Hey, I'm going to be starting MT school in about a month now, and I've already gone to have a few massages. And a question came up that has concerned me for awhile.

I went to a place here(a spa) and used my Christmas Gift certificate for a $80 deep tissue massage. Well this is what happened

I walked in and told them I was there to see Greg. They walked me to the back to change into a robe with slippers. Pretty room, nice music, dim light, nice atmosphere. Then Greg walked in the room and we met, and took me to his room with a table. He asked me to get undressed and he would be back in the room in a moment.


HOLD ON..

The first massage I got, I filled out a form with Health/Medical related questions. I wasn't asked any particular questions, or anything. I could of had the flu, or something.

is this common for Spa's?

 

[Pompal 09.]

Question regarding assessment/session

yup.

although some spas will keep records, for the most part they do not.
There are many reasons for this but the most common are 1) it is too much time and trouble for the therapists and 2) it's a philosophy that a spa massage is not medical massage so because the therapist is not "treating" for a medical condition they would just really rather not know...

Anyway - from my experience, "deep-tissue" massage in most spas is just more pressure without too much in the way of advanced myofascial techniques.

The bottom line as far as your experience goes - did you get a good massage that met your needs?

FWIW - when you are an experienced therapist who works with intuition you really do not need to do an exhaustive medical history. Some times what you think you know in your head gets in the way of what you feel in your hands.

 

[Quiet girl<3]

Question regarding assessment/session

If you had been there before, there is a possibility that he reviewed your records before the session. However, even with clients I see on a regular basis, who have no medical history to speak of (i.e. in generally good health, active, etc.) I will still ALWAYS spend a few minutes chatting with them in regards to why they are in, if anything is troubling them, etc. If nothing else, it helps build a little rapport with the client and lets them know that you are interested in their health and well being.

Don't know if your experience is common in spas, as I have never been to one- only to private practitioners.

 

[The man with the plan]

Question regarding assessment/session

Another reason I don't go to those kinds of places for a massage. You might have had a history of blood clots, been on coumadin, had brittle bone disease, been diabetic, had dermatitis, been allergic to oils and scents, and had a neurological disorder that left you prone to seizures if overstimulated on one side of your body... and he'd never know until it was too late.

: Okay, that's a bit extreme. The point is, you never know what's on your table unless you ask.

As a client, I feel that a therapist/establishment that doesn't take the time to do an intake is unprofessional, willfully negligent, and undeserving of my patronage. As a therapist, I have no interest in ever working in that kind of place.

As you go through MT school, consider what you learn and choose what kind of practitioner you wish to be. Learn what employment options are out there and think about which ones might best suit your inclinations. What kind of MT would you be most likely to recommend - become that kind of MT.

FWIW - when you are an experienced therapist who works with intuition you really do not need to do an exhaustive medical history. Some times what you think you know in your head gets in the way of what you feel in your hands.

I respectfully disagree. Without knowledge in your head, you will fail to understand what your feel with your hands.

 

[fancy_argonaut]

Question regarding assessment/session

I agree with Jason. And I've also had the same experience as you did with a high end type of spa in our local area. The place is beautiful & certainly makes for a nice pampering, fluff & buff type of experience. Their version of Deep Tissue is practically laughable however, and most likely would not cause any issues, however never once was anything mentioned, suggested, provided, etc. in regards to a medical history form - nor did any of the practitioners there even ask me any questions :shocked: Though my husband has given me at least 3 gift certificates for the place I've actually told him not to bother getting them for me there again!

It also always ended up costing me another $40.00 to $50.00 over the cost of what I booked for - not even sure why, but the whole thing just didn't set well with me.

Needless to say I much prefer going to an individual practitioner where I know what I will receive, by someone I know is fully capable of providing it - as well as being someone who's knowledgeable on all counts! Not only that but then if I'm paying, vs trading for the session, that the full fee is going to that practitioner rather than the establishment they work for...Just sayin....

 

[Alondraa]

Question regarding assessment/session

This happens for several reasons:
1. Alot of schools don't teach proper documentation.
2. Alot of spas don't want to 'bother' the client with filling out forms, or take up extra time to have them filled out. When combined with reason number 1 and you have a student that doesn't provide their own medical history forms, it ends up not getting done.

In my school they taught us to make our own history forms and told to plan on spas not providing them. The spa where I work at has offered to order the forms for me, but as I like to make my own I haven't taken them up on it. The other therapist there also brings her own forms. We once hired a new girl who came from a school that taught nothing about medical histories and wanted to know what me and the other therapist were filling out.

Once I have the intitial history I can just look over it before the client comes back in, and from there I work from SOAP notes which equals a quick 'Whats bothering you today.' and do you have a fever, coneforum.xxxious skin condition, ect.

Obviously you are not going to be one of those new grads that has no clue what the histories are for which is a good thing. But it should also be noted that even with a full history its amazing what issues 'slip the clients mind'. I once had a guy who forgot to tell me he had a broken finger untill I was 1 finger away from pulling on it :shocked: