Questions specific to your Massage from David:

Do you accept Credit or Debit Cards?

At this time I only accept Cash or Cheques for Home visits.  I also have added a Pay-Pal option recently, links are available via Email requests. The iPhone Pay-Pal application allows you to pay by 'bumping' phones. Note that a $40 N.S.F. charge will apply to all dishonored cheques. Equilibrium Massage Therapy accepts Credit/Debit/Cash and Cheques.

How far in advance do I need to book a Massage treatment?

For new mobile clients, I prefer at least 1-2 days in advance and have an established an 8 hour minimum.  Please call in the morning for an afternoon/evening treatment or the night before for a morning treatment. Clinic clients can call reception any time; it staffed Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The online booking will accept your appointment right up the start time, provided you can arrive on time.

For established clients, you can easily use the on-line booking which will allow you to book at your convenience and let you see the next available appointment.  If you are in need of immediate care, please do not hesitate to call at any time, regardless of what my on-line schedule may indicate.

What if I need to cancel my appointment?

I completely understand that life hands us the unexpected at the most inopportune times.  Please be considerate with at least 24 hours notice to my email or phone.  I will contact you with a confirmation ASAP.  If I arrive for your appointment  and you do not get treated(or in the case of a clinic appointment, you do not show up), I will add a 50% premium to your next treatment cost.

Of course, I am empathetic of your circumstance; please contact me as soon as possible and we can work together to get your treatment moved to a time of convenience at no cost.

What sort of equipment and oils do you use?

I use flannel sheets, freshly laundered for each client, using environmentally friendly detergents. My table is covered with a warm and soft fleece, and my face rest is covered with a seamless cloth to reduce lines of pressure on your head. I offer a choice of Massage Lotion or Massage Gel, which is a combination of Apricot, Grapeseed & Sesame Oils with no alcohol, mineral oils, nut oils or fragrance.

How do I dress for the treatment?

For in home treatments - 

Relaxation - a dressing gown is fine, or your regular clothes is fine too.

Therapeutic - Shorts and a Sport top, loose fit, works best for assessment of your concern.
A dressing gown for post treatment works well.

For clinic visits treatments - 

Relaxation - regular clothes will be fine.

Therapeutic - Shorts and a Sport top, loose fit, works best for assessment of your concern.  Please change into these prior to your treatment time.  If you are unsure, bring them with you and you can get changed after a quick discussion of your treatment goals.

Do I have to undress in order to receive Massage Therapy?

In a word - No. I can perform most therapy requirements with you clothed. In fact many of my patients prefer this option.  Still many also enjoy the relaxation of traditional Swedish Massage using lotions or gel/oil.

Should you choose to do so, undress to whatever point you are comfortable. This means you may remain fully clothed, you may undress completely, or anything in between. I leave the room and give you sufficient time to undress. You get onto the table under a sheet/blanket. I often work through the sheet, even with deep tissue treatments.

During the massage, only the part of your body currently being worked on is uncovered. Those parts of your body generally considered private are not uncovered or worked on at all. If you have any particular preferences about parts of your body to be exposed and worked on or not exposed and not worked on, you should discuss this with me before the session.

In the case of 'Therapeutic' pain relief work, the matter of undressing and covering will depend primarily on two factors: what and where the problem is and what approach, modalities and techniques I will use for your treatment. I will let you know where and how I intend to work on you, and ask you to undress to whatever degree is necessary for effective work to take place.  It is only with your informed consent that this work will take place.

Questions specific to your Mobile Massage from David:

Do you do house visits?

Mobile treatments are now only available by special arrangement as of January, 2011. Having said that, I will visit you in almost any reasonable spot.  If fact, part of the fun of my job is the variety of locations in which I get to work.  Safety, privacy and professionalism are key values for me, and I ask that you consider these when asking about more unusual locations. Established clientele will have a good feel for what works when booking those special events. Do not hesitate to ask.

I now have clinic visits available on most days. 
Please check the Home Page for the latest details.

Do I pay extra for travel time and set-up?

No. I have chosen to book fewer treatments per day and give myself the break between treatments, with plenty of travel time.  I will typically arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment and be packed and gone within 15 minutes of completing your treatment.  I ask that you have the requested forms ready upon my arrival and that payment is also ready in the form of cash or cheque.

How much space do you need to set up?

Simply put, enough room for the table and for me to walk around it.  In technical terms , about 8 feet by 4 feet. Favorite spots are where the coffee table normally resides, especially if it is in front of a fireplace.  Or at the foot of a bed, in a den/office or rec room. Do pick somewhere warm ~ Do pick somewhere you can get on and off the table in private ~ Do not worry if I will think it is messy, cluttered, or otherwise; I live with teenagers...

For offices and workplaces, it is important to have permission of the person in-charge for us to use the space.  A good idea is to get them involved in getting a massage too!  Unused storage rooms, conference rooms and offices all work as long as people get privacy. It is nice to have light other than fluorescent, to help you relax.

Can my family/room-mates be home while I am being treated?

Yes, of course.  It's your home!  If relaxation is your goal, you may want to strike a deal for peace and quiet in advance, in order to get the most out of your Massage Treatment. Pets may need to be thought about in advance as well, as they may take some accustoming to what's occurring. Babies are welcome to be nearby or even on the table.  

Will my co-workers know about my treatment goals?

Absolutely not!  While it is convenient and cost effective to book the treatments together in the office over the course of a day, confidentiality is paramount to my profession.  In fact, if I see you out and about in the community, I will not acknowledge you, unless you acknowledge me first. Your care under me falls under the same guidelines as your Doctor's care.

What do I need to provide for the treatment?

Generally, I am completely self-contained, including all tools, equipment and even music.  For home visits I ask that you have two pillows available for your comfort.  For office visits, I will bring these with me.  

Questions about Massage Therapy in general:

Can 'Relaxation' treatments qualify for my extended health benefits plan?

YES! I never send the details of your care to anyone, without your permission.  Some benefit plans require the referral of a Doctor, most do not.  ICBC, WorkSafe BC, and Pacific Bluecross (RCMP & DVA) work under very specific rules. Please contact me to discuss your needs.

Anything I can do in preparing for my appointment to make things better/easier/less of a pain for my massage therapist?

Be ready on time, and if you need to cancel, please give me at least 24-48 hours notice. I know the majority of people don’t need me to say this, but for the few that do, take note. If you are not ready on time, you will receive only the amount of time remaining in your appointment. If you don’t cancel with good notice, you may end up paying a fee. If I am late, due to unforeseen travel circumstances, I will adjust your time to the best of my ability or if that is not possible for either of us that day, you will receive a free massage at your convenience.

Wear loose, comfortable clothing, so that I will be able to assess you easier. For guys who need lower-body work, it’s usually better not to wear boxer-briefs, because they tend to restrict how much of the leg we’re able to fully work on and range of motion for stretching and some techniques. (Of course, if they’re all you’ve got, that’s fine too, we can work with that).

It probably goes without saying for most people, but I’ll say it anyway: shower before your Massage (earlier that day is fine, of course), wear deodorant, and if you’re having your legs or feet worked on, wash your feet well. Sure, I can work on someone who’s all sweaty from just having come from the gym, or who didn’t bother to shower that morning before their Massage, but if I have the choice, I would really rather not.

How does a massage feel?

Massage on healthy tissue usually feels good. Massage around injured, painful, or tense areas can cause discomfort. Tell your massage therapist how much discomfort you are willing to tolerate. NEVER let a massage therapist work deeper than you are comfortable with.

Deep tissue or injury treatment massage may leave you feeling sore for a day or two. Always let your massage therapist know how you felt, so he or she can adjust the massage as needed.

During a massage, you may notice that your muscles are sore, even though you had not noticed soreness before the massage. Here's why: Each cell in your body, including muscle cells, is a tiny factory that takes in nutrition, produces energy, and outputs waste products. For example, contracting muscle cells require an energy source called ATP, which produces lactic acid. Muscles also burn oxygen, which produces carbonic acid, and protein, which produces uric acid.

If your body and circulatory system are working at peak efficiency, these waste products are flushed out of your body. However, often things aren’t working as well as they could because of stress, tension, too little exercise, too much exercise, medical conditions, and other factors. Then waste products (all that acid!) build up in your muscles, creating congestion that causes pain on touch. Massage, of course, helps clear out that congestion.

Why does a massage therapist ask about my medical history and medications?

A responsible massage therapist asks about your medical history (most massage therapists have you fill out an intake form). Although massage has many wonderful benefits, it is not appropriate for people with some medical conditions and sometimes must be used cautiously.

For example, massage is not recommended if you have a condition involving infection (including cold or flu) because massage might help the infection spread through your body. Massage is also generally not recommended for people with advanced heart, kidney, or liver problems. Other conditions that affect circulation, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, require caution, depending on your overall physical condition.

Obviously, you should not receive massage if you have a contagious condition. If you have a skin rash, know what it is before your massage, because some skin conditions are contagious.

Medications, particularly pain-killers and muscle relaxants (including aspirin), dull your perception of pain and pressure—your massage therapist needs to know your perception may not be accurate to avoid inadvertently using too much pressure.

Information about injuries, traumas, surgeries, and physical activities provide information about where or how you hold tension in your body. Also, specific massage techniques can help the body heal soft-tissue injuries. If you have back pain or certain digestive problems, abdominal massage can be helpful, but it is not appropriate for some medical conditions. Your massage therapist needs to know your complete and up-to-date medical picture to provide informed and safe massage. Be assured that all medical information is confidential.

What is a trigger point?

A trigger point is a tiny area of irritation in a stressed muscle. Trigger points refer pain, weakness, or numbness to either surrounding or distant areas of muscle tissue. The key clue pointing to a trigger point is that applying pressure to a specific point causes you to feel pain or another sensation someplace else. Trigger points result from trauma, exposure to cold or infection, overuse, misalignment, or chronically contracted muscles.

What are the effects of chronic muscle tension?

Chronic muscle tension inhibits circulation, which means your muscles (and other tissues) aren’t receiving the nutrition they need and waste products aren’t being taken away. The lack of nutrition and toxic buildup of waste irritate nerve endings, resulting in weakness and pain. This toxicity also taxes your immune system.

Chronic muscle tension also inhibits movement. Movement is accomplished by paired groups of muscles alternately contracting and lengthening to move the bones to which the muscles attach. Chronically tense muscles disrupt the symmetry of balanced forces acting on the skeleton, holding bones out of position and causing misalignment. For every chronically tight muscle, its opposite (the antagonist) is chronically stretched and weak. These unbalanced forces also cause ligaments to become strained as they try to brace misaligned joints. All this makes injury more likely.

Chronic muscle tension also uses up energy, so you fatigue more easily.

How long do the effects of massage last? How often should I receive massage?

The duration of the effects of a massage vary greatly from person to person depending on your physical and mental condition, activities, ability to relax, and ability to heal. If you are receiving massage to help heal injury or to get rid of chronic pain, you usually need to receive more frequent treatment until you reach that goal. I often assign home-care and exercises as part of your healing program.  Compliance with these assignments will help the effects of the massage last.

If you are receiving massage for prevention, health maintenance, or just to feel better, you have more leeway in how often you receive massage. The effects of regular massage are cumulative. A massage every few weeks can make a big difference in your overall health and tension levels. Even a monthly massage is beneficial. Make regular massage part of your health maintenance program (along with good nutrition and exercise), and you'll feel better.

What if I'm ticklish?

I've worked with many people who were ticklish. I can vary the pressure, depth, and pace of the massage strokes so that you won't feel tickled.

Am I supposed to tip?

Another one of the massage FAQs that people want to know about. Tipping is a matter of personal discretion. Some of my clients do tip, some do not. You will get the same level of excellent treatment whether you tip or not. Tips are never required, but always appreciated. One of the best ways to "tip" me is to refer your friends and family to me for Massage Therapy!

Also explore the About Massage and About your Massage sections.