Why is preparing for your bodywork treatment important?

When you prepare for your bodywork treatment it is important to keep a few things in mind.

Things you can do 24 hours before your bodywork treatment.

Over the years we worked with many clients to find out how they prepared for their bodywork treatments. Most still see their visits as the steps they take on their healing journey and prepare for their sessions accordingly.

We catalogued the approaches that seemed to contribute most to their visits. We also recorded what they avoided to prolong and deepen the effects of our bodywork – as well as to improve their happiness and well-being generally.

Make sure you inform your therapist of changes to your medical condition or medications in advance of your bodywork treatment. It is important to identify possible contraindications in advance so that we can keep you safe, secure, and comfortable during your visits, and avoid the occurrence of undesired side effects after.

General Health and Wellness

Please reschedule your appointment if you feel unwell. If you suspect to have caught a contagious illness, experience digestive issues, or notice a condition that may need medical attention, please contact your therapist to either cancel or reschedule your appointment immediately. We ask you to act responsibly to protect your health and well-being, as well as those of your therapist.

Injury and Dental Issues

Minor injuries such as small cuts and bruises may not limit your suitability for treatment, provided they are not excessively inflamed. We prefer not to treat you if your injury requires medical attention. We also suggest you have dental issues seen by a dentist before seeing us.

Hydration

Staying properly hydrated is important in any case. Very likely, too many of us do not drink enough clean water daily. Adult men are advised to drink 13 cups (3 liters) daily. Women a little less, around 9 cups (2 liters). Pregnant women should increase their daily water intake to about 10 cups (2.3 liters). Breast feeding mothers need 12 cups (2.8 liters).

Your body needs water to remove the metabolic toxins that are released by bodywork. Water also lubricates joints, helps to form saliva and mucus, assists in the delivery of oxygen within your body, keeps your skin firm and healthy, and is needed to regulate your body temperature. Dehydration can cause headaches and digestive issues during and after your treatment.

If you believe you are not drinking enough water, start increasing your intake at least one day before your treatment. If you experience negative side effects from this, please consult your doctor before visiting us.

Stimulants, drugs, and medication

We strongly advice against the use of stimulants and drugs before your treatment. As nicotine and caffeine are known to affect your metabolic and respiratory systems in ways that do not benefit your treatment we recommend not to consume either for at least eight hours before your appointment.

We also council against the use of recreational drugs for at least 24 hours before your treatment, including all chemical substances that are commonly taken to provide enjoyment, to alter consciousness, or to enhance experiences. These are generally not taken for medical reasons.

IMPORTANT: Irrespective your reason(s) for use, we reserve the right to refuse you treatment if we believe that your use of stimulants and/or recreational drugs may compromise your safety or that of your therapist.

Several prescription medications are known to affect bodywork, including anticoagulants [blood thinners], narcotic pain relievers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and corticosteroids. If you have been prescribed any of the following medications, or ones that appear similar in nature, please consult your doctor about your suitability for bodywork treatment before you attend your appointment with us –

• Muscle relaxants
• Dopaminergics
• Narcotic pain relievers
• Antihypertensives (sympatholytics, ACE-inhibitors, and vasodilators)
• Diuretics
• Antiarhythmics
• Beta blockers
• Calcium channel blockers (CCBs)

Note that this list is not exhaustive or conclusive.

Please also inform your therapist in advance so that, if necessary, treatments can be altered to protect your comfort and safety.

Vaccinations

Consider rescheduling your treatment if you recently received a vaccination or are planning to receive one before your treatment. Even if you are used to them, the way vaccinations affect your physiology can also affect your responses to bodywork treatments. After receiving your vaccination we recommend you wait at least three days before visiting us for a treatment. Make sure you rest and stay hydrated during this period.

Please inform your therapist of your vaccination before you visit us for treatment.

Other treatments and therapies

Please inform us of other treatments and therapies you are receiving. This includes acupuncture, osteopathy, chiropractic, homeopathic, and naturopathic care. It is always best to also mention any other healing assistance you receive so that physical, energetic, and spiritual treatment conflicts can be prevented.

Contraindications

Whether bodywork is safe for you depends on your medical conditions. Some conditions are known to either affect other treatments you may already receive, or the effectiveness of medications you have been prescribed. Please read our Contraindications for Bodywork page to learn more about your suitability for bodywork.

Rest and relaxation

You are likely to receive most benefits from your treatment when you are well rested and able to relax. Unlike massage, which often allows you to stay passive to optimise the relaxing effects, bodywork often requires you to contribute actively to the therapeutic techniques and methods that are used.

Your therapist may also ask you to stay mentally present to provide feedback on the treatment. Your noticing of physical, emotional, and energetic changes helps your therapist to assess the effectiveness of the treatment. Sessions are also evaluated to determine how next ones can be optimised and how more can be done to protect your comfort and safety.

Ensure you arrive well rested and relaxed. Please inform your therapist in advance if you feel unusually tired, fatigued, or mentally and emotionally stressed. Your therapist may offer you an alternative treatment from what might have been planned.

Being uninterrupted

We will ask you to switch your mobile devices off or in airplane mode (off-network) during your bodywork session. Please inform those who are dependent on you that you will be unavailable for the duration of your bodywork session, which can either be 60 or 90 minutes, depending on the session length you selected when you booked it.

If you must remain contactable during your booked session, please consider rescheduling it to another date and/or time. You must be able to relax during the session, knowing that others will respect your inability to communicate.

Surgery

We will in all cases require medical advice from your surgeon to assess whether it is safe for you to receive bodywork post-surgery. Generally, we refuse all treatments within the six-week period that follows any invasive surgical procedure, including general, gynaecology, obstetrics, plastic, cosmetic, and reconstructive surgery.

Arrive alone

Our practice does not feature a waiting facility. We therefore ask you to arrive alone. We can make exceptions in situations where you depend on others for transportation or general mobility. Please do not bring minors or pets as neither can be accommodated.

Please discuss with your therapist before your treatment any requirements for the presence of one other person during your session.

Body art

We prefer not to work on body areas with tattoos that are less than three weeks old (21 days). For us to treat such areas, they must feel painless and appear not irritated beyond that time.

Please also inform your therapist about any new piercings, also set within three weeks (21 days). Even if these are set in areas that will not be treated, such as breast, facial, and genital regions, it could still be important to mention this.

Sun burn

We will not work on skin that has become irritated by sun light or artificial tanning. In these cases, your skin feels irritated and appears too red. If your skin has become burnt, irrespective where, please wait minimally three days before visiting us for treatment.

Menstruation

If you menstruate, we will not treat your abdomen. All other treatments can continue. However, bodywork can amplify the physical and emotional reactions you normally experience during your periods. Although you shouldn’t expect this, it is not uncommon for period pains to lessen during and after your treatments. Clients also reported to feel calmer and more balanced after their sessions. In some cases, menstrual flow may significantly increase temporarily.

We suggest bringing extra menstrual pads or tampons with you. Should this be required you can use our bathroom to refresh your menstrual cup.

Pregnancy

If you know to be pregnant – or suspect this to be the case – please inform your therapist in advance of your treatment. Generally, our bodywork does not affect pregnancy. However, you may experience tenderness in certain areas, such as your abdominal and upper chest regions. Your therapist can take extra care when treating these areas.

If you experience headaches, sickness, or other physiological issues that may be caused by your pregnancy, keep in mind that these symptoms can worsen during and after your treatment. Although they are typically temporary they can disable you from following your normal or planned daily routines.

Consider your healing journey

Make sure you are as clear as possible on what you would like to achieve from your bodywork visit. Unless you have a specific physical concern you would like to resolve, ‘feel’ into yourself to see where your body would like to be treated. Usually, this is the first thing that springs to mind. Otherwise, focus on areas that appear tight, constricted, or somehow difficult to move.

Remember that you will not necessarily be looking for pain! Instead, your body may give you subtler signals that unless you remain focused on them will likely go unnoticed. These signals can help you prepare for treatments too. They often are the most important pathfinders on your healing journey..

Please consult your therapist

Your healing journey will always be special, and your comfort and safety remains critically important to us. We always recommend you consult your therapist if you stay informed about how to prepare best for your bodywork treatments. Please do not consider the contents of this page complete or conclusive. They merely are recommendations and suggestions, which may or may not apply to you. As you progress through your bodywork treatments, your therapist will become better able to provide your with personalised guidance on how to best prepare for treatments.