A GUIDE OF WHAT TO EXPECT FOR YOUR CHILD’S FIRST MASSAGE THERAPY APPOINTMENT:
a patient during treatment
BOOKING:
Everyone knows that a child has a shorter attention span than an adult, so in keeping with that, their appointments are usually shorter. For a first appointment, my recommendation is 30 minutes. This allows your child to meet me, see the space, touch EVERYTHING (because that’s what they do), and have a few minutes of assessment and possibly treatment. We generally tell our children not to let strangers touch them, so it can be a little odd to young children that you are telling them to let a stranger touch them.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE:
As with every other health professional your child sees, there will be a paperwork, specifically a health history(or patient intake) form to be completed before my treatment of your child can begin. This form will be emailed to you after the 1st appointment has been booked. Once I have had a chance to review the health history, there may be some physical assessment required to determine physical limitations, areas of pain, etc. We will then, together, formulate a treatment plan, this plan will include:
-the goals for the treatment (yours and your child’s)
-a discussion of consent (including withdrawal of consent)
-discussion of what parts of the body will be treated
-an introduction to the massage table or mat, and the positioning for treatment
-appropriate attire for receiving massage (children are always relieved when they find out that the removal of clothing is not necessary)
HOMEWORK:
It’s true, I usually send patients home with some kind of homework to do. It could be learning to use the diaphragm when breathing, it could be some kind of stretches, or it might be some sort of strengthening exercise. It really depends on what we’re treating and what is appropriate for your child’s age and stage of development.
It is a great privilege for me to have the opportunity to introduce massage therapy to children. It helps them to become aware of non-pharmacological treatments for their ailments and sets them up to be more aware of what is happening in their own bodies through to adulthood.
Shelley Schroeder RMT
BOOK YOUR CHILD’S APPOINTMENT HERE