in a typical first therapeutic massage session a therapist will:

 

Assess your current condition

 

This will include taking a history, asking how long have you experienced the pain, whether the onset was sudden, how you experience the pain, etc. The therapist will also observe the way you move, test your range of motion, and feel the tissue during the treatment for consistency and texture.

Propose a plan

 

Once the therapist has a good idea of your condition, they can propose an approach to treatment. This might be a simple as focusing on your area of complaint — shoulders, lower back and right hip — instead of trying to do a full-body massage during one session. The therapist might recommend a series of sessions at recommended intervals, and indicate the kind of progress you can expect during that time. They can recommend other ways of treating the area, such as using  heat, ice, hydrotherapy, or stretches. If appropriate, the therapist might refer you to another health professional for further assessment and treatment.

Perform the therapy

 

This is the actual massage, or treatment, based on the assessment and the plan you have agreed to.

Evaluate the outcome

 

At the end of the treatment, you and the therapist review the results. Is the pain less? Is there more mobility in the joint? Has your posture improved? On the basis of the results, the therapist can recommend additional sessions and the frequency. If you come every week, for instance, you’ll see quicker progress than if you wait two or three weeks between sessions. An evaluation will take place at the end of each session to determine the continued course of therapy.  

 

 

It may sound very involved, but an experienced therapist can do the assessment and propose a plan quickly and you should experience some degree of relief even in one session.