The CMTO has outlined in the Standards of Practice specific guidelines that RMTs must follow. This is to assure high quality of care and protection for you, the client.

The therapist will begin with an interview to find out your primary areas of concern. You should relay to the therapist what your treatment goals are. The therapist will also take and record your health history. This is particularly important. The therapist will need to know if your are suffering from any condition other than the one that brings you to the clinic, as it may require him or her to modify the treatment or refrain from treating you altogether. The case history can also help pinpoint the cause of the injury or condition so that the therapist can help the client eliminate or modify the troublesome action, posture, etc. Rest assured that all information obtained by the therapist is confidential, as RMTs are bound by the same confidentiality laws as other health care professionals are.

Once a complete health history is gathered, the therapist should then ask for your consent to proceed with a physical assessment specific to your ailment. Your therapist should tell you what he/she proposes to do and why. The RMT will most likely take your blood pressure at this time, particularly if it is your first visit or if you have a cardiovascular condition. This is also a great opportunity for you to ask questions about what the therapist will be assessing, so that you are more informed about your condition. Only after you have given verbal consent should the therapist conduct the proposed assessment. If this is not your first session, a re-assessment may be performed to note any change in your condition. If after the assessment the therapist finds that massage therapy is contraindicated for your condition, he/she should refer you to another qualified health care professional that may be able to help you.

Once the assessment is complete and massage is indicated, the therapist will develop a treatment plan and go over it with you. This will include the goals of treatment, modalities to be used, possible outcomes to treatment, any potential risks, the benefits of massage for your condition, areas of the body to be treated, and the fee. You should also be informed that you could stop or modify the treatment at any time for whatever reason. This is also another great opportunity to ask the therapist any question you may have surrounding the treatment that has just been proposed, your condition, or massage in general. You can also request any modifications to the treatment that you like. The therapist should be able to accommodate you providing the request is within the R.M.T.'s scope of practice. Once the treatment plan has been established and your consent has been given, the treatment can begin. If this is not your first treatment, and your condition or goals have changed, the treatment plan may be modified and your consent will be required to continue with the revised treatment.

The therapist will instruct you on dressing and undressing and on draping procedures. You only have to undress to a level that you feel comfortable with. However, the effects of massage are greatest with skin to skin contact. Rest assured that only the area to be massaged at the time will be undraped. The rest of your body will be covered under a sheet. Massage therapists spend a lot of time as school practicing draping procedures, so by the time we graduate we are very proficient at it. If you need help undressing due to an injury or other condition, the therapist can assist you. Otherwise, the therapist will be out of the room while you undress. The therapist will also instruct you on positioning on the table and the positioning of pillows. Again, if assistance is necessary to get on the table, your therapist can help you. Once you have undressed, positioned yourself on the table and covered yourself with a sheet, the therapist will re-enter the room and begin the massage.

Anytime throughout the treatment, feel free to ask any questions that you have about your condition, the techniques being used, or anything else you feel is pertinent. Throughout the massage the therapist should ask you about your pain or comfort level. The therapist will also instruct and/or assist you in changing positions so that all areas that require treatment can be treated.

At the end of the massage, after you have come off the table and redressed the therapist can prescribe self-care remedial exercises and/or hydrotherapy to do at home. The therapist should show you proper technique and request to see you perform the exercises for them to be certain that they are being performed correctly. The therapist will record the entire session in your file and your next appointment can be arranged.