Why do we ask for a Client Intake Form?
WHAT’S WITH ALL THE QUESTIONS?!
It might seem as if everywhere you go these days, you’re asked to fill out another form, and your massage therapist is no exception! We do have some very good reasons for asking you to fill in what we call our Client Intake Form before we start working with you, though, and they are essential for both of us to ensure that you get the very best from your massage experience.
Why do we need information from you?
It gives us a background on you, your current health, and any issues you might be experiencing that we need to consider. It also gives us an insight into what you want from your massage therapy.
Different illnesses and conditions affect everybody in diverse ways. That sounds obvious, but knowing exactly what you are dealing with, feeling, and managing health-wise is a crucial factor in how we’ll proceed with your treatment, so we need to know any symptoms you might be experiencing and how they affect you. A Client Intake Form should ask you all the right questions so that your therapist can come up with the perfect session or treatment plan for you.
Avoiding problems
In addition to giving us the lowdown on what you need from us, a CIF also helps us to decide what NOT to do. Some therapies and treatments, and even some essential oils used in aromatherapy, for example, can be contraindicated for pregnancy and some other medical conditions. If we know this in advance, we can tailor your treatment to avoid anything that could potentially cause you problems.
It’s also helpful to know about allergies so that we avoid using products that could cause a reaction, or if you have any injuries that could be aggravated by massaging the area.
Most importantly, a client intake form is purposeless if the client is not honest. Some clients do not feel inclined to disclose certain information about themselves to their therapist. Perhaps you may think, hey, it’s just this one time. Or, maybe it doesn’t seem important, it’s just a massage. This is false. A few instances that may not seem harmful if gone unmentioned:
If you’ve taken an anticoagulant (blood thinner), deep tissue massage should be avoided. Your risk for bruising or bleeding is increased.
You may think popping a few pain relievers before arriving at your session is not a big deal. However, because your pain is only masked, there is potential for over-treatment and perhaps injury. Similar instance with muscle relaxants that can interfere with or reduce neural responses. This does not make you exempt from massage. It just gives your therapist valuable information on how to proceed with a treatment that is not harmful to your well-being.
What to Expect in a Client Intake Form
A good CIF should ask you for a brief review of your medical history, including all of the above and any current medications. Remember to mention anything that could be relevant, including pregnancy, accidents, injuries, surgeries you’ve had, and medical conditions that could affect your treatment.
Make sure that you tell the therapist about any issues you’re currently dealing with, too – even if they are trivial. If you’re suffering from regular stress headaches, for example, your therapist will be able to feel for knots and tension in the muscles that could be causing the problem, and concentrate on those during a massage.
We’ll need to take your contact details, too, and date of birth, for our records.
Once we have this basic document to work with, we can ask you questions that will help us to get to the bottom of what you need from your massage or treatment. A good therapist should never rely just on the CIF for their information; they should set aside plenty of time before the initial treatment to talk through your answers and ask you about your health needs and what you want from your session.
A Client Intake Form is there to help you and your therapist, so fill it in as comprehensively as you can, and we’ll make sure that you get a massage that really does work for you.
