Massage FAQs

Even if you don’t have a specific health issue, massage therapy can provide many benefits, such as:

• Increased circulation
• Stimulation of the lymph system, the body's natural defense against toxic invaders
• Release of endorphins, the body's natural painkiller
• Improved range of motion and decreased discomfort associated with lower back pain
• Relaxation of injured and overused muscles
• Reduced muscle spasms and cramping
• Increased joint flexibility
• Help recover from strenuous workouts
• Pain relief from migraines
• Reduce post-operative adhesions and edema, as well as reduced scar tissue

The added benefit of massage therapy at Elements Massage™ is something we call The Elements Promise™. If your massage doesn’t live up to your expectations, let us know — and the next one is on us. 

Please call the local studio where the membership originated or where you had your last massage if you have trouble logging into your online account. One of the studio’s Wellness Membership Advisors will be able to help you gain access to your account.

The massage therapist's time has been reserved especially for you. Please follow the local studio’s policies to reschedule or cancel your appointment to avoid any late cancellation fees.

After your massage that same day, there are some easy, pleasant things you can do to help prevent some of the next-day soreness:

• Be purposeful about your water intake, both before and after your appointment. As mentioned above, hydrated muscles are more flexible. Also, there are some strongly-held beliefs that drinking water after a massage can help to flush away the toxins released by massage. Staying hydrated is never a bad idea, and before or after a massage session is no different.
   
• Do some gentle stretching that evening, paying special attention to your trouble spots that received the most attention during your massage. 
   
• Take a warm bath, ideally with Epsom salts (1/2 cup to 1 cup for adults), and soak for 20-40 minutes. Epsom salts are an inexpensive and effective way to further help your body rid itself of toxins and reduce muscle inflammation. You also get the added bonus of absorbing the beneficial magnesium found in Epsom salts through your skin.

 As your body becomes accustomed to regular massages, you’ll experience the next-day soreness less frequently, making the experience that much more pleasurable.  If you are looking for a wonderful massage, contact your local Elements Massage.

Coupons or discounts cannot be combined with any other offers.

If using a gift card to pay for the session, you must present the gift card at the time of service. Some gift cards are valid only at the independently owned and operated Elements Massage studios identified on the card. Session-based gift cards cannot be split into shorter sessions and are redeemable for the session type identified on the card’s front. Gratuity is not included. Gift Cards cannot be used toward membership autopays or other gift cards. There is no cash value for gift cards and they cannot be replaced if damaged, lost, or stolen. There is no cash redemption for gift cards unless required by law and then only to the extent required by law.

• Studios service minors under the age of 18 with written consent (Minor Consent Form & Client Intake Form) from a parent or guardian prior to performing the massage. Parents/Guardians must remain in the massage room during the entire session.

• All minors must keep their undergarments on for the entire duration of the session and clients of minor age will be matched with the same-sex therapist. If a parent/guardian or minor client wishes to have a massage therapist of the opposite sex, the parent/guardian will be required to acknowledge permission on the minor intake form.

Many clients are unsure if and/or how much they should tip their massage therapist. We recommend you think of your massage therapist as you would a waiter in a restaurant. Our studios’ therapists love what they do and your tip may reflect your appreciation for their service. We recommend tipping percentages be based on the full price of a regular massage, rather than the discounted price.

You should undress to your desired level of comfort. About half of our clients prefer to be completely undressed, while the other half prefers to keep their undergarments on. This is completely up to you. You will undress and dress in the privacy of your massage room and will be securely covered by a blanket and a sheet during your massage session.

A Master Massage Therapist has completed the Professional, Elite, and Master level training or other additional education and has a minimum of 2 years of employment with Elements Massage studio. These massage therapists demonstrate the highest level of mastery of hands-on massage and well-being skills, and continue to maintain high performance standards across all client satisfaction metrics.

For those who use massage as preventative care or to manage daily stress, one massage a month is common. Weekly sessions may be desirable if you are receiving massage for injury relief or to relieve chronic tightness that is interfering with your daily life. There are many people who incorporate massage therapy at least twice a month for optimal therapeutic relief.

If redeeming a gift card for a service, a valid credit card  must be provided to book a session. At the end of the service, please present the gift card for final payment.

An Elite Massage Therapist has completed at least a one year tenure with an Elements Massage studio and consistently demonstrates mastery of The Elements Way. To reach this level, they have successfully completed both the Professional and advanced Elite Massage Therapist training, continuously have performed various session enhancements for individual client needs, and are consistently achieving high client satisfaction metrics.

Studios strive to maintain a comforting and calm environment for clients and staff, so as a courtesy, it is asked that you do not bring in infants or toddlers in. Children may not at any time be left unattended and unsupervised in the lobby and are not allowed to accompany you into massage rooms.

A license means that a massage therapist has met the requirements and paid the fee to legally practice massage in your city, county and/or state. To obtain a license, a massage therapist will usually have to complete a minimum number of training hours at an accredited or accepted school or training center and will have to undergo a full background check prior to receiving that license. Each state has specific licensing and/or certification requirements for massage therapists.

You will be properly covered or draped at all times to keep you warm and comfortable. Only the area being worked on will be exposed. No areas will be exposed without your consent. You should always let your therapist know if you are uncomfortable for any reason during your massage session.

A session consists of massage, time for you to dress and undress and time to communicate with the therapist to make your massage truly customized. Each time you visit an Elements Massage™ studio you will go through our service path called The Elements Way®. This is done to ensure each and every massage session you receive from us meets or exceeds your expectations.

The short answer is YES! We have quite a few regular members under the age of 18.

Children benefit as much as adults from the physical and mental benefits of massage. Young athletes, in particular, improve their performance, stamina and well-being when massage is incorporated in their training routine. Massage can improve flexibility and range of motion and speed recovery from strenuous workouts. 

We do require a parent or guardian to complete a consent form prior to working on minors. We ask that you communicate any specific preferences, needs and/or medical conditions when you book the appointment. We also require that the parent remain in the room during the massage.

Give us a call if you have any additional questions about working with minors.

After your intake consultation with your massage therapist, they will step out of the room while you undress to your comfort level and get on the massage table. Most sessions start with the client face down, but your therapist will let you know if a different approach is indicated. In some situations, it is even appropriate for a client to remain full clothed for all or part of the session, for a Shiatsu massage or Sports stretching.

You will be covered with a sheet and blanket at all times during the session. Our therapists use conservative draping techniques and will check in with you to make sure you're comfortable.

As with everything else, please let your therapist know if you have any specific needs or requests around draping. 

There are several tools available to check the credentials of any massage therapist:

Are they licensed?Here in California, massage therapists can be licensed by their local municipality and/or certified by the state. The California Massage Therapy Council("CAMTC") was created by the California Legislature to protect the public by certifying massage professionals in California that meet the requirements in the law, and approving massage programs that meet the minimum standards for training and curriculum. On the CAMTCwebsite, you can check to verify whether a therapist is certified.

Have they passed a criminal background check? Therapists undergo extensive background checks to become CAMTCcertified. At Elements Massage, we contract with an independent agency to run an additional background check, in order to ensure we have the most current information. The agency checks for criminal activity in any county where the therapist has lived for the past several years; they also check the National Crime Index Database & Sex Offender Registry. No therapist is hired who hasn't passed these rigorous checks, and we update them annually.

Get recommendations from friends, family and review sites.The best recommendations often comes from people you know. We use client surveys from Listen360 to make sure we're maintaining the highest client satisfaction ratings in the industry. You can read those reviews on our website. We are also proud of our outstanding reviews on Yelp.

The safety and wellbeing of our clients and our team members is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining a safe, healthy and empowering atmosphere. Our talented team of massage therapists are not only highly qualified, they are passionate about their craft and devoted to your care.

We offer 1-hour, 90-minute, and 2-hour sessions. All sessions include time for changing and consultation with your massage therapist to make sure they're able to customize your session and meet your needs.

If you're just looking for a little relaxation, a 1-hour massage session is a great place to start. That's enough time for a full-body massage, and even for your therapist to provide a little extra focus on a problem area. 

If your muscles are quite tight, or there are multiple areas that need attention, we strongly recommend a 90-minute session. 

We usually recommend that you book a 2-hour session only if you've had experience and prefer sessions of that length, or if your massage therapists recommends it for subsequent visits.

If you've had massage before, you probably know how much pressure has been helpful. Be sure to let your massage therapist know. They will customize the pressure level based on what you ask for and what they find as they start working your muscles, and they will check in with you multiple times to make sure their pressure level is working for you. 

"No Pain, No Gain" is a common misconception. Just because your muscles are super tight doesn't necessarily mean deep tissue massage is in order. You need to be able to fully relax in order for the muscles to release. If you're tense and bracing because the pressure is very deep, it will be difficult for your muscles to let go. You won't get the full benefit of the massage, and may even experience more pain or bruising.

Our therapists are assigned pressure levels from 1-4, indicating what you can expect in their sessions. Those levels are explained in more detail below. 

We reserve your time and your therapist just for you, so we require 24 hours notice to make changes or cancel your appointment. Changes with less than 24 hours notice are subject to a fee, and no shows are charged the full session cost.

We generally call or email appointments confirmations as a courtesy; however, the client is responsible for keeping the appointment with or without a confirmation call.

Please contact us immediately if you have any change in your plans. We are always happy to help!

If it's your first massage, a Swedish massage is a great place to start. It's probably what you think of as a massage - long, flowing strokes designed to relax and rejuvenate sore muscled. The pressure level can be light, firm, or somewhere in between.

If you have a specific issue, pain or injury you want to resolve, other techniques may be helpful, either as standalone modalities or as a way to treat those focus areas in the context of a full body Swedish massage. You can learn more about various modalities here.

The good news is that our certified massage therapists are all trained in a number of different modalities. Our Wellness Advisors can help you determine which therapists are the best fit to meet your specific needs.

If you're browsing our schedule or looking for appointments online, you'll usually see numbers in parentheses next to the name of each Massage Therapist. This is the Elements Level System, our shorthand way of indicating the range of pressure levels at which each therapist is most comfortable working.

Level 1: Light Pressure massage for relaxation & stress reduction.

Level 2: Light to medium pressure massage for relaxation and stress reduction.

Level 3 : Medium to firm pressure massage to specific muscle layers including some trigger point techniques which are used to penetrate layers of muscle to relieve pain and release any knots & tension. (Mostly hands & forearm strokes with some use of the elbows.)

Level 4 : Deep to Very deep pressure massage addressing the deepest layers of musculature including intensive trigger point work on highly localized knots areas of tension. (Mostly hands & elbow strokes with use of knuckles.)

Most Massage Therapists have a range. If you see a +, it means they'll go up to the next level selectively. For example, 1-3+ means the therapist is comfortable working from levels 1-3, & will go to very deep pressure during a session to work out a specific focus area, but are not comfortable working at that very deeper level all day long.