Frequently Asked Questions

Your Questions, Answered

FAQ: FAQ

Where is Smage Massage located?

Smage Massage is at 4660 99 Street, in Letourneau Center in Edmonton, AB, located just north of Whitemud Drive, directly on 99th Street, on the West side of the street.

It is found inside the Alberta College of Massage Therapy building, through the furthest North entrance. Smage Massage is located on the main floor, making it easily accessible. It is immediately to the right, once you have entered the building.

How should I prepare for my first massage treatment?

Before your first massage appointment, please fill out the online intake form and send it back. All files are maintained electronically, so this will save paper in the office, and time before your appointment. If you have any questions about the intake form, please email me at tcuthill@telus.net.

Please arrive 5 to 10 minutes before your appointment, so that we can start your treatment right on time.

Your massage will begin with a brief discussion about your intake form. Addressing any concerns, or goals that you have for the treatment.

If you have never had a massage before, you may have other technical questions. You will be shown to a massage table and a location to leave your belongings, before your therapist leaves the room so that you can get comfortable.

During the massage, you will be undressed to your comfort level. For most people this can be down to your undergarments or less. If you choose to keep on more, that is fine as well. Your massage may be modified, including having the therapist massage you through clothing if you had wanted massage to an area that is now covered in clothing. If you remove more, your privacy will be maintained during the massage, with only the specific areas of your body that were agreed to be treated are uncovered. If you have any concerns or questions regarding how much to keep on/remove, please address that before you get on the table, so that you can feel as comfortable as possible.

You will be instructed on how to get onto the table. You will end up being covered by the top sheet on the table. Face up or face down will depend on your massage focus, if you miss that instruction, feel free to lie on the table either way, your therapist will instruct you when they need you to turn.

Your therapist may begin the treatment using myofascial techniques. These require no lotion being applied, for better grip on the fascia - the layer of tissue between skin and bones and muscles. You will have lotion applied during the treatment.

After the treatment, your therapist will again leave the room, so that you can get dressed in private.

At any time during the massage, if you have questions, concerns, or are uncomfortable, please let your therapist know so that changes can be made.

Which Insurance companies are able to be direct billed for massage therapy?

Smage Massage is set up to direct bill through the Telus Health portal, which works with a range of insurance companies to allow direct billing for massage.

These insurance companies include:

Alberta Blue Cross
BPA - Benefit Plan Administrators
Canada Life
Canadian Construction Workers Union (CCWU)
Chambers of Commerce (Johnston Group)
CINUP (Johnston Group)
ClaimSecure
Co-operators
Cowan (Express Scripts Canada)
D.A. Townley
Desjardins (payment will be sent to the client, but online submission can be done for you)
First Canadian (Johnston Group)
GMS Carriers 49 and 50 (Express Scripts Canada)
Green Shield Canada
GroupHEALTH
GroupSource
Industrial Alliance
Johnson (Express Scripts Canada)
Johnston Group
LiUNA Local 183
LiUNA Local 506
Manion
Manulife
Maximum Benefit (Johnston Group)
Sun Life

Should you be set up with one of these insurance companies, you will need to sign a consent form for Smage Massage to be able to process the claim and have payment sent to the clinic instead of yourself. This is submitted electronically as well. Please note that you need to fill out this form and it can be sent to you before your appointment. Another option would be to pay for the appointment and have your massage submitted for you, so that payment gets sent to yourself. Only the insurance information would be submitted in that case, and not the assigning of your payment to the clinic.

There have been rare incidences where the payment is not processed as stated and is sent to the client instead of the clinic, despite the claim saying that it was coming to the clinic. In these instances, the client will be contacted and payment will be required. To help minimize the inconvenience, a credit card can be accepted over the phone or an e-transfer can be sent to avoid requiring a second trip to the clinic. Such errors have been seen very rarely, but being aware of their possibility is important.

What should I expect during a Therapeutic or Relaxation massage?

During your therapeutic or relaxation massage appointment, your therapist will discuss your goals and focus for the treatment. This can/will include which areas of the body you would like to have worked on, as well, as any to avoid, if you have a specific complaint and would prefer to avoid spending time on areas that are not a current issue. Goals can include things like pain or stress relief, or increased range of motion following a few visits.

Depending on the reason for your visit, some assessment may be performed, such as pointing out areas that are of concern so that they can be palpated/touched, or performing an action that is currently causing pain, such as moving a shoulder through the actions that aggravate it. This assessment is usually quite focused based on the information that you have already provided on the intake and through the discussion when you arrive for the appointment.

At this point, you will be instructed to undress to your level of comfort and the therapist will leave the room to wash their hands before the treatment starts. Some people feel comfortable keeping undergarments on, while others prefer to not. In both instances, you will be covered while on the table, and your privacy protected. You will be directed at a safe location to keep your belongings.

You will get on the massage table under the flat sheet, so that you are on the fitted sheet. Depending on the treatment goals, you would be instructed to either be lying face up on the solid part of the table, or face down, with your face in the face cradle, looking at the ground. If you missed that information or it wasn't given, please lie on the table in either position and you will be adjusted as needed.

Your therapist will knock before entering the room. You will only be undraped to the level that is acceptable by massage therapist associations in Alberta. Only the area of the body currently being treated will be uncovered. If at any time you are uncomfortable - temperature or pressure, or any other discomfort, please let your therapist know so that adjustments can be made or treatment can be stopped - whether the entire treatment, or treatment in the specific area that is uncomfortable, such as a recent bruise that is not liking the pressure.

Once the massage has concluded, your therapist will leave the room so that you can slowly get up from the table and get re-dressed. You will open the door once you are ready.

What should I expect during my Chair massage?

Chair massage treatments are shorter in duration than massage on a table. These treatments are ideal for individuals with limited time for treatment, or limited mobility. The chair minimizes the amount of effort to change positions, from face down to face up. As well, it saves time with the undressing and redressing stages of a massage, as the client remains clothed.

Before your chair massage, your therapist will discuss your goals and focus for the treatment. Chair massage is generally an upper body/low back treatment, it is ideal for stress reduction and a quick reset for the body. It is less ideal for specific issues, unless those issues stem from the areas being addressed.

At this point, you will be shown to the chair and instructed on how to get into it properly and safely. Massage chairs are highly customizable, and can be adjusted to find the right position that is comfortable for you. You will remain

The massage techniques used will include compressions to specific areas, and some lifting of muscles. Lotion is not used during the chair massage. Since the treatment is applied over clothing, comfortable clothes are recommended, but not required. Short sleeves would be ideal for the arm treatments, but again, these can be performed through clothing as well.

Once the massage has concluded, your therapist will leave the room so that you can slowly get up from the chair. You will open the door once you are ready. If you need assistance, the therapist can remain to help you.

What should I expect during my Jade stone massage?

Jade stone treatments usually include some heated stones and some cool stones applied to the body. The heated stones are in a roaster of water at 50 degrees Celsius. The cool stones are in a container with water and ice cubes. The stones themselves are not ice cold.

During your Jade stone massage appointment, your therapist will discuss your goals and focus for the treatment. This can/will include which areas of the body you would like to have worked on, as well, as any to avoid, if you have a specific complaint and would prefer to avoid spending time on areas that are not a current issue. Possible goals can include relaxation and reducing inflammation in an area of the body.

With the Jade stone massage, the therapist is placing some stones on your body in strategic locations for a specific purpose, while using other stones in their hands to apply massage strokes to the body. With the stones in their hands, palpation of specific tissues is lessened, so the treatment is more of a relaxation massage focus than a therapeutic massage. However, the temperature changes from the stones will have a therapeutic effect, causing your blood vessels to dilate or constrict as a response to the applied stone.

Once you have established the focus for your treatment, you will be instructed to undress to your level of comfort and the therapist will leave the room to wash their hands before the treatment starts. Some people feel comfortable keeping undergarments on, while others prefer to not. In both instances, you will be covered while on the table, and your privacy protected. You will be directed at a safe location to keep your belongings.

You will get on the massage table under the flat sheet, so that you are on the fitted sheet. Most jade stone treatments begin with the client face down, so your face will be in the face cradle, looking at the floor.

Once the massage has concluded, your therapist will leave the room so that you can slowly get up from the table and get re-dressed. You will open the door once you are ready.

What is Manual Osteopathic Therapy?

Manual Osteopathic Therapy is a practice that has its roots connected to a medical practitioner from 1908. AT Stills was a medical doctor, who sought to treat clients using non-invasive means. He believed the root of all disease stemmed from a lack of proper blood flow through the body, and that easing restrictions to blood flow, lymph movement and craniosacral fluid would remedy disease.

AT Stills strived to keep his treatments separate from medical interventions, however upon his passing, in the United Stated, Osteopathy was incorporated in Allopathic medicine. With this, the term "Osteopath" became a licensed term and can only be used by Medical Doctors in the United States and Canada, with the proper training.

The Manual Osteopathic Therapist follows the European differentiations, allowing non-medical doctors to perform treatments. The focus remains aligned with AT Stills' methods, using gentle techniques to address restrictions in the body. These techniques include assessing bones, visceral organs, blood flow, cranial rhythm and fascia for restrictions.

The therapist will have you engage your body in certain ways for parts of the treatment, using minimal effort on your part to make adjustments. Other times, your therapist may place their hands on your body to both feel the movement of your tissues, and induce a slight change.

You can expect to feel relaxed or exhausted following your treatment, depending on how much energy was required from your body for your healing. The belief is that a change has been made and your body will incorporate that and make changes accordingly. You may feel changes over the coming days, or you may simply notice that your symptoms have lessened without really noticing a difference.

Manual osteopathic therapy can also be used as a preventative treatment. If you do not have a particular complaint, an assessment can be done to find any areas out of alignment, and a correction can occur before compensating issues arise.

How should I prepare for my first manual osteopathic treatment?

When you book your first Manual Osteopathic Treatment at Smage Massage, an intake form will be automatically sent to you. Please fill it out and send it back so that your appointment can start on time.

Your Manual Osteopathic treatment will be performed clothed and you will move through some actions. The movements are to assess restrictions in the body, so ideally you want to be wearing clothing that allows free movement. Shorts or yoga pants, and a tank top or t-shirt are ideal. If you forget to bring flexible clothing, some options can be provided for you.

You will be given an opportunity to change before your assessment begins. Once your therapist returns, you will be instructed through your treatment when you are needed to perform active movements.

Which Insurance companies recognize manual osteopathic therapy?

Currently, Manual osteopathic treatments are unable to be direct billed by therapists. However, your treatment can be reimbursed under your insurance benefits. This is usually listed under your benefits as Osteopath, which is a misnomer in Alberta, as an Osteopath is a medical doctor, whose services would be covered under your Alberta Healthcare card.

Due to the education attended, the Manual Osteopathic Treatments offered through Smage Massage fall under the Type 2 WHO model. This means that instead of attending a 4 or 5 year program, the therapist attended a condensed 13 month program, that acknowledged the rigorous training in Massage Therapy that is delivered in Alberta. Some associations do not currently recognize the Type 2 WHO model.

Current insurance companies that recognize the Manual Osteopathic treatments offered at Smage Massage include:

Alberta Blue Cross
Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance
CINUP
Cooperators
Desjardins
Equitable Life
Greenshield
Johnston Group
Maximum Benefits
Sunlife
Manulife

Your receipt will include the therapist's association number that is required when submitting your receipt to your association.

What should I expect during a Manual osteopathic treatment?

During your Manual Osteopathic Treatment, you will be clothed. There will be assessment, treatment and reassessment being done. You may be asked to position yourself on the table, perform particular actions and then get off the table again.

The appointment will begin with a recap of your health history and any changes that have occurred. Your goals for the treatment and anything that your therapist should be aware of.

Your therapist will guide you through the assessment, describing and demonstrating the actions that you will follow. This can be modified if your mobility is restricted.

At times during the assessment, some treatment may be incorporated. You may not be fully aware that a treatment is being done, as you will continue to be instructed on your part of the treatment.

Depending on what the issues are, and what treatment is required, you may get a chance to rest on the table, or you may be more actively involved. The body uses energy to self-correct, and you may feel tired following your appointment. Other times, you may have the same relaxed sense, as you would following a nap.

Some of the adjustments made may be subtle, so you may not feel drastic changes. Instead, you may notice a lessening of your original complaint.