MASK WEARING
Do I need to wear a mask the whole time, including when face down? If I'm vaccinated do I still need to wear a mask? Can I adjust my mask so it is not covering my nose and or mouth during treatment?
As per recommendation by the Provincial Health Officer, we are still requiring mask usage for both patients and RMTs. This means that you are required to properly wear your mask 100% of the time while you are in the clinic, including for the duration of your treatment. If you are uncomfortable lying face down with your mask on, your therapist would be happy to discuss other options for positioning with you. Masks deemed appropriate for treatment include double layer cloth masks with either a removable or built in filter, or surgical/medical grade masks. Gaiters, single or dual layer fabric masks without filters, face shields, masks with exhalation vents or improperly fitting masks, are not acceptable within the clinic.
WHY IS A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE SCREENING STILL NECESSARY?
"It's not your responsibility to screen me for symptoms of illness, why are you still doing this?"
This a question we are hearing a lot recently... Your RMT is in fact still required to screen every patient that they see for symptoms of communicable illness. While it is no longer a requirement from our regulatory college (the CMTBC) that we have written documentation of a COVID screening, we are still required to ensure that we are not treating patients who are exhibiting symptoms. As a clinic, we are choosing to continue requiring written documentation of health screenings for a few different reasons:
- so that we can try to avoid denying you treatment if you show up symptomatic
- so that your RMT can try to fill your spot if you are unwell
- so that if ever required, we can provide proof of our continued compliance with risk mitigation measures
As you may have noticed, your Communicable Disease Screening doesn't only include a symptom screening. It also includes information regarding what is required of you in terms of PPE usage at the clinic, sanitization protocols, and any other relevant information that we need you to be aware of ahead of your appointment. It IS still a requirement from our college that we give you all of this information ahead of time so that you can make an informed choice regarding your healthcare.
Our screening should take you no more than 1 minute to complete, and as always, we thank you for your continued compliance.
DO YOU OFFER DIRECT BILLING?
Currently, all of our therapists offer direct billing services for Pacific Blue Cross, Canada Life, Manulife Financial, RCMP and Veterans Affairs. Direct billing services for patients with an open ICBC claim are offered by Lara and Matthew.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T COMPLETE MY COMMUNICABLE DISEASE SCREENING BY THE DEADLINE?
If your Communicable Disease Screening survey is not completed by no later than 2 hours prior to your scheduled appointment, your appointment will be cancelled, and will incur a late cancellation fee. The deadline for completion is set at 2 hours so that your RMT has time to review your screening prior to heading into the treatment before yours. That way, if they have any questions, there is time for a quick follow up!
DO I NEED A REFERRAL FROM MY DOCTOR FOR MASSAGE THERAPY?
While some insurance providers do require that you have a referral from your family doctor for massage therapy treatments, it is not required by most. It is always best to check with your health insurance provider prior to treatment though, so that there aren't any surprises when you go to submit your receipt for reimbursement. For RCMP and VAC members, a current doctor's note must be provided for each calendar year.
I'M LOOKING AT YOUR INTAKE FORM, WHY DO YOU NEED THIS MUCH INFORMATION?
While it may not seem important at the time, all of this information is pertinent to your treatment with us. As primary healthcare practitioners, it is important for us to have a thorough medical history in order to provide the safest, and most effective treatment. The more information we have, the better able we are to help you. Previous injuries and surgeries can leave scar tissue that could be contributing to current issues that you are having today. Certain medical conditions may mean that certain techniques or modalities are contraindicated, or needing to be used with greater precaution, and while it may seem like a strange or unnecessary question, believe it or not, biological/birth sex is clinical relevant for us to know. Some medical conditions are more biased towards certain biological sexes.
IT'S MY FIRST TIME AT THE CLINIC, HOW LONG OF AN APPOINTMENT SHOULD I SCHEDULE?
First off, welcome! As it's your first appointment with us and we are getting to know you, assessment time is going to take longer than in subsequent treatments. For this reason, we typically recommend that you schedule a one hour appointment for your initial session, so that we have time both for a thorough assessment, as well as enough time for some good hands on treatment. After this, you can always lengthen, or shorten treatment times as desired. If you are unsure about the length of treatment you should book for your upcoming appointments, don't hesitate to ask your therapist!
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN RMT AND A BODY WORKER OR MASSEUSE?
Massage therapy students are put through a rigorous training program at an accredited college, with thousands of hours of education, including hundreds of hours of hands-on training. Therapists must have medical knowledge including anatomy, physiology and pathology in order to understand how the body works and how to identify health problems. Their extensive education is necessary because RMTs are professional, primary health care practitioners.
The College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia (CMTBC) was created to protect you, the patient. The CMTBC operates as the profession’s regulatory body, much like the College of Physicians and Surgeons. They examine and license all therapists, set professional standards including requirements for continuing education, and ensure patients receive safe and ethical care.
MY PHYSIOTHERAPIST CAN ACCESS MY MEDICAL IMAGING REPORTS ONLINE, CAN YOU?
Unfortunately not. If you have imaging reports (x-ray, CT, MRI) that are pertinent to your reason for seeking massage therapy, we ask that you bring a copy of your imaging report with you, when at all possible.