You've probably heard about therapeutic massage and its many benefits. Perhaps you've already experienced it. Here are a few suggestions to help you get the most from your massage sessions:

- If you've never had a massage before, make sure you tell your therapist. That way they can give you more information about what they are doing before, during and even after the session.

- If you're really not sure you'd like a long table massage, or can't afford one, try a chair massage first. Check your local day spas and natural food stores for availability. If they offer chair massage, your session could be as short as five minutes and you probably won't need to make an appointment.

- Allow time at the beginning and end of the session to change your clothes, talk to the therapist and arrange payment. If you have to rush in or out of the session you won't get the full benefits of the massage and may even feel like you wasted your money because you got stressed out again so quickly.

- If you're getting a half-hour or longer treatment, you will probably need to fill out some forms before your first session. Even if you don't, or if this is not your first visit, make sure you tell the therapist about the following:

- pain, stiffness, numbness, etc. - where it's located and how long you've had it

- any recent trauma you've had, for example, a car accident, fall, or surgical procedure

- allergies (for example, if you're allergic to sesame seeds, you don't want the therapist to use sesame oil for your massage)

- what kind of work you do, or any activity you do a lot of (for example, driving, lifting and carrying, or working at a computer)

- any serious or chronic illness you currently have (for example, diabetes or cancer) and how it's being treated

- any contagious illness you currently have (for example, a head cold or strep throat) and how it's being treated

This information will help your therapist design a treatment session that will be more helpful to you.

- You don't have to carry on a conversation with the therapist during the session if you don't want to, but do make sure you tell them if something they're is doing is uncomfortable for you. If you are very stiff or stressed out, you may not find all the different parts of your massage to be enjoyable, but the treatment should never hurt so much that you find yourself tensing up in order to "take the pain". If that happens, tell the therapist to lighten up. Massage is supposed to relax you, not make you tighter. (A lot of people who've had massage feel something they call "good pain". It's hard for them to describe, but when asked about it they say an area hurts some but also "it feels good to have it worked on". They are also not feeling like they have to stiffen up during this time.)

- You shouldn't have to take off all of your clothes if you're uncomfortable with that. As a matter of fact, you can still get a good massage even if you keep all your clothes on (just wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing). But please make sure the therapist knows this before the massage starts.

- If you are so relaxed after your treatment that you feel sleepy or "spacey", take time to wake yourself up before you drive home. You can do this by splashing water on your face, stretching or taking a brief walk, or if it's cold outside, just breathing deeply. Just do whatever you need to do to be alert for your drive.

These few simple steps are not that hard. But if you follow them, you'll find yourself enjoying your massage even more than you thought you would.