We recommend that you come dressed comfortably. Avoid pain killers if possible, and no alcohol on the day of the appointment. Good hydration days prior to bodywork is important.

We suggest you arrive 10 minutes early for your first appointment to get discuss your therapy goals with your therapist.

At Moonshadow, we provide you with the best massage experience we believe you deserve. Here are some of the things you can expect from us:

• Our relaxing environment is gentle to the senses. Each of our therapy rooms is designed to put your mind and body at ease.
• Our therapists are pleasant and well-trained in various massage techniques and biomechanical issues.
• You receive the time on the table that you have purchased. In other words, your time does not start until the therapist begins the session.  However, because of our time commitments to other clients, this can only be achieved if you arrive on time for your appointment.
• A sheet and blanket are always provided to respect your modesty and maintain professionalism.
• During your treatment, always tell the therapist if the pressure needs to be adjusted.  During sessions we like to give a firm but gentle touch to allow your body to process the bodywork.  Deep tissue massage refers to the depth of muscles we treat, not necessarily high-pressure application.
• We can focus on any area of discomfort or do a full body massage, which will include your back, legs, arms, and neck. If you have more than one physical pain it is helpful to prioritize them with your therapist if more time is needed at a specific area of discomfort.
• To receive bodywork, you can dress down to your comfort level.  Proper draping techniques are used, only uncovering the area being treated. Example, your back, one arm or one leg, while the rest of the body is covered.
• Water is always available.  After your massage you may experience a little soreness and hydration is essential, so be sure you drink plenty of water for the next day or two.
  

A common misunderstanding is that massage therapy (even deep tissue massage) must be painful to be effective. Pain during a massage is not a sure sign that the massage is helping. In fact, pain can cause muscles to seize up, making it harder for the massage therapist to ease tense areas.

Mild soreness is sometimes experienced after a session.  Correcting a soft tissue problem such as adhesions, tight attachments, and trigger points can cause some mild discomfort for a day or two after as the body readjusts.

Open communication with your massage therapist is key to a massage that meets your needs. If you have an injury or chronically tight or painful areas, be sure that your therapist is aware of it before the start of the session. If the pressure is too intense, tell your massage therapist immediately so he or she can ease up.

Typically, a massage therapist will ask you to undress to your level of comfort. Many people prefer to keep their underwear on during a massage. Women usually remove their bras to allow the massage therapist to work on the back and shoulder area without getting massage oil or lotion on clothing.  Proper draping techniques are always used, and you will be covered under a sheet and blanket to respect your modesty and maintain professionalism.

The massage therapist will leave the room while you prepare for the massage and give you time to get on the massage table, under the sheet and blanket.  Your therapist will knock and ask if you are ready before entering the massage room.

Although some people prefer to talk throughout the massage, do not feel like you must make conversation with the massage therapist. Many people close their eyes and try to relax. Your massage therapist should take the cue from you.

Deep tissue massage and sports massage are just some therapies that require more feedback. The massage therapist often works on deeper layers of muscle and will want to ensure that the pressure is comfortable.

Be sure to speak up during a massage if you:

• Feel too hot or cold
• Experiencing pain
• Have any questions about the massage
• Forgot to mention a health issue during the consultation

Clients vary with different ailments, some chronic, some intermittent. The therapies to help alleviate these conditions varies as well.

Some people walk away from a single massage therapy session feeling immediate relief, others have felt a physical improvement from their massage session the next day or a few days later, and some have required a series of regularly scheduled massage therapy sessions in order to notice significant improvements.

It is extremely helpful to communicate with your massage therapist about what you need help with so we can prioritize your issues.  Then we can help you understand the benefits we hope to accomplish in the one session or how soon you can expect those benefits from your massage therapy treatments. It is ultimately up to you to decide whether you want a single session or a series of sessions.

Your appointments and well-being are very important to us. We understand that sometimes, unexpected delays can occur, making schedule adjustments. Your therapist has reserved that time especially for you and would need an adequate amount time to fill it with another client. If you need to cancel your appointment, we respectfully require at least 24-hours’ notice to cancel to avoid paying for the full session fee. Please call 919-466-9494 or use our contact form on our website and send an email. Thank you for supporting our policies.

Our Policy:
Any cancellation less than 24 hours’ notice will result in a cancellation fee. 100% of the reserved session price will be charged. Also, if you are more than 15 minutes late for your service, we may not be able to accommodate you. In this case, the same cancellation fee will apply. We will do our very best to reschedule your service for another time that is convenient to you. We may require a credit card to hold your appointment. Cancellation fees will be charged to your card on file, or an invoice will be emailed to you.

The lone exception: If you fill your spot, we will waive the fee! Maybe gift your session/time slot to a loved one or colleague, let us know and we don’t mind switching the appointment info and you will avoid all fees.

Our recommendation is to wait at least two days after an injection, just in case you have a reaction.

• What does your medical doctor say about your risk of communicability?

If you have been cleared to return to work or to end self-isolation, then the risk of communicability should be over. We will require written medical clearance from your physician for any type of bodywork after a positive Covid-19 diagnosis.   If not, we need to delay massage therapy, for your benefit and ours.

• What does your medical doctor advise about getting physical activity?

If you are advised to return to normal activity levels as soon as possible, then massage is more likely to be safe. However, if you have been advised to be careful about exercise—as might be seen with a cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation program—then the intensity of massage therapy must also be scaled back.

• What do you do in terms of physical activity?

We need a clear sense of what kinds of physical challenges people put their bodies through on a daily basis. This might range from someone who is essentially sedentary, to someone who walks a few times a week, to someone who is training for an event.  Many COVID-19 survivors have widely varying and unpredictable levels of fatigue and energy. Massage may be contraindicated with newly scarred lungs or potentially inflamed blood vessels. We must not risk overwhelming someone’s physical capacity with overenthusiastic massage.

• Do you have any new (that is, since your infection) skin marks, lesions, or rashes, especially on the toes, but anywhere on the body?

If yes, we will need to delay the session until these have cleared, and especially in the area of any discoloration—this may be a sign of microvascular clotting/ bleeding, especially if the lesions don’t blanch with finger pressure.

• Do you have any new (that is, since your infection) experience of severe deep muscle or joint pain—unrelated to recent physical activity?

If yes, please consult with your primary care provider. This symptom might prompt people to seek massage, but it can be an indicator of acute inflammation, muscle damage, or poor tissue perfusion.

• Do you have any new (that is, since your infection) discomfort with exertion?

We are looking most specifically for chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, or cramping in a new pattern. If the answer is yes, please consult with your primary care provider, who should know about this, because it may be a sign of cardiovascular or respiratory distress.

• Are you taking any drugs to manage blood clotting?

If yes, delay massage until this is finished because of blood clotting and bruising risk.

• What other long-term consequences of your infection affect your life? 

This could include relapsing symptoms, kidney dysfunction, gut pain, headaches, heart problems, debilitating fatigue, seizures, PTSD related to the trauma of surviving a life-threatening infection, or things we haven’t even thought of yet. Decisions about bodywork must be made with these complications in mind.

Again, this list of questions must continue to evolve as we learn more about short-term and long-term challenges that people who have lived through COVID-19 may face.

We are excited to share that we are a fully vaccinated and boosted team of practitioners*! In North Carolina, Massage Therapists are considered Secondary Health Care and we are able to stay on the same schedule as your other health care providers. We hope this knowledge brings you an added sense of comfort in seeing us for massage therapy appointments. It is important to us to continue to reassure all clients that we are taking every precaution when it comes to keeping our community safe and healthy.

We continue to mask and wear face shields (while sitting for head, face or neck treatments) during session and at this time we request that our guests continue to mask as well. We appreciate all the wonderful support for our policies.

*At this time, any client who is scheduled with Cynthia Hales-Kepley, must be vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 to keep your session with her. We will update the website if any policy changes about vaccination requirements.