Marisol Martinez is one of the most highly-skilled, in-demand Licensed Massage Therapists in South Texas.  She focuses on each patient uniquely and individually, and (unlike many massage therapists) addresses the source of the underlying problem.

Because of her schedule's tendency to fill quickly, we require that all new clients seeking elective massage therapy at our office complete and submit all paperwork prior to scheduling the first appointment.

Please understand that we're a doctor's office, and not a massage facility.

• Our Licensed Massage Therapist's forte and preferred specialty is Medical/Neuromuscular Therapy.  She is quite talented in Integrative Massage Therapy as well, but strictly "relaxation" or "deep tissue" sessions are not something she provides.
  
• Our office often handles emergency cases, which can impact our schedule.  Although we respect our patients' time and try to minimize any deviation from that schedule, things do happen beyond our control.  We appreciate your taking this into consideration when scheduling your appointments.
  

Your First Visit:

New clients who would like to receive only massage therapy services must be screened before the first visit by one of the doctors at SA-FAM. For your convenience, the screening can be scheduled immediately before the first massage.  The screening is concise and non-invasive.  Simply wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing.  This evaluation usually lasts 15-20 minutes and is not expensive.  The doctor makes the ultimate determination, for your safety.  This is typically a one-time evaluation, unless your health changes or you experience trauma (such as a car accident or other injury).  You MUST keep the therapist informed of any such changes.

Then, your therapist will take a few minutes to address your specific concerns and obtain any follow-up information she needs in order to get you the best results possible.

If you've never had massage therapy before, or it's been a while since your last massage, it's extremely important to drink plenty of pure water after your massage to help metabolic wastes drain from your body.  If you don't do this right away, you may experience increased soreness, fatigue, mild nausea/headache, or mood changes.  If you had deeper work done, you may still feel some soreness the first or second day after your visit, even if you drank lots of water.  Please feel free to call our office with any questions or concerns; both doctors also hold manual therapy licenses.

Follow-Up Visits:

Consistency is key when trying to achieve a goal, whether it's stress management or pain relief.  With this in mind, Marisol may recommend a specific time interval for you in terms of how often you should receive a massage.

Each visit will begin with a few minutes taken to make sure your therapist understands your goals for the visit, and each visit ends with a few minutes to spare so that the next appointment can begin on time.

General Information About Massage Therapy at SA-FAM:

Your massage or bodywork session will take place in a comfortable room, with a warm table and upbeat music.  While some sessions will not require you to remove any clothing, some work may need to be done using hot stones and natural, non-greasy jojoba oil.  In such cases you'll be comfortably draped with a sheet at all times, with only the body part that is being worked on exposed at one time.  Your comfort is fully respected, and necessary for a fully therapeutic experience.

During the session, you will experience different and specific techniques to release muscle tension and improve your condition, using the pressure Ms. Martinez has determined that your tissues require, without feeling uncomfortable or like you have to tense up or hold your breath.

Your feedback is welcome and helpful! This helps us provide the most effective and therapeutic session possible.  Breathing is also very important, as is making the conscious decision to be open to receive bodywork and release stress and tension. Throughout your session, muscle sensations are different for everybody and will range from soreness or tenderness to stretching and referred sensations from trigger or pressure points, all of which lead to a release of the muscle.

When the session has been completed, the findings of tension will be identified and described to you and most likely will also come with some stretching and/or exercise advise. You should feel looser, lighter in the area of tension, and absolutely more relaxed.  If you needed deep work, some typical muscle and topical soreness should be expected the day or two after your massage.  Drinking plenty of water post massage is of urgent importance to flush out any metabolic waste released from the muscles during the massage and will help to lessen soreness.  Now, just enjoy!