Frequently Asked Questions

Please note: we have relocated our practice to join ProHealth Clinics in New Westminster!

COLD, FLU AND COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS

If you are showing any signs of cold, flu or Covid-19 you will be asked to leave and your appointment will be cancelled. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home and reschedule your appointment to help everyone stay safe and healthy.
To prevent the spread, we do not accept cash. Debit, Visa, Mastercard, Apple/Samsung/Android Pay, American Express and E-Transfers are all acceptable methods of payment.

If you are experiencing any cold, flu or Covid-19 symptoms or feel unwell, please reschedule your appointment.

WHAT IS THE CANCELLATION POLICY?

Your appointment time is reserved just for you. A late cancellation or missed visit leaves a hole in the therapists’ day that could have been filled by another patient. As such, we require 24 hours notice for any cancellations or changes to your appointment. Patients who provide less than 24 hours notice, or miss their appointment, will be charged a cancellation fee. First occurrence will receive no charge, but a review of our policy. Second occurrence will result in a 50% fee for the time booked. Third and Subsequent occurrences will incur a full fee for the time booked. If you are 20 minutes late for your appointment without notifying your RMT, your appointment will be cancelled. Your insurance provider is not responsible for missed appointment fees or cancellation fees.

Thank you for understanding.

IS THERE ANYTHING I NEED TO DO BEFORE MY APPOINTMENT?

Please fill out your health intake form online prior to your appointment (an email including a link to the intake form will be sent to you prior to your appointment). This form will help your therapist come up with a treatment that is safe & effective specifically for you.

DO YOU OFFER DIRECT BILLING?

You are eligible to file and submit your own claim (I am registered & can provide you a receipt for you to manually reimburse the treatment). We do not offer direct billing.
We do NOT offer billing with MSP.
We do NOT accept ICBC nor WCB claims.

WHAT ARE ACCEPTABLE METHODS OF PAYMENT?

Debit, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple/Samsung/Android Pay and E-Transfers are all acceptable methods of payment.
We do not accept cash.

WHAT DOES APPOINTMENT TIME CONSIST OF?

Appointment times include:

A thorough history & assessment prior to treatment
Massage therapy treatment
Homecare post-treatment

Please arrive for your appointment on time. If you are running late, please call the clinic at (778) 397-2626 and leave a detailed voice message to let your therapist know you are running behind. The appointment starts at the booked appointment time. If your appointment is scheduled at 4:00 PM & you are 10 minutes late for a 60 minute treatment, your appointment will still end at 5:00 PM. The history, the assessment & the homecare cannot be skipped under any circumstances.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR APPOINTMENT TIME

Prior to treatment, we will complete a thorough assessment through history questions and/or orthopedic tests (if applicable). This will give your RMT the information to formulate a custom treatment specifically for you.
Throughout treatment, your RMT will regularly check-in with you using a pain scale.
Post-treatment, your RMT will assign homecare. These exercises and/or modifications are to provide you with longer results and to help increase the awareness of your body.

HOW DO I ENTER THE NEW WESTMINSTER PROFESSIONAL BUILDING?

Skin Et Bones Registered Massage Therapy is now apart of ProHealth Clinics located on the sixth floor, unit 603, of the Westminster Medical Building located at 625 Fifth Ave in New Westminster.
The entry doors to our building automatically lock at 6pm. If you have a treatment that starts after 6pm, please wait downstairs. Your therapist will come down to let you in.

IS PARKING AVAILABLE?

There is free 2 hour street-parking on 7th Street, on the river-side of Fifth Avenue. There is free parking on Ash Street (between 7th and 8th).
Immediately behind our building, there is a pay-parking lot ($1.50/hour, credit card only).
There are two small outside lots, and an adjacent indoor lot; please note that if you park indoors, the gates close at 6 p.m.
The border of block that our building is on is metered street-parking (coin or card).

WHAT SHOULD I BRING TO MY APPOINTMENT?

1. Photo ID.

2. A method of payment; we do not offer direct billing. You are eligible to file and submit your own claim. Debit, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple/Samsung/Android Pay and E-Transfers are all acceptable methods of payment. We do not accept cash.

WHAT IS HOMECARE AND WHY SHOULD I BE IMPLEMENTING IT ON A REGULAR BASIS?

The therapy doesn't have to stop at the door as you leave. Homecare are steps given to your by your therapist to take home and care for yourself. It is a great way for you to see continued results from your massage therapy treatment! Homecare usually consists of:

A stretch: to help continue to lengthen a shortened muscle or muscle group.
A strengthen: to help strengthen a weakened muscle or muscle group.
Hydrotherapy: to help decrease tension/promote circulation and/or manage pain (heat) OR to decrease swelling/slow down circulation and/or manage pain (cold) OR to help promote circulation (contrast).
A modification to your activities of daily living: to see if we can fix something in your everyday life that may be a causing factor to your pain and/or discomfort (ie: bending at the knees instead of the back when picking up something/or a child/or washing dishes).

These 4 suggestions can be effective ways to help you feel more comfortable in your body and to help contribute to overall well-being. Your therapist will always offer to email you your homecare instructions.

WHY DO I FEEL TENDER/SORE AFTER MY APPOINTMENT?

It is common to feel slightly tender and sore after receiving a therapeutic treatment. As treatments become more regular, you will notice the reduced recovery time. If this is your first treatment, your body will need time to adjust, which should last no longer than a day or two.

HOW MANY TREATMENTS A WEEK AM I ALLOWED TO RECEIVE/BOOK?

At this time, we only allow ONE treatment per patient per 7-day period.

More than one treatment per week is reserved for specific health conditions and/or concerns where increased treatment frequency can be clinically justified. Your therapist requires a note from your physician supporting the need for more frequent treatment before approving additional appointments.

Booking multiple treatments that occur within the same 7-day period is not permitted unless you have discussed this with your therapist and received approval before booking. If you book 2 or 3 treatments within the same 7-day period without approval, all upcoming appointments may be cancelled and you may lose your online booking privileges.

Please understand that wanting to use up extended health benefits is not a clinical reason for receiving multiple treatments per week and will not be accepted as justification for increased treatment frequency. Treatment frequency is based on your clinical needs, not the amount of coverage you have remaining.

Similarly, booking multiple appointments simply because you are unsure of your availability is not permitted. This is unfair to your therapist and to other patients who are trying to book appointments.

Massage therapy is intended to be part of an appropriate treatment and self-care plan. If active rehabilitation, exercise, physiotherapy, or other healthcare services are recommended, massage therapy may be used alongside those services rather than as a replacement for them.

Please do not book multiple appointments within the same 7-day period unless your therapist has approved this in advance.

Thank you for understanding and respecting this policy.

CAN I RECEIVE TREATMENT UNDER SOMEONE ELSE'S NAME OR CAN MY SPOUSE/OTHER FAMILY MEMBER AND/OR FRIEND USE MY BENEFITS INSTEAD OF ME?

No. The patient must receive treatment under their own legal name. ID will be required upon first treatment. Each patient must be billed under their own legal name for legalities, health intake forms, billing, and charting/treatment.

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