Pregnancy, an injury, or medication is a question for your own clinician
A shop agreeing to see you is not a medical clearance. Ask your own clinician before you book, and tell the shop any limit you were given.
Updated 2026-10-29
Pregnancy, a recent injury, a surgery, or a medicine you take can change whether a massage is a good idea. That question belongs to your own clinician, not to the person taking the booking, and not to this website. A shop saying yes means the shop accepts the booking. It is not advice about your health.
The College's page on what a massage therapist is says a registered massage therapist asks for personal health information relevant to a treatment plan, and then may treat. That intake is part of their work. It does not replace the clinician who already knows your pregnancy, your injury, or your prescriptions. Section 3 of the Massage Therapy Act, 1991 defines the practice as assessment and treatment of soft tissue and joints. Read that as the scope of a profession, not as clearance for your case.
When to ask before you book
| Your situation | Ask your clinician | Do not treat this as clearance |
|---|---|---|
| You are pregnant | Whether a massage is appropriate now, and any limit on position or pressure | A page that advertises prenatal massage |
| You are injured, or you recently had surgery | Whether to wait, and what to avoid | A desk saying they can "work around it" |
| You take medicine, or you have a condition your clinician is following | Whether massage interferes with that care | A style word such as "deep tissue" or "relaxing" |
| Your clinician already set a limit | Tell the shop the limit before you start | Starting because the limit was hard to explain |
If your clinician says a massage is fine with limits, tell the shop those limits before you lie down. If you cannot explain them in a shared language, do not start. How to have that conversation is in Do not start until you understand the service.
A shop's yes, and a person's registration, are different facts
A website that lists a specialty, or a person at the desk who says they can take you, is telling you the shop wants the booking. If you also want a registered massage therapist, ask who will treat you and search that name. The register matched a business, not every person in the room. Registration does not answer the clinical question. Your clinician does.
The College's 2024 annual report says the practice specialist's 1,277 questions in 2024 included collecting a health history. The profession treats health history as something to ask about. You should too, with your own clinician, before you use the shop's form as the only conversation.
If it hurts anyway
A clearance to book is not a reason to stay through pain. You can ask for less pressure or stop. That is More pain does not mean a better massage.