Is Mobile Massage Therapy REALLY More Expensive?

Why is mobile massage therapy more expensive than my RMT in a clinic?

Sure, Mobile massage therapy can be more expensive than a clinic setting. Let’s start out with the fact that mobile massage can provide the exact same care as a massage therapist in a clinic setting or a spa setting. Massage therapists, no matter the setting, can do all sorts of therapeutic techniques from general Swedish massage to joint mobilizations and even prescribing remedial exercises and hydrotherapy. So WHY are mobile massage therapists more expensive then? Now imagine all of the equipment that massage therapists use and have access to in a clinic or spa setting vs needing to be prepared as a mobile massage therapist.

The mobile massage therapist has to bring ALL of the equipment needed to and from the client’s home. This means that the mobile massage therapist has to keep in mind things such as:

• Gas/diesel

• Car maintenance

• Km’s on car to and from appointments

• Massage table/chair

• Sheets and additional linens

• Pillows/specialty pillows

• Hydrotherapy equipment

• Remedial exercise equipment such as resistance bands, weights, ankle weights, etc

• Oils, lotions, gels (so the client can decide what is needed)

• Paperwork/files/laptop/notes/point of sales equipment

• The set up/take down/carrying of all equipment

• other equipment such as music….anything necessary for a proper treatment that is safe, comfortable and effective for you.

Essentially, the RMT is bringing the clinic setting to you instead of you going to a clinic setting. The RMT may not be saving you money but is the extra $20-30 worthwhile for you to have a trained health care provider come to you personally and exclusively? Providing you with undivided attention in the comfort of your own home? Where you don’t have to get out and drive in the winter so you can stay warm, or in the summer so you can stay cool? Ask yourself this. What if you work from home? You desperately need your shoulders and arm done because you’ve been sitting at a desk for months on end and your body is now telling you it’s time to do something about it. Now, you don’t have time to run to get a massage for your lunch, but you can plan for a mobile RMT to come to your home and provide you a well-kneaded (pun intended) massage within your time frame at your home. This allows you to go back to work afterwards feeling wonderful, without worrying about being late. Your RMT packs up and heads out without hassle and you don’t need to do anything more. How wonderful would that be?

What if you’re recovering from surgery, or a motor vehicle collision? How convenient would it be to not have to travel in a car. Trust me, I've been there, having spinal surgery and needing to drive/be driven to and from appointments. I, for one, didn’t enjoy the first few months of rehabilitation after surgery for fear that I wasn’t strong enough to make it to an outside source. I was recovering during winter months, and the snow made it difficult for me to go for walks or to get my laps in for endurance. I was afraid of falling on ice, especially when people don’t shovel their sidewalks properly. I didn’t love sitting in the car rides to the doctors that were 20-30 minutes from home or the 20 minute drive to physiotherapy. I wished someone would have come to me to help me with the environment I was in the most. To get back into doing my activities of daily living first before excelling into the working world. Having those fears such as traffic, slips and falls, getting hit/knocked over by something/someone, the bumps and potholes in the road. All of these things are valid reasons for concern in the early stages of healing, so why wouldn’t you have a health care provider come to your home? Don’t get me wrong, as an RMT I want to see you out and about moving so going to appointments out of your home have perks and benefits as well. These are reasons as to why mobile massage therapy is helpful even though it may be $20-30 more expensive.

You could even break down the cost further. Say you ask for a 60 minute appointment which would cost $90-110 in a clinic setting. Your massage therapist takes 5 minutes to set up the sheets before you get there, plug in a table warmer and you’re here! You come, get your massage, and the massage therapist spends 60 minutes exactly with you then you’re on your merry way. They pack up because they have a break between clients and set up for the next client. All of the equipment they need is there. Now you get a 60 minute appointment with a mobile RMT. The RMT has to drive to you carrying all equipment, come to your house, walk up stairs/downstairs with a table/chair, bag of linens and other equipment as listed above. The RMT sets up your table, gets it comfortable for you. That’s easily 20-30 minutes of travel and set up time before the appointment. Then you get your 60 minutes, in your own home, undivided attention, and when the time is up there’s a 10-15 minute take down and cleaning of the equipment to which the RMT will lug it back out again and drive home or to their next client. So in total, your 60 minute massage is almost 1.5-2 hours of the RMT's time and they're billing you for 60 minutes at a slightly higher rate to make that 1.5-2 hours worthwhile for everyone

Now this isn’t a message to say, USE ONLY MOBILE MASSAGE THERAPY! That’s just not the case.. I also work at a clinic and have just as many reasons for you to go there or to a spa. This is just a blog with the opinion of 1 RMT with some insight into the thought process of a mobile massage therapy business and to answer the FAQs surrounding the topic. If you have further questions please don’t hesitate to contact me in my contact us section for more details.

All the best and more,

Nicole