For any kind of new experience, it is normal to wonder how you’ll fit or not fit into a situation. Sabrina has been offering relaxation massage for 20 years and acupuncture for over 10 and has hundreds of tips and tricks for making your treatment as enjoyable as possible.

Please know that despite some very toxic and shamed-based messages in the culture surrounding us, you don’t have to fit a certain mood to deserve care and treatment.

If you have a larger body:

• 3 of 4 massage tables at Vitality Treatment Centre have a lift capacity of 650 lbs.
• Acupuncture can be effective stimulating the space between your skin and muscles (so many nerve endings to send messages to the brain.)
• Acupuncture needles come in lengths up to 100 mm long to reach deeper, or into muscles close to the bone if you have a deep tight muscle you want to release.

​If you have wider shoulders or larger arms:

• We can use the sheets to create a hammock for your elbows or hands so you don’t feel like they are going to slide off the sides.
• We can use a mountain of pillows/bolsters on a chair beside the table to stretch your arm out to work on specific muscles or relax joints.

If your hands go numb while laying still:

• ​Very small acupuncture needles on bandaids can be used so you can move your arms freely.
• Small pillows or towels can be propped under elbows or wrists to change the angle of joints.

​If you are not comfortable laying flat:

• We have "pregnancy" cushions for taking pressure off the breast and low back while laying face-down.
• We have boosters and pillows so your head (and sometimes shoulders) can be elevated.
• You can lay on your side with pillows supporting your neck, waist, low back, hips and knees.
• You can receive acupuncture while seated.

If you are over 6 feet tall:

• We can place multiple pillows or bolsters under your knees. (Bent legs are shorter legs.)
• Please request room 4, where we can put a chair at the end of the table and stack bolsters to extend the table beyond 6 feet.

If you have difficulty with stairs:

​Our building has a small elevator.

If you have difficulty with getting on and off treatment tables:

• We have electric adjustable tables that can be set from lower than a couch to waist-height for most people, depending on which joints hurt.
• Acupuncture can be done while you are seated if that is more comfortable.

If you dislike taking off clothes:

Acupuncture can be done using points on the arms, legs, scalp, ears, lower back, and neck. You can be fully dressed or just have one pre-discussed area uncovered at a time.

If you always feel cold:

• We offer a table heating pad, a moist heat pad for specific areas, and an infrared heat lamp.
• Any area not needled can be covered by a towel or thicker blanket.
• You can usually keep your socks on.

If you always feel hot:

• Vitality Treatment Centre has a power air conditioner.
• We can put damp rowels in our freezer to cool specific spots, or for your headache, or sore joints.

If you have claustrophobia:

Vitality has bright, spacious windows with very adjustable blinds. The building's main stairwell has windows at each level and we are on the third floor.

If you are nervous about needles:

• It is your body and your treatment.
• You are allowed to stop any time or take a break for a few deep breaths.
• You can have a companion come with you to your appointment.
• Sabrina can stay in the room while you rest with the needles in.
• You can try just one needle during your free 20 minute consultation to see how you feel.
• We can limit needles to only places you can’t see them.

​If you are overstimulated by noise:

• Treatment times are available on Sundays and 7:30pm (last time slot) Mondays through Thursdays, which minimizes the noise of cell phones, conversations, traffic.
• You are welcome to bring your own noise-cancelling headphones.
• You might want to talk to Vivi Therapy and Compass Massage, who offer home visits.

If you don’t like not knowing what is happening (Autism Spectrum, PTSD, anxieties of all sorts):

• Sabrina will happily talk you through each step of the process.
• Any and all questions are welcome.
• Taking breaks until you are sure what to expect and ready to proceed is normal and okay.

If money is tight:

As a small business owner (buying her own insurance), know you are not alone. Sabrina offers $20 off 5 treatments a month. (Please add “Peer Support” to the comments when booking online.)

• We offer 30 and 45 minute follow up appointments for managing recurring issues.
• We can design your treatment plan with your budget in mind (the same amount of money give much better results if you cluster treatments together to break through an old pain pattern or scheduled close to holidays or stressful events if you are needing stress management.)
• You might have coverage through MSP for $23 off treatments.
• You might have coverage through extended medical plans offered by your employer or school or that of a parent or spouse.
• Some people get ongoing care at Pacific Rim College, Oshio College, West Coast College of Massage Therapy, Camosun College (athletic therapy/massage therapy) with sporadic one-on-one appointments in private clinics.
• Acupuncture can be offered to multiple people, fully dressed in arm chairs, at the same time.
• Community Clinics like Hemma and Victoria Centre Acupuncture and Massage have sliding scale treatments.