Tick what applies today and get a color-coded answer: postpone, tell your therapist, or fine to book. Then print a pocket pressure scale card for any appointment.
Updated October 24, 2026 · Free to use · Bookmark it
Tick every item that applies to you today. Then press Check My Answers. The most serious group you tick sets the result.
Three results, each with a color and a word. The color is never the only signal.
You ticked something from Group 1. These items are reasons to reschedule: a fever, a contagious illness, a skin irritation where the work happens, a swollen or painful calf or leg, chest pain or shortness of breath, an injury or surgery in the last 48 hours, or severe pain you cannot explain.
Tell your therapist you are postponing and talk to a doctor about anything that worries you. For chest pain, shortness of breath or a sudden severe headache, call 911.
You ticked something from Group 2. Therapists adjust pressure or technique for many of these items, and they do that only when they know.
Cleveland Clinic lists blood thinners, leg blood clots, tumors, osteoporosis and implanted or attached medical devices as reasons to speak with a provider before massage. The checker flags those items for a doctor visit as well.
Do not change any medicine because of this checklist. Questions about medicine go to your doctor or pharmacist.
Nothing on the postpone or tell-your-therapist lists applies. Book your massage and mention anything that changes before the session starts.
This result is general information. It is not a diagnosis or a medical clearance.
Print this card, fold it into a wallet or phone case, and hold it up at any appointment. Pressure feels different to every body. Numbers and plain phrases make it easy to say what you feel.
Cut along the dashed line. Fold in half.
A plain-language scale for talking, not a clinical measure. Say a number, then adjust.
At most, massage feels like a good hurt. If anything feels painful in a bad way, say so right away. You are in charge: ask for a change or a pause at any time, and say stop whenever you want.
AMTA says a therapist asks about your health, medications and areas of pain before a session. The University of Minnesota adds that massage affects body systems such as the cardiovascular and nervous systems, which is why honest answers matter.
NCCIH, part of the National Institutes of Health, says the risk of harm from massage appears low. It also reports rare cases of serious side effects, such as a blood clot, nerve injury or bone fracture. NCCIH adds that massage does not replace seeing a provider about a medical problem.
Postpone when you tick Group 1. Speak up when you tick Group 2. Book when nothing applies. A short checklist is no substitute for a doctor, and it never replaces the intake form your therapist gives you.
Open the Soreness or Red Flag guide if your soreness feels different from ordinary.
Items without a named source in these guides are left out on purpose. Recent tattoos or piercings, recent vaccinations, a recent concussion and alcohol or drug use are common intake topics. They are not listed here because no medical or massage body page opened for this tool states a rule for them. Tell your therapist about them anyway.
No. It sorts common reasons to postpone, to speak up or to book. It does not diagnose anything and does not replace a doctor. When an item worries you, ask your doctor.
The most serious group wins. One item from Group 1 gives the postpone result, even if you also tick items from Group 2.
No. Nothing leaves your device and nothing is stored. Reload the page or press Clear My Answers and the checklist is empty again.
Light, medium, firm and deep give you plain words to pair with a number. The scale is a way to talk, not a clinical measure, and each therapist reads the words a little differently.
Maya Sharpe, LMT, 220 Thunderbird Dr, Richmond Hill, GA. Monday to Friday 9 AM to 8 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 1 PM, Eastern Time.