Terms and conditions for a sports massage therapist

A sports massage practice needs terms that deal with what actually happens on the couch: the client who leaves out the recent fracture on the health form, the deep tissue session that leaves them aching for two days, the marathon entrant who cancels on the Saturday night, and the rugby club that takes months to pay for a season of pitchside cover. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Sports and remedial massage therapists in England and Wales, whether you work from a clinic room, a gym floor, a mobile round or an event tent. Most of your clients are consumers booking for themselves, which brings consumer law into play, but many therapists also invoice clubs, gyms, employers and race organisers as business customers. One set of terms should be written for both.

What matters in a sports massage therapist's terms

Screening, contraindications and the limits of what you do

Your terms should make the client responsible for completing the health questionnaire honestly and for telling you about changes: a new injury, recent surgery, blood thinners, pregnancy, a suspected fracture. They should also state plainly what you do not do. You assess and treat soft tissue, you do not diagnose, and you do not replace a doctor or a physiotherapist. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 information the client relies on becomes binding, so the wording on your website and intake form has to match the limits your terms set, not overstate them.

Soreness, bruising and informed consent to deep work

Deep tissue and trigger point work commonly leaves clients tender, occasionally bruised, and sometimes less mobile for a day or two before they improve. That is a normal treatment response, not a defect, but only if you told them first. Your terms should record consent to the depth and pressure used, the areas to be worked and how draping is handled, and the client's right to ask you to stop at any point. Liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence cannot be excluded, so the value here is in expectation setting and a clear record, not in a disclaimer.

Cancellations, no-shows and block packages

A cancelled sixty minute slot is rarely refilled the same evening, and race week brings a spike in late drop-outs. Set a notice period, say what you charge inside it, and take a card or deposit at booking so the charge is collectable. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a default charge must not be disproportionate to what you actually lose, so an entire session fee for a cancellation you could have refilled is harder to defend. Block packages need an expiry, a rule on transfers to training partners and a stated position on refunds for unused sessions.

Clubs, teams, gyms and event organisers

Invoicing a semi-professional club for a season of pitchside and clinic cover is a business contract and needs different mechanics: number of sessions, cover for fixtures and away days, what happens when a match is postponed, whether you may send a substitute therapist, and who supplies couches and consumables. Payment terms should be stated and backed by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, which gives interest and fixed compensation on overdue commercial invoices. Set a liability cap for the club contract and exclude loss of playing revenue and similar indirect losses.

Working in a gym, clinic room or event tent

If you rent space from a gym or share a clinic room, your client terms must square with the host's rules on access, opening hours, insurance and whether the client belongs to you or to the gym. At mass participation events you are often treating strangers at speed with a paper form and no history. Your terms should cover on-site screening, the shortened consent you take, refusal of treatment where symptoms suggest something that needs medical attention, and who the contract is with when the organiser has paid for the tent.

Online booking, health records and the information you must publish

Bookings taken through your site, by message or over the phone are distance contracts under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, which give the client fourteen days to cancel and require pre-contract information. A session inside that period needs the client's express request, and a package bought online should acknowledge the position before the first appointment. The Provision of Services Regulations 2009 require you to publish your legal name and address, your terms, your insurance and any professional body membership. Health questionnaires are sensitive data, so your terms should state retention and who may see them.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted around your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want to know how much of a problem they are. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of terms drafted around your business, not a template with your name inserted
• A covering note in plain English explaining every commercial choice I made and why, so you can defend the terms in a negotiation without ringing me
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions set at a level that will survive a procurement review
• Consumer-facing wording drafted to be enforceable where you sell to consumers
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly, which is where most businesses actually fail
• One round of amendments after you have read them

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country

Questions I am often asked

Can I state in my terms that post-treatment soreness is not my fault?

A blanket disclaimer will not carry you far. What works is describing the expected response before treatment, recording that the client agreed to the pressure used, and separating a normal reaction from a claim that you worked carelessly. The terms support your notes; they do not replace them.

Should a rugby or running club sign something different from my individual clients?

In most cases the same document can carry a separate section for club and organiser bookings, covering fixtures, substitution, invoicing and a liability cap. Where a club wants a full season of cover with exclusivity or kit and room provision, a standalone agreement is usually the better route and I will tell you which you need.

What if a client turns up with something I should not treat?

Your terms should give you an express right to refuse or stop treatment on clinical grounds and to charge for the appointment where the reason was something the client failed to disclose. Refer them on in writing, note what you saw, and do not offer an opinion on what it is.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Consultancy and contractor agreements, £595
• Ask Caesar, £495 a month
• Terms and conditions for a personal trainer
• Terms and conditions for a massage or complementary therapist

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.