Covid-19 and Massage

In the last few weeks so much has changed in our world as a whole and in the world of massage.

What has stayed consistent is the need to protect each other from transmission of the virus. Currently, Washington state is still under a stay-at-home order and massage, except in very rare cases, is not an essential service. While this order is in place Bellingham Massage Clinic remains closed.

How will massage be able to resume?

Massage therapists in Washington state will be required to abide by certain precautions including but not limited to: using PPE and requiring our clients to cover their nose and mouths with some form of a mask, more frequent cleaning, and the use of specific cleaners that are known to kill this novel coronavirus, and much more to be expounded upon in a later post. Because of the unique nature of massage it is very important that these guidelines be followed. Bellingham Massage Clinic will not make exceptions under any circumstances.

Governor Inslee’s Reopening Plan

The “opening” of Washington state will (thankfully) not be done lightly or overnight; science and data will be the guide. You can read more about it here. Within the plan there are phases for different types of business  / activities and when they will be allowed to resume.

In what phase does massage fit?

Here’s the challenge: massage is not explicitly mentioned in the re-opening plan and it is a field that is significantly different from many others:

  • It is different from hair stylists and nail salons which will be allowed to open in Phase 2 because massage therapists spend significant time in a closed room and often these rooms do not have good ventilation. We cannot just leave doors and windows open due to privacy needs.
  • It is impossible to observe social distancing.

Where does that leave us?

We all must remain adaptive, ready to change when new things are learned about the virus, the disease it causes, the effects of the disease, and it’s transmission. Here is what I know will change with my practice:

  • No one who is even mildly sick can get massage, this includes if someone has “just a cold.” We no longer know it’s “just a cold.”
  • Gloves will be the new norm. Gloves are an important part of PPE and will be worn for ALL massages. Unfortunately, since gloves cover only hands, the usual tools of the massage trade such as forearms and elbows will not be safe to use. Massage will feel different.
  • Masks will stay a part of life including when someone is getting  / giving a massage.
  • Other PPE such as face shields or goggles will become the new norm as well.
  • All surfaces will be wiped down with approved cleaner between massages and extra time will be added to allow for effective cleaning.
  • Changes of clothes: I (and all other massage therapists) will be figuring out our new massaging wardrobe. This might mean a switch to scrubs and will require changing between each massage.

And finally, a more personal note:

Please take this seriously. This virus is deadly for some and not enough is known about it to know exactly who that is. Risking someone else’s life is not acceptable. Beyond that, if someone is diagnosed with Covid-19 that person (and their family) then has to shoulder the costs of medical care and loss of income, including the worst case scenarios. One thing that I think the pandemic has finally brought to light to more people is how selfish it is to share one’s germs. I have had a policy of allowing for illness related late cancellations without fees for years now to combat my own loss of income (as well as protect my family, see below). The reality was that a couple of cancellations in a month were easier to handle than loosing whole days or weeks because I caught whatever illness a sick client had. This is more important now than ever before.

And finally: I am married to someone with a chronic illness who does not respond to even a “cold” like a normal,  healthy person. We do not know how he would handle being ill with Covid-19. I will not tolerate the flouting of the Department of Health’s or my own guidelines. I can and will refuse business to anyone who does not respect them. I will not put myself and thus him at unnecessary risk just because someone wants a massage and doesn’t take this pandemic seriously for themselves. There will be no negotiations or bending of rules. 

Illness Policy Update

Hello everyone,

I wanted to provide a new update to my illness policy:

Due to the spread of the coronavirus worldwide I’m tightening my rules surrounding massage and sickness. If you are scheduled for a massage with me and you feel like you are coming down with something, even if all you have are mild symptoms, I want you to cancel your massage and reschedule.

If you show up at my office and are coughing, feverish, or otherwise don’t look well I will send you home and we will reschedule your appointment.

Why this is important: I work with the elderly and others with compromised immune systems and I do not want to expose them to a virus that puts them at risk for hospitalization or death. If you have been following this outbreak you will have learned that the people who have been hospitalized or have died as a result of contracting this virus have compromised immune systems.

In addition to this, I am married to someone with a compromised immune system.  I do not want to expose my husband to a virus that could land him in the hospital or result in his death.

As a final note, I think we have a responsibility to our communities to take precautions to protect our more vulnerable neighbors. While healthier individuals may only end up with mild symptoms, this may not be the case for others. As such, when sick staying home is the best option.

Please be a good citizen and client, let me know you aren’t feeling well, stay home, and see your doctor if they suggest it.

For more information about the coronavirus and keeping yourself and others safe The World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control are the experts and their advice should be followed.

Thank you for understanding.

Melissa D’Haene LMT

Future Schedule Changes

Recently I decided that I wanted to condense my schedule in the near future. Generally, I work less than I did two years ago (this is me being responsible and taking my own self-care advice; I’ve been practicing for just over twelve years and massage is hard work!) and I moved out of the city limits so I now have a “commute,” though it pales in comparison to the commute I had the first two years of practice when I worked in the greater Seattle area.

For summer 2019 I will be experimenting with three-day work weeks: Tuesday-Thursday and Wednesday-Friday. By the end of the summer I will chose a schedule based on client preference and my own. The hours will stay the same: 2pm-6pm.

Medical Insurance – Why I’m No Longer Taking It

In early 2018 I, and thus Bellingham Massage Clinic, stopped taking all major medical insurances (this does exclude PIP insurance which a person uses when they are in a car accident – I still bill this insurance!). It was a hard but necessary decision.

For the previous few years the administrative work involved in billing insurances had increased significantly, the rapidity of payment had decreased for many (but not all) insurances, the frequency of software errors that I experienced due to insurance companies increased (which increases both the admin work and the time before reimbursement), and the pay decreased (this was the deciding factor for me) from one of the big insurances I used to take.

In addition, in the last twelve years there has never been a pay increase to compensate massage therapists for the increase in cost of living as far as I am aware (meaning, all the massage therapists I have spoken with over the years have literally never had a pay raise from insurances). In fact, it’s unclear if there have ever been pay increases from insurance companies for massage therapists. As such, over time taking insurance became a financial challenge for my business; with the pay decrease it was not feasible.

In the last year I have taken steps to remove my name from the insurance companies I used to take. Occasionally, I receive a call from someone who finds my name listed offering either a discount to someone with a particular insurance (I no longer offer discounts of any kind) or even listed on an insurances provider list and I try to have my name and contact information removed (this takes some time after I have submitted the paper to the correct department). I apologize for any confusion this might cause. Unfortunately, it was more challenging to stop taking insurances than I had expected and I’m continuing to take steps to remedy the problems as they arise.

As a final note to all my former insurance clients:

Thank you so much for your business and for allowing me to treat you throughout the years. It’s been a pleasure and I wish you all well!

Exercises for Mid-Back Posture

Often I’m asked about what to do to fix and prevent back pain. I can suggest stretches, but what’s often needed are exercises which happens to be outside my scope of practice. Of course I can and do refer out to physical therapy etc. However for those that aren’t in a place to pursue physical therapy it’s nice to find and share things to do at home and at the office. I ran across this video that showing fantastic act ivies that are simple and balanced. The great thing about this video is that it includes movements that should increase mobility as well as actions that will help to strengthen muscles. Usually people who have issues with posture need to not only stretch their muscles and joints but also need to stabilize them. Feel free to check it out to see if it might be helpful for your situation.

Note of caution: Please be careful if trying out these exercises(or any exercises). You don’t have to give 110% the very first time you do rotations or any action. Being diligent in giving yourself time and patience should help you avoid an “over-doing it” injury – this means you Type A personalities!

 

~Melissa

 

 

Posture and Back Pain

It’s well understood that having poor posture can cause or aggravate back pain – upper, mid, and lower. However, we might know something but do we actually put much credence in it? Slouching can’t be that bad! Well, for some people maybe not, though I wouldn’t count on it. But for the majority of people, poor posture is the reason their discomfort never really goes away.

Think about it. If you spend 16 hours awake, up and about, sitting, standing, (even lounging on the couch) and your default posture is poor, that is a very long period of time in which your body is living outside it’s prefer position. Some muscles are stretched further than is ideal. Other muscles shorten and become tight. Overall, your body will adjust, but only so far without protest. Eventually it  will start to object by sending pain or tension signals to your brain. Then because life is so busy or what-have-you, those signals get ignored until the muscles are positively shouting. It’s then that you pay attention. Some people take pills, others get massage, still others start stretching. What is often forgotten is all that time spent in a less than ideal position. Sure those things are useful but if you don’t take the time to correct your posture then it could be all for naught. And yes, this includes massage. Massage therapists can only do so much. It’s up to each person to make changes at home and work that will benefit their bodies positions.

There are many things you can do to improve your posture, building self-awareness is part of it. Along with that are a few other things including, stretching and strengthening, Harvard Medical School has some good suggestions. Beyond home activities, if your posture muscles are feeling especially weak, it might be a good time to find a personal trainer who can provide coaching to help your rebuild strength in specific muscles and help to balance everything else out. And if it turns out your pain is severe enough, or you feel like you need help before you can get to a gym find a good physical therapist who can give you exercises that are challenging and beneficial.

 

Be Consistent and Patient

When healing from  injuries, it’s not uncommon to hit a point at which one’s patience runs out. Pain should be gone, soft tissue should be healed already! Feelings of frustration and impatience are normal. However, the reality is that the body needs time. This is especially true is you are healing from a repetitive strain injury. If it took years before the problem became disruptive, it’s probably not going to be resolved in a week or even within a month. Also, if you daily life includes an unavoidable activity that aggravates the injury, healing can be delayed. Really, there are a myriad of things that can stall or dramatically slow the healing process. Try to remember to respect your body and it’s healing process – give it time and consistency.

The people over at The Whole 9 do a good job at addressing the reality of what it takes to better one’s physical situation. The founders of The Whole 9 have worked in physical medicine and have plenty of experience helping people heal from injuries. Their post The 400,000 Hour Body is to the point, and definitely worth the read – especially if you are experiencing frustration and need a reminder to keep at it. Your body deserves the time you can give it so that it can progress in it’s healing process.

 

 

 

 

Updated Gift Certificate Page

My new gift certificates page is done! You can  now choose different massages (before there were only options for Swedish massage), you can choose to add essential oils to many of the massages. There are easy options for choosing where it should be shipped. And finally, you can even choose to purchase multiple gift certificates as well! I’m so excited! It feels much easier to manage and should be equally as easy to use.

Please do let me know if there are any problems or if you have suggestions.

Thank you!

~Melissa

 

 

Get better sleep!

Most people have heard that sleep is important. In spite of this, many of us continue to survive on less than adequate sleep. If a problem isn’t immediately apparent, everything is fine right? Not necessarily.

In June of this year Dr. Kirk Parsley M.D. spoke at TEDxReno, covering the importance of sleep. He touched on how it can affect your brains ability to process things both psychological and physiological, as well as it’s importance with regards to blood pressure, blood sugar, and more. With sleep deprivation, even if you feel fine, your cognitive awareness decreases. It’s similar to happens when you have an alcoholic drink or two. Beyond that, sleep deprivation puts you at risk for almost all diseases. It’s not something that should be ignored.

In my area of practice, there are definite problems with someone is sleep deprived. For one, they don’t heal or progress in their treatment as quickly. It’s also common for those dealing with loss of sleep to be more anxious, and less able to make beneficial changes that should allow them to heal faster. And like Dr. Parsley mentioned, most of the people falling within this category say they feel “fine”. However, feeling “fine” is very different from feeling great. Treat yourself well and get more sleep!