4th July Announcement...being next in line when they close the ride & what to expect in a treatment.
Updated: Sep 9, 2020
At least that is what it feels like for me at the moment. Has that ever happened to you? It has me. Legoland with 2 small children on a hot summers day, queuing for over an hour, for the last ride of the day before going home. It's hot, we're tired, hungry and thirsty. We are finally next in line when the ride is shutdown due to technical difficulties. Oh the frustration and disappointment.
That sums up how I feel about the government announcement that massage therapists will no be able to return to providing hands on treatment after 4th July. Don't worry, this blog won't be a tirade about how unfair it is. And I know it must be frustrating, and perhaps worrying for you as well, especially if you are in pain and not able to get in for an appointment. On the upside, I'm very excited about getting my haircut. At least when I start treating you hands on I'll have had the opportunity to get presentable again. No-one wants an untidy therapist.
I may not know exactly when I can return to the clinic, however what I do know is the way massage treatments are conducted will change. I thought I would share with you what it will look like in the future. Give you a chance to get your head around it. These changes are based on what we do know about the Covid19 virus:
It is spread by droplets that come out of your nose and mouth, talking to some-one in close range increases your chance of transmission.
Touching your face can spread it to your hands.....and your hands touch things, surfaces and other people.
The virus can remain active on surfaces for up to 48hrs.
So taking this into account, how do we go about providing/receiving a massage and staying safe, because my arms are not 2m long.
Reduce the amount of face to face time and talking. This means conducting the consultation part of the appointment via a video call first, both new and existing clients. My preference is video, I can assess your range of movement. The physical appointment will involve walking in, getting on the table and keeping talking to an absolute minimum. I will probably have to wear a mask and visor. After care instructions for stretching will also be done in a follow up video call.
Good personal hygiene. Wash your hands, wash your hands and wash your hands again. Now this is not a new one for me. I always wash my hands immediately before and after a treatment. What is new is that you will be asked to wash your hands upon entering the treatment room.
Increased cleaning of the treatment room. As soon as you have left, the treatment room will be given a clean down with disinfectant. Clean linens will be put on the couch (this already happened anyway, I always changed ALL the linens after each client). However, the couch and face cradle will also get a wipe down as well. Plus I will be changing my work clothes after each appointment. Everything gets washed at 60 degrees (again, this is not anything new to my practice).
Reduced number of appointments per day. Due to additional cleaning requirements and a need to ventilate the room between each session, appointments will be half an hour apart, rather than 15 minutes. I will be increasing my treatment hours to five days per week.
Clinical minimal look is in baby. Sorry, that means no comfy chairs, cushions, rugs, curtains or wall hangings. Be prepared for the room to look a bit bare.
Track and trace. As I will be coming into close contact with several people a day, I will be asking all my clients to use track and trace should they develop symptoms. Not just for me but for all my clients safety.
Most importantly of all.....if you develop symptoms please stay home. Cancel, even if you start to feel iffy on your way in to the appointment, it's ok. We'll reschedule for when you are better, or if you are in real need of treatment we can do a self care treatment via video. If some-one you live with develops symptoms cancel, it's ok.
I'm also very fortunate to be an aromatherapist, which means I will be using essential oils with anti-viral, anti-bacterial properties to help clear the air after an appointment. I can't quote any scientific evidence about Covid19, however I can say there is evidence regarding essential oils ability to reduce microbe levels in the air.
So, I know some of this is not ideal, I'm still getting my head around it. However I think it's going to be ok, a lot of this is not new. My focus is on being able to provide you with as safe an environment as I can offer. If making these changes above means I can return to treating your muscular pain hands on, then I'm all good. I hope you are too.
In the meantime I am still open for business, I'm just doing it in a different way via a video call. I guess what I'm saying is, a hands on treatment in the future will involve a video call, so why put off getting help for muscular pain problems waiting for a hands on treatment? You can book in with me now for a video call. I can teach you some advanced massage and stretching techniques. We can do the stretches together, it will help me get fit for when I return to the treatment room!
Take care and hope to hear from you soon.
Kylie