At the end of May in Ontario, health care practitioners, whom were told they were unable to work at the beginning of the pandemic were now allowed to work right away.
This came as a surprise to almost ALL RMTs in the province. We all assumed massage therapy clinics would maybe be allowed to open in Phase 2 or Phase 3 in the opening of the province of Ontario, not Phase 1. Luckily, being in lockdown for the past 2? 3? months has made us, RMTs, all proactive in setting up our treatment rooms and clinics.
So, what can you, as a client now expect to do when coming in for a massage in these post-COVID days?
- Arrive on time for your appointment and sanitize your hands
- Complete the screening questions that may have been sent to you the day before your appointment and again before your appointment
- Wash and sanitize your hands when you arrive and after treatment
- Wear a mask throughout the treatment, unless unable to (such as having asthma)
If you feel unsafe about coming back to visit your RMT, listen to your instincts and wait it out and return on your own terms.
Now, what can you expect your RMT to be doing before, during and after a massage treatment?
- Answering any questions you may have in regards to health measures set in place
- Keeping track of clients coming in and out of the clinic
- Changing and cleaning linens, pillows and blankets between each treatment
- Disinfecting the treatment room and all surfaces that may have been touched during treatment
- Wearing a mask
- Washing and sanitizing hands before and after treatment
What else am I doing as I begin to open up my practice?
- All of the above ^^
- Offering virtual kinesiology services, educating on self-massage and remedial exercises to help deal with any discomfort gained from working from home (email me if you’re interested)
- Taking a longer time in between each treatment, to allow sufficient cleaning protocols
- Practicing social distancing during working hours and during my personal time
- Being there for you
Above all, your RMT is going to be understanding if you’re coming in with high anxiety and they will try their best to relax you. As more clinics start to open in the coming weeks and months, we’ll gradually get use to the new protocols and slowly become more comfortable with this new world of massage. If you’re not ready to visit your RMT, that’s okay. We haven’t seen anything like this before and we’ll all be ready at different times. Just know, we’re here for you.
P.S. Stayed tuned for my VLOG about my first day back to work!
Dylan Crake RMT & R.KIN 
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