Should you come in for a massage when you are experiencing a flu or cold this season?
I love working with my clients. Truly I do. My work and the people I touch bring so much light into my world. But I am always astonished that some of them come into the intimate setting of the massage room with either a full blown cold or flu. I know they need some TLC. But the massage table is not the best place to get it. Especially with COVID still present. It’s important to remember that your massage therapist LMT can get sick. But not only that, everyone she/he touches or who breaths in or comes into contact with a live virus is prone to catch the same thing with enough exposure.
Stay at home if you have the flu. Get some rest and heal if possible.
Some of the symptoms to look for are:
Cold:
- stuff or runny nose
- sneezing
- cough
- eyes watering
- fatigue
- headache
- light fever
- congestion
Flu:
- stuffy and/or runny nose
- headache
- weakness
- fatigue
- dry cough
- fever
- congestion
- body aches and pains
Colds tend to be milder. They also seem to be much short lived.
For more information on colds and flu check out: Colds and the Flu
The best thing you can do is to rest, and take good care of yourself and others with plenty of sleep, and/or speaking with your physician. Also- just so you know, sometimes massage can aggravate your illness if too much activation is going on in your body systems. Not to mention, I think I have read that some Chicken noodle soup can really help to!
Don’t be afraid to cancel if you are sick:). Since I wrote this post, I have switched away from massage to Craniosacral Therapy. COVID has had a big impact on many so please be mindful of resting and taking care of yourself, as well as keeping others healthy!
Sharon Hartnett CST-D
703 509-1792
www.craniosacraltherapistcolumbus.com
