Ah, cold and flu season. All across the country, people are stocking up on hand sanitizer, tissues, and chicken soup in anticipation of that first traitorous sneeze. Most of us are extra careful about germs this time of year, but it’s especially important for massage therapists. Because you work directly with people’s bodies, you have a slightly higher risk of catching infections like colds and the flu than the average population. You’re also more at risk of passing it on.

Getting sick with this kind of contagious infection means interrupting your practice and cancelling clients, which no one wants to do. And in the case of the flu, there can be even more serious consequences — this year’s flu season has already led to 69 hospitalizations in Alberta.

So what can massage therapists do to increase their chances of making it through flu season infection-free? Here are our tips:

1. Wash your hands (and your clinic)!

This is common sense advice, of course, and it applies to clients and therapists alike. One of the best safeguards against catching and spreading viruses and other pathogens is to break the chain of infection. In cold and flu season, all of the standard precautions that you take when it comes to personal and clinic hygiene—such as disinfecting your table and other surfaces between clients, keeping nails trimmed, using flip-top or pump dispensers to prevent cross-contamination of oils and lotion, and of course washing your hands—are even more important.

Washing Hands by peapod labs on flickr. Licensed under CC 2.0

Hands are the number one way that diseases like cold and flu are spread, so it’s worth reminding yourself of best practices in this area and seeing if there’s anything you can do to improve your habits. Here are some handy (pun intended!) online resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Alberta Health Services about good handwashing technique, including posters for your clinics. And we recommend using regular liquid soap (rather than the antibacterial kind) and using the paper towel you’re drying your hands with to turn off the faucet and turn the doorknob.

And don’t forget that anything you or your clients touch in your clinic can harbour germs, so regularly cleaning well-used surfaces is a must. When you’re looking around the office for things to wipe once you’ve done the phone receiver and massage table, don’t forget less obvious surfaces like the lotion bottles, doorknobs, your cell phone, and debit machine.

It’s also a good idea not to touch things that you don’t have to. Speaking of the debit machine, don’t handle clients’ cards—instead, consider allowing clients to use the hand-held device themselves while you stick to the main console. And if you currently fetch each client a glass of water after their massage, perhaps put an attractive pitcher of ice water on a stand with glasses and encourage them to help themselves instead. 

2. Take a sick day (and have your clients do the same)

Giving someone a massage when you’re sick isn’t fair to them, and massaging a sick client isn’t fair to you. If you think you have the flu, you should cancel your appointments. Your clients will undoubtedly be disappointed (because you’re such a great therapist!), but they’ll appreciate your professionalism.

If a client shows up for an appointment exhibiting symptoms that make you suspect they may be contagious, exercise your judgement. Should you proceed with the appointment, and perhaps perform a modified massage, or reschedule them for when they’re feeling better? Of course, if they’re in the throes of the flu it’s unlikely they want to do anything other than curl up in bed with hot tea and Netflix, but remember that whether to give them a massage is your choice. Keep in mind that a fever of 38.5°C or above is an absolute general contraindication for massage, and that massage can exacerbate cold and flu symptoms. If you feel it’s best to reschedule, explain your reasons and your client will respect your caution.

You might reduce your chance of disappointing clients by putting a little bit of information about the issue on your clinic website—some basic guidelines educating them on when massage is and isn’t appropriate could be a great service for both of you.  

3. Take care of yourself first

Cold and flu viruses are opportunistic jerks. They will take advantage of any chink in your armour to try to make you sick, and when you’re stressed out, overtired, or otherwise run down your immune defences won’t be firing at full capacity. So looking after your own general wellness is a key step in keeping the bugs away. Eat well, stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and keep on top of any existing health conditions you may already be experiencing. The flu vaccine is available without an appointment at many pharmacies, and there is still time for it to take effect before the predicted “peak” of the season in late December if you choose to get it.

It’s easy to let these things slide, especially as the holidays are coming up. But it’s difficult to take care of others if you’re not looking after yourself as well. So treat yourself with the same respect you offer your clients, and look after that body!

 

We hope that this helps you and your clients stay healthy and happy this season. Do you have anything to add to the discussion? Please share your experiences and advice in the comments.

 

Sources: The information in this post comes from our experienced instructors, and from our curriculum. For more information, we recommend “Massage Therapy: Principles and Practice” by Susan Salvo.

Salvo, S. G. (2012). Massage therapy: Principles and practice. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.  

 

 

An MH Vicars RMT student massaging a patient's leg. Massage therapy is a satisfying and rewarding career that can be a perfect fit for energetic, caring people. As an RMT, you’ll enjoy all the benefits of being front-line health care professional – working closely with clients to improve and maintain their wellness – without the long hours and shift work. If you’ve received a professional massage before then you’ll have a rough idea of what the hands-on part of an RMT’s job is like. But if you’re considering becoming an RMT, that’s not all you need to know!

What do RMTs make? Where do they work? What are the hours? To help with your research, we’ve created a massage therapy career guide to answer some of the most common questions we get from prospective students.

How much do massage therapists make?

A well-trained massage therapist can earn a very comfortable income, but exactly how much money you make will depend on your type of practice, where you are, and how much you work.

A registered therapist with a 2200-hour registered massage therapy diploma who works full time (that is, giving around 20-25 massages per week) can expect to make between $60,000-$72,000 a year. If you’re working in a city like Calgary or Edmonton, you or the clinic you work for will probably charge between $75-$100 for an hour massage (Your rates may be lower in a small town or rural area, but your expenses may be too). That said, you don’t pocket all of that. If you’re running your own clinic, you will have to cover rent, supplies, laundry, advertising, and other expenses. If you’re an employee or contractor in a spa, wellness centre, or another massage clinic, you’ll split that fee with your employer (60-40 is pretty standard). If you own a clinic and employ other therapists or practitioners, you’ll make more.

Will I be able to find a job?

Massage therapy is a fast-growing profession in Alberta and across Canada. The Alberta government rates the career’s growth prospects as “above average.” As in any profession, your personal job prospects will depend on how good a therapist you are, and what kind of training you have.

MH Vicars graduates have an extraordinarily high employment rate: in 2014, 96% of Edmonton graduates and 98% of Calgary graduates found jobs within months of graduation. We believe that our therapists do so well because of the high quality of our curriculum and our first-rate instructors.

What kind of training do I need in Alberta?

Massage therapy classMassage therapy is not a provincially regulated profession in Alberta or Saskatchewan (the regulated provinces are BC, Ontario, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick). This means that there is no official entry-to-practice standard, and what regulation and standardization we do have is up to the professional associations and insurance companies.

In Alberta, only therapists who have graduated from a 2200-hour diploma program are able to get insurance billing numbers. A therapist whose clients can’t have their receipts reimbursed will have a much harder time finding clients, but can technically still practice. After they complete their training, most massage therapists join a professional association. Different associations have difference admission standards.

But at MH Vicars School, we don’t think that counting hours is good enough. We believe that the standards should be based on what you know – competencies. This is why our 2200-hour program meets the national curriculum and delivery standards set by the Canadian Consortium of Massage Therapy Regulators, one of the few schools in Alberta to do so. We were also the first school to be placed on the Massage Therapist Association of Alberta’s Approved Programs list.

Where do massage therapists work?

Almost anywhere! Massage therapists work in many different environments, so you will have a lot of choice when you graduate: working for yourself in your own clinic or from home; with other RMTs in a dedicated massage clinic; in a wellness centre alongside doctors, chiropractors, nutritionists, acupuncturists, or other practitioners; at a gym; or at a spa or resort. Visit the job listings on our Facebook page to see the kinds of jobs employers are offering right now!

How long will my career last? Should I worry about physical burn-out?

In order to take care of others, you need to take care of yourself. Massage therapy is an active career, and like other physical professions there is a risk of occupational injuries. But most of these are highly preventable, and if you practice good technique and self-care you can plan on a long and satisfying massage career.

The key to longevity in massage therapy is good body mechanics. MH Vicars instructors are sticklers for safe technique, for good reason. Poor body mechanics can lead to exhaustion and repetitive stress injuries, not to mention a sub-par massage! It’s also important to keep fit and avoid overworking yourself.

Respect your body, choose an employer who does the same, and you’ll be comfortably massaging for years to come.

I hope this has helped answer some of your questions about what it’s like to be a massage therapist, and what you need to do to succeed! Going back to school and changing careers is a big decision, so it’s important to do as much research as you can.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions (1-866-491-0574 or info@mhvicarsschool.com). We also recommend that you talk to a working RMT. They will be able to offer even more insight about their day-to-day work. You can find an MH Vicars grad near you here, or book an appointment at one of our public clinics.