Massage Therapy During COVID-19:
Guidance for Clients
Whether you have accessed massage therapy services in the past, or are coming in for your very first treatment, you may be wondering what you can expect from a massage therapy treatment in the midst of a pandemic. We hope that this guideline will help you feel safer and more confident as you access massage therapy care with us during this unprecedented time. Please read these guidelines thoroughly and carefully, as they are in place to keep you safe.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Assess your individual needs. RMTs are required to prioritize patients with more essential/urgent care needs. Non-urgent care patients, especially those in high risk populations, are encouraged to postpone treatment at this time.
BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT
There will be some changes to the way appointments are scheduled and some new procedures for arriving to your appointment to keep you safe. Before you arrive for a massage therapy appointment:
WHEN YOU ARRIVE
Once you arrive at your massage therapy treatment, things will look a little different, and you may be asked to behave a little differently than you would have in the past. When you arrive at your massage therapy appointment you must:
DURING TREATMENT
While the treatment will remain as normal as possible, there will be a couple of changes.
Things will be a little different after your treatment as well.
BEHIND THE SCENES
We have protocols and procedures in place to keep our clients safe.
CHANGES TO SELECT SERVICES
We have suspended the following services until further notice:
Although the treatment environment and the procedures you are expected to follow will be different, what remains the same is our commitment to your health and safety. We understand that this new ‘normal’ will take some getting used to, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Assess your individual needs. RMTs are required to prioritize patients with more essential/urgent care needs. Non-urgent care patients, especially those in high risk populations, are encouraged to postpone treatment at this time.
BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT
There will be some changes to the way appointments are scheduled and some new procedures for arriving to your appointment to keep you safe. Before you arrive for a massage therapy appointment:
- You will be pre-screened for your risk of COVID-19 when you book over the phone, and/or when you receive your appointment reminder email the day before your appointment. If you pre-screen positive within 14 days of your scheduled appointment (ie: answer YES to any of the screening questions) you MUST NOT attend your appointment, and you should contact us at 705-930-4333 to cancel or reschedule.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE
Once you arrive at your massage therapy treatment, things will look a little different, and you may be asked to behave a little differently than you would have in the past. When you arrive at your massage therapy appointment you must:
- Arrive as close to your appointment time as possible. If you arrive early to your appointment, please wait in your car, or outside the building until your appointment time. This is to reduce the number of people in our small reception area at any given time.
- Arrive alone. If you are unable to arrive alone, the person accompanying you must be wearing a mask, will be screened, and asked to provide their name and phone number for contact tracing purposes. This person may also be asked to wait outside or in their car for the duration of your treatment.
- Sanitize your hands. We have a hand sanitizing station set up in our reception area and you will see signage outlining proper hand washing procedures. Your RMT will also wash their hands before and after each treatment, and after disinfecting the space.
- Practice physical distancing. Maintain a 2 meter distance from staff and other clients at the clinic. Unless your RMT is performing your physical assessment or your massage treatment, you should also maintain a 2 meter distance from your RMT.
- Be screened again for COVID-19. This is to ensure your status has not changed. Your RMT will also screen themselves prior to providing your treatment.
- Wearing a mask is now optional.
DURING TREATMENT
While the treatment will remain as normal as possible, there will be a couple of changes.
- Wearing a mask is now optional during treatment.
Things will be a little different after your treatment as well.
- Remain in the treatment room. You must remain in the treatment room until your RMT returns. This is to reduce the number of people in our small reception area at any given time. Insurance claims, debit and credit payments will now be processed in the treatment room, not in the reception area.
- Tap to pay. Please use non-contact forms of payment whenever possible, e.g. tap with a debit or credit card
- Wait to exit. Once your treatment, post-treatment care, and payment are complete, your RMT will first check for other patients and staff before advising you to proceed out to the reception area. Please do not linger in the reception area any longer than necessary on your way out.
- Practice physical distancing, even with your RMT. Unless your RMT is performing your physical assessment or your massage treatment, you should maintain a 2 meter distance from your RMT.
BEHIND THE SCENES
We have protocols and procedures in place to keep our clients safe.
- We change our linens, blankets and pillows between each patient
- All linens are washed and dried on the highest heat setting possible.
- High touch surfaces in our reception area and washroom (e.g. light switches, door knobs, counter tops, etc.) are cleaned and disinfected after every patient.
- The treatment room and all of its equipment is cleaned and disinfected between patients. This includes, but is not limited to, the massage table, stool, oil bottle, face cradle, furniture and high-touch surfaces.
- We screen ourselves for COVID-19 before every patient.
CHANGES TO SELECT SERVICES
We have suspended the following services until further notice:
- All hot stone massage services
- All 120 minute duration treatments
- Relax & Refresh: Neck, Shoulders, Head and Face – modification to face massage
- Full Body Relaxation & Stress Relief Treatment – modification to face massage
- TMJ treatments – modification to face, jaw, intraoral massage
Although the treatment environment and the procedures you are expected to follow will be different, what remains the same is our commitment to your health and safety. We understand that this new ‘normal’ will take some getting used to, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.
