Jennifer

As many of you are already aware, restrictions were lifted earlier this week by our Provincial government for medical practitioners in other healthcare fields such as Physiotherapy, Chiropractic, and Massage Therapy to allow us to reopen our practices. As a Registered Massage Therapist our governing body, the CMTO (College of Massage Therapists of Ontario), informed us yesterday that restrictions to our practice are now altered to allow for essential treatment for clients with conditions that are worsening or where their health and function would greatly decrease without Massage Therapy Treatment. Due to this announcement, I will be reopening my clinic for such treatments, however, new policies and procedures are necessary to be put in place to help keep clients and therapist healthy and safe. As RMT’s have had limited time to prepare for reopening so far due to lack of information from the CMTO, there are several infection prevention measures that need to be added into a clinic for the reopening to take place that can only be ordered online (ie. Proper PPE, Health Canada approved disinfectant etc.) Since I am waiting for the arrival of these products for my clinic, I will delay my clinic’s reopening until Monday, June 8th, 2020. This delay will also give me time to contact the clients whose treatments I have had to cancel in the past three months for rebooking. I will also prioritize the clients who have contacted me since the pandemic and temporary closure of my practice to book them in as well. If you have contacted me during the pandemic or have had an appointment cancelled due to COVID-19, I ask you to please be patient as I make phone calls or emails in the next week for rebooking. Online booking will continue to remain off and I will not be booking new clients as my current clientele is my primary concern and priority during this time.

As my clients, there is other important information that you must know prior to your appointment. All changes that will be made to my clinic are infection prevention measures put in place to keep both client and therapist safe. These are mandatory standards set by my governing college due to the fact that Massage Therapists and clients interact within two metres of distance. Some of these changes include:

Education. I have recently obtained appropriate training on safely using and disposing of PPE, related to droplet and contact precautions by completing the resources offered by Public Health Ontario’s “Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Fundamentals” that include: 10 Core Competency Modules and Hand Hygiene E-Learning.

Pre-Screening. When you receive your reminder the day before your appointment, you will be asked to complete a COVID-19 pre-screening form. You will click the link to open the form in your web browser. Clients will be asked to complete the pre-screening form before every appointment. If it is not completed, you will receive a phone call to be virtually screened.

Mandatory use of a mask for client and therapist. Both client and therapist must wear a mask during the treatment and when they are within 2 metres of each other. Clients must bring their own mask (clean disposable or cloth mask) to be worn during the treatment. If the client does not have access to a mask, one will be supplied to the client. If a client refuses to wear a mask during their appointment time, as the therapist I will refuse to treat you. The therapist will be wearing a clean medical grade disposable mask that will be discarded and replaced after every appointment.

Hand hygiene. The client will be asked to sanitize their hands immediately upon arriving in the clinic and after the treatment. As a therapist, I am also required to sanitize my hands before and after interacting with every client.

No visitors. Please refrain from bringing your children, spouse, any other family member or friend with you to your appointment.

Client to client interaction. Prior to COVID-19, client to client interaction rarely occurred as thirty minutes has always existed between appointments, however, to ensure proper sanitation of touch points in the clinic, if you are early for your appointment or see another vehicle in the driveway, please remain waiting outside the clinic until five minutes before your treatment time.

Cleaning of surfaces. Proper cleaning and disinfection will be done to all touch points and equipment used before and after each client (including but not limited to: table, chairs, lotion bottle, hand rail, etc.)

I hope that everyone is keeping well and staying safe during this period of uncertainty. As time tracks on in self-isolation, I know that our bodies are beginning to feel the lack of massage therapy care. I am getting updates by my governing body on a weekly basis where they continually push the date of continual closure farther out into the future. This closure is now until and including May 6th, but could be extended further.

Since I do not know yet when I will be allowed to reopen my clinic, I have decided to host an online webinar for those wanting knowledge on back and neck stretches, gentle exercises, and self-massage to help their bodies feel better. This event will be 1 hour long and will be held on Saturday, May 2nd at 11am. If this is something that you are interested in attending, please email me your RSVP at [email protected] to reserve your spot.

My goal is to give you all tools to help make your bodies feel a little better as I know self-isolation has prevented a lot of people from being able to continue with organized activities and has forced many to work from home in situations that are not ergonomic. Check out my business Instagram for exercises, stretches and home-care advice @MedeirosRMT. If there are any subjects or areas that you would like me to incorporate into my webinar, please email me directly and I will try to touch on those items in my discussion; otherwise, there will be a question and answer period at the end of the webinar. The platform I will be using on the day will be Webex. Once you are confirmed as an attendee for the webinar, I will be sending you an invite to join in on May 2nd. Please note that this is an event that will be public; if you have any aches or pains that you would like to discuss privately with me, email me and I will gladly set up a private meeting with you sometime in the future. Looking forward to seeing many of you on May 2nd. In the meantime, below I have attached some information on Osteoarthritis and the importance of exercise.

Exercise and Osteoarthritis

It is inevitable that we will eventually get osteoarthritis (OA) sometime in life due to gravity and the force that it puts on our body’s joints. There are several factors that can lead to the onset of this type of arthritis which may include low bone density, muscle imbalances, and the deterioration of cartilage. Most of these factors can be prevented or slowed down through exercise.

Most people have probably heard the saying “A body in motion, stays in motion”, but how much truth is in that statement? Although exercise may not be able to completely stop the onset of osteoarthritis as there is no cure or prevention for the affect gravity has on us, it can certainly help slow down the progression and help support your bones and joints as long as it is implemented into a lifestyle correctly and safely. If you are a sufferer of osteoarthritis, there is no recommendation to go train for a half marathon, however, some walking added into your weekly routine may help increase bone density and slow the pain progression as strength is added to your leg muscles surrounding your knee joints. When your muscles support your joints better, this can help slow the deterioration of cartilage which is protecting your joints. Other exercises that may be beneficial are: water aerobics, Tai chi, or gentle full range of motion exercises like arm circles or bending and straightening your knees. Movement helps lubricate the joints in the body which helps reduce pain and stiffness.

If you have any questions regarding how exercise can help with your OA, reach out to me via email. I’d be happy to help recommend any exercises or stretches to benefit your health.