On the eve of Virginia’s first phase of reopening, in which massage therapy businesses are included, I wanted to update you on my considerations for when to begin practicing bodywork again. This is my attempt to paint a picture of the realities - both visible and invisible - which are shaping my decision-making on this question.
Although the desire to resume livelihoods and regain normalcy makes sense, the virus and our state’s capacity to contain it remain largely the same. In spite of the passage of time since our initial closure, when it comes to the fundamentals of what needs to be done to keep people safe, little has changed other than the growing intensity of our collective wish to find ourselves on the other side of this struggle.
As far as the virus' characteristics, it’s still true that:
People with no symptoms can transmit the virus to others.
Symptoms can manifest anywhere from 2 to 14 days after initial exposure.
Spread occurs through respiratory droplets which travel and/or hang in the air and can remain on surfaces for days.
Roughly 15 to 20% of known cases need to be hospitalized and roughly 3% do not survive.
As far as our state’s response to the virus, it’s still true that:
Virginia continues to have one of the lowest testing rates in the entire country.
Our known cases, both locally and statewide, are still going up in number each day.
We do not yet have widespread contact tracing or testing in place.
There is no mandate to wear masks in public and there is wide variance in how individuals are choosing to respond to recommended safety guidelines.
All these things considered together mean that the primary safeguard at our collective disposal continues to be social distancing. Workplaces will differ in the extent they’re able to offer things like no-touch delivery and contactless payment and many businesses are doing everything they can to modify how they offer services in order to more safely serve the public. I admire their efforts and creativity. This isn’t easy for anyone.
Which brings me to the practice of massage therapy, and my practice specifically. Simply put, there is no way to offer touch therapy while maintaining a safe social distance of (at least) six feet. So although bodywork is included in Virginia’s first phase of re-opening, its practice is incompatible with the primary safety guideline we still need. Even if both parties wear a mask, client and therapist are still in close proximity, breathing the same air in the same intimate treatment space for an hour or more. Disinfection of treatment spaces is critical (and should already be routine for any licensed therapist) for prevention of spread but can’t rule out the possibility entirely.
But there’s something even more striking to consider than the challenges named above, and that’s the idea that massage therapy is supposed to be a “do no harm” wellness profession. To me, this means the practice of massage therapy is a sacred trust. The client places trust in the therapist - to listen carefully, to guard confidentiality, and to exercise good judgment in assessing and treating issues like pain, injury, and anxiety. And the therapist places trust in the client - to be open about their relevant health history and to respect the work and its boundaries.
What’s more, in my view, the effective practice of massage therapy also requires mutual safety. In order for bodywork to be deeply beneficial, both therapist and client need to carry within them a sense that neither their physical or psychological health will be compromised during a session. If either client or therapist feels that their well-being may be harmed in any way, the work suffers and its healing intent is undermined.
My commitment to the practice of massage as a sacred trust and my belief in its efficacy being born of mutual safety make practicing under current conditions impossible. Until there is a robust and cohesive system of contact tracing and testing in place, mutual safety and trust cannot be ensured. While I can be certain I’m taking precautions to safeguard against infection in my daily life, there’s no way of knowing to what extent clients are taking similar precautions in theirs. And even if both parties are doing everything in their power to reduce chances of transmission, in the absence of testing, there are no guarantees. This places both parties at some unidentifiable amount of risk, and that is a life-or-death gamble I’m unwilling to make in the practice of a healing modality I both love and respect.
In the absence of contact tracing, we have no way of identifying who may have been exposed. And in the absence of testing, we have no way of knowing who is and who isn’t a carrier. For these reasons, make :: space. will remain closed until such time as broader systems can more reliably assure that the virus is being contained. We are not there yet. ~ natalie.
make :: space.
// FOR LIFE.