There are times when we have event, appointment, or date that we are looking forward to… then we get sick. While we have been thought to “push through” and to trick ourselves to believe that we are fine to go to that event we have been looking forward to, sometimes it just isn’t a good idea; especially when it comes to getting a massage. With the times that we are in, it is important to know that if you are not feeling well to call and let me, your massage therapist, know! While there are some cases that massage can be helpful, it will more often than not make you feel worse.
Did you know that receiving a massage while you are healthy can boost your immune system? Research has shown that when a healthy person receives regular massage have an increased white blood cell count, toxins are flushed out of their system, and their circulation is better. That isn’t the case when you are sick. At the beginning of a cold or flu, a massage can bring on your symptoms faster and stronger than if the infection ran its course naturally. Meaning if you get a massage at the beginning of an illness, you are going to feel like you have been hit by a truck for the next several days; nobody wanted to feel like that. You are also much more contagious at the beginning of an illness then you are at the end of one.
As a massage therapist, I understand that you would like to come in for your massage. To be honest, I like seeing you as much as you like to come and see me! Unfortunately, when it comes down to brass tacks; massage therapists cannot work when they are sick. When we work with someone who knows they are not feeling well and has chosen to either not to tell us or wait to tell us until after we have started to work on them, that puts your therapist at risk. Not only is there now a chance that you have gotten your therapist sick, but in turn they could infect the rest of their clients, their friends, and their family until they start to getting symptoms. You wouldn’t want a massage therapist who is sick to work on you, just like we don’t want to work on a client when they are sick.
Don’t worry there is a light at the end of this tunnel. There are times when massage will help you in your recovery process.
Should I wait until I am fully recovered from my cold or flu before getting my next massage? The answer to that one is no; you don’t have to. If you are at the end of your illness, the last 2-3 days, it is recommended that you do get massage. At this point in the illness, massage will help increase that white blood cells that have been attacking the illness and helping you feel better sooner than you would have if the infection had run its course.
At Kneaded Massage, I do understand that things come up, especially when it comes to illness. Rather than coming in while you are sick, just to be sent home, I suggest you contact me, and we will figure out what is best to do in that situation. It might mean we reschedule so that you have time to recover, and that is okay. The massage will feel much better if you are healthy versus sick.