Guess what! People still need massage therapy in 2021.
Now more than ever, people need touch. The evidence is massive showing the benefits of therapeutic touch to our physical, mental, and emotional well-being! But the obstacles to people receiving good bodywork are greater than ever.
We can live for a long time without touch. But there are costs to our well-being. Many people won’t get a massage because they can’t afford it. For some, that is unfortunately true.
It’s also true that we can’t afford to Not have therapeutic touch regularly. The positive effects on the nervous system and the endocrine system help us to navigate successfully through the stresses of life.
Now, the pandemic has thrown the world into chaos. Massive stress! Back when things were “normal”, less than 20% of the adult population had ever received a therapeutic massage, even just a chair massage.
With the pandemic, that number is much lower. Although many people act as if the pandemic is “just a flu”, living their lives as fully as before, a large part of the population cannot or will not do that. For them, the risks are too great.
Millions of people live alone, not receiving any form of touch at all. Many others live in situations where touch is not the norm. That means that millions of people are not receiving the benefits of massage that might help them in these stressful times.
Many of these people are elderly. There are numerous research studies that highlight the benefits to the elderly of Cranial-Sacral Therapy, Lymphatic Drainage, and even just basic Swedish Massage. But they cannot receive it now.
Many people are not getting enough exercise to stimulate the circulatory system, as well as the muscular and other systems of the body. This was true before the pandemic, but it’s magnified now. Therapeutic touch could benefit them, too.
But most of them are not calling their local massage therapist for a session. They either don’t know how much a session would benefit them, or they’re afraid of being infected by being in close proximity to another person, such as the therapist.
Then there are those that don’t believe in the seriousness of Covid but do call their local therapist for a session. They often dismiss the typical Covid questions as if they are superfluous.
“Have you had exposure recently…?” They reply, “Uh, no”, even though they ate at a packed restaurant the other night and participated in a large family gathering recently. It’s all over their facebook newsfeed.
Meanwhile, massage therapists have to figure out how to deal with these people. Do I work on them or tell them to leave? What about my other clients that trust me to be safe? What about my family, my children, my parents and grandparents?
Then there are the cancelations. Lots of cancelations. The responsible clients let the therapist know when they’ve been exposed to someone with Covid. Now, there’s a gap in the schedule. Or two or three gaps. How can you plan your day?
Many massage therapists are working minimally on only those clients that are being extremely careful, utilizing air filters and lots of other methods to keep the massage space safe. That’s what I’ve been doing for several months.
Many other therapists are choosing to not work at this time. If they have another breadwinner at home, that makes it easier. If they’ve been relying on the government to provide unemployment or loan assistance, they have to wait for the politicians to wrangle around their agendas.
A lot of therapists have decided it’s time to quit the profession. The same is true for lots of teachers, nurses, and so many others. Can you blame them? They want to stay healthy and keep their families healthy, too.
However, this exacerbates another problem that existed before the pandemic. The number of massage schools and therapists was already diminishing long before Covid. There are several reasons for this that I won’t go into here.
The bottom line is that the need for therapeutic touch has always been high, but now it’s needed more than ever. And the supply of good therapists is going down. That’s not a good thing.
In normal times, this would mean that practicing therapists would be in high demand and could raise their prices considerably. However, these are not normal times.
Although it’s a bit gloomy to ponder these realities, it’s important to continue to find things to be grateful for in our everyday lives. We all have lots to be grateful for, even now. It’s just a matter of noticing and acknowledging these little silver linings.
Eventually, we’ll get through these uncertain times. In the meantime, I wish you and your family excellent health, happiness, and prosperity. Let me know how things are going with you. And keep looking for those silver linings every day.
And keep your bodywork skills active with regular online training on excellent techniques. Click on the ‘Online Courses’ tab above if you’re ready to get your CEUs and excellent Direct-Indirect Technique and Cranial-Sacral Therapy training with our AR and NCBTMB Approved Online Courses. Or call me at 800-584-1562.
Stay well, stay safe, and stay in touch,
John
Ray of Light Training
John J. Ray is a Board Approved Continuing Education Provider through the NCBTMB
Member of the Fascia Research Society