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Disinfecting the room

I am wondering what steps you take to disinfect the treatment room. Do you do anything above and beyond wiping off surfaces with disinfectant?

I ask because I feel like since I started working as a therapist I get sick all the time. Unusual for me. I rarely got sick before. I am talking maybe a cold once a year. And the last two years I have gotten sick several times with bronchitis, sinus infections, colds and the flu.

I wipe surfaces down and wash my hands a lot. What else should I do to stay healthy?

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Permalink Reply by Jed Heneberry on December 26, 2012 at 4:23pm

Here are a couple of articles that might help:

Not getting sick: http://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/97199/31

Disinfecting: http://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/issue/72093/39

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Permalink Reply by Cassandra Cravens on December 26, 2012 at 6:06pm

Is massage the only change in your life over the past year? Have you altered your diet? Are there additional stressors? Contact with the public is a huge exposure issue so you want to do your best to promote your body's defenses. I know not everyone falls in with the holistic thinking, in my experience it works.

If you can afford it, have a blood panel done- they can check your levels of necessary vitamins and minerals. I had one done in college at a health fair and found out that I run anemic. Since boosting my iron intake my energy levels are much better. It's worth it to invest in your body. As massage therapists our bodies are our most basic tool. Prioritizing a healthy diet and time for some simple exercise can make a big difference in the short term and long term.

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Permalink Reply by Jimswife on December 26, 2012 at 6:59pm

Massage is really the only change in my life over the last couple years. And thinking back I got sick a few times while in school too. Other than that I can't think of anything. I had a physically demanding job before. But there has been a lot of stress in my life as well.

I did have blood work done a few months ago because i have been so tired and found that I am a bit anemic. And my vitamin D3 levels are low. I have been taking vitamins and changed my diet a little but haven't noticed a difference yet.

I am going to start using hand sanitizer throughout the day along with washing my hands and see if that helps at all. I just don't know what else I can do at this point. Other than telling the patients to quit coming to the office when they are sick. (Happens all the time. "I woke up with a sore throat this morning" or "my kids are home with flu". Gee, thanks for sharing that with me!)

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Permalink Reply by Cassandra Cravens on December 26, 2012 at 7:48pm

you should feel totally free to decline offering massage to clients who are currently ill. a sore throat or a fever are definitely cause to decline. Any client should understand that. A sneeze or a cough in close proximity would make all the hand sanitizer in the world a moot point.

I had a client over the summer wait until we had already begun before telling me he had poison sumac. some people don't realize what details are important for the therapist to know. you should take a few moments before the massage with each client to see if he/she has had any recent changes in their health. Massage is actually contraindicated for viral infections as it can spread the infection further through the body. While it is an inconvenience, good clients will understand that it is a necessary one.

As a side note, too much sanitizer can be a bad thing. many hospitals are now finding that they harbor resistant strains of bacteria because they kill off weaker strains and the stronger strains get more room to propagate washing your hands before and after every client with hot water and a good antibacterial soap is all that's needed. our bodies need some exposure to weaker bacteria in order to keep our immune systems primed.