Everyone is stressed these days and for good reason. So is it possible to get a safe massage during the COVID pandemic? The answer is yes….with some caveats.

When considering traditional massage by visiting a massage studio or spa, you need to consider your risk tolerance. Fortunately organizations like the CDC, OSHA and the American Massage Therapy Association have issued guidelines for practitioners to follow, including those surrounding cleaning and disinfecting, protective equipment, hygiene, scheduling and more. But:

• Are you comfortable going to a facility where the general public is coming in/out?
• Are you willing to hang in the waiting room with others?
• Do you feel assured that the vendor is taking all the proper safety precautions?

That’s a decision you’ll have to make.

What about getting a massage at home? Again, the answer to this will be based on your comfort with inviting a stranger into your house – someone who may be visiting multiple homes during the day/week. Maybe you can open the window or, weather permitting, you can get the massage outside but you still need to trust the person offering the massage. Don’t forget – he/she has to trust you too! There are plenty of massage therapists out there who aren’t ready to risk their health by visiting locations for which they have no control.

So what can you do to get a safe massage during a COVID pandemic? Consider massage chairs! Massage chair technology has seen significant advances in the past few years. “Premium” massage chairs have been designed to mimic the techniques, motions and patterns offered by traditional massage therapists. And because the chair does all of the massaging,

1. there’s no touching by a stranger,
2. you avoid having strangers coming in to your house and
3. there’s no need for you to leave your house.

Problem solved!