Massage Therapy for Hospital Workers: Soothing Frontline Caregivers
Even before the Coronavirus hit, healthcare workers were more likely to experience mental disorders. For instance, physicians are at a significantly higher risk of alcoholism and suicide than the general population. Moreover, 35-41% of U.S. nurses experience depression symptoms, compared with 9.1% of the general population. A 2018 survey revealed that 63% of nurses fear burnout, despite loving their job. The intense stress of providing [...]
How Massage can ease Menopause Symptoms
Did you know that menopause brings bothersome symptoms such as hot flashes to 80-85% of women? Moreover, as the AMTA has recently highlighted, 75% of women are interested in non-hormonal treatments for menopause symptoms. Read on to discover how massage can help ease menopause symptoms. What is Menopause? Menopause occurs for many women in their fifties, as their bodies transition out of the childbearing [...]
Cultural Competence in Massage Therapy: An Introduction
The Black Lives Matter movement has brought cultural awareness to the forefront. What is cultural competence, and how can massage therapists apply cultural competency in their massage practices? How does cultural competence in clinical settings improve health outcomes? This blog provides a broad-strokes introduction to the idea of cultural competence in massage therapy, with an eye toward the fact that an Oregon massage therapist license [...]
Effective Massage Client Communication During Covid-19
The Coronavirus pandemic has redefined many aspects of massage therapy, including client communication. Excellent communication is not only a good idea for your massage business—it’s now a requirement for all massage therapist clinics under COVID-19 restrictions. As we explained in last month’s post, “How to Safely Practice Massage Therapy in Coronavirus Times,” the state of Oregon requires clinics to ask screener questions before massage therapy [...]
How to Safely Practice Massage Therapy in Coronavirus Times
Five months ago, Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order 20-12, which closed all “non-medical massage services” to limit the spread of the Coronavirus. Unless prescribed by a doctor for medical purposes, massage therapy was prohibited across the state. Most massage facilities closed at that time, including our own on-campus Portland massage clinic. Three months ago, the Governor outlined reopening procedures, specifying requirements for each [...]
Questions for LMTs to Ask Themselves Before Reopening a Massage Clinic following Covid-19 Lockdown
Portland massage therapy practitioners may now set client appointments as part of stage one Coronavirus reopening. At the same time, state guidelines set strict reopening criteria for the safety of clients and LMTs. In such amorphous times, how can therapists decide if the time is right to go back to the tableCovid-19 LMT Questions? This question isn’t covered in massage therapist schooling, as modern times [...]