Should I Cancel My Massage if I’m Sick?

Yes, please cancel if you are sick. Great! We’re done here.

Just kidding, we’ve got a little more to cover. There are lots of variables to being sick. What does that even mean and why does it matter? Let’s dig in.

What is ‘sick’?

For determining your ability to receive massage, ‘sick’ means one or any combination of the following:

• Fever and related symptoms

  • Chills

  • Aches

  • Unusual fatigue

• Respiratory issues

  • Coughing

  • Sneezing

  • Very runny and/or stuffy sinuses

  • Sore throat

• GI issues

  • Nausea

  • Vomiting

  • Diarrhea

If you have any of the above happening, it’s best to cancel.

Massage isn’t going to help you get better

A sick body needs rest. Receiving massage is an active task. Massage causes change in the body and your body has to work to maintain stability. Getting a massage when you are sick takes attention away from rest and recovery. That’s not helping.

You’re not going to be cozy on the massage table. Sure, it sounds like a warm squishy massage table would be great. But the moment you put your already-stuffy head into that face cradle, you’ll realize the error of your ways. Gravity and pressure are not your friend here. Even if I do a great face massage to drain your sinuses, you’ll likely feel worse when you get off the table.

If you’re feeling at all dizzy or loopy, laying face down can make that sensation even worse. Remember getting ‘the spins’ when you drank a little too much? That. Only worse because you’ll be worried about puking on my office carpet and not just your terrible dorm comforter.

There is often some gray area, especially if you are in the recovery phase of a virus or bacterial infection. You may have that lingering dry cough well past the stage of contagion or actual illness. Or you could have seasonal allergies that make you a runny mess.

If you’re unsure about your situation, please call me before your appointment and we can make a decision together.

It’s really, really easy to spread those germs

If you come in sick, you may get me (and my other clients) sick. Even with the best handwashing, coughing into your elbow, and precision skills depositing your dirty tissue into the trash bin, you’re likely to leave a few germs hanging in the air and I’m likely to breathe them in.

Fun fact, when you sneeze the little droplets of doom can travel up to 8 meters and can stay suspended in the air for up to 10 minutes. Yikes.

There’s a lot we just can’t control about cold and flu season. We may have been exposed without knowing and be contagious for a few days before symptoms show up. That’s just part of living in a world with other people. But we can control where we go and who we see while we are symptomatic. I know it’s a bummer to delay your massage, it’s also the right thing to do when you are contagious. (It’s worth saying that the same thing goes for me: I really, really don’t ever want to have to call and cancel your massage, but if I’m sick, that’s what I’ll do. Then I’ll get you back on the schedule as soon as I’m feeling better!)

Stay healthy

You already know the best ways to stay healthy through cold and flu season, but just in case: Get a flu shot, wash your hands, get enough sleep, get out into the fresh air when possible.

If you feel something coming on, do your best to cancel whatever you can, keep your activities to a bare minimum and just rest. Stay hydrated. Ask for help, which can be tough sometimes, but worth the effort. This article has some helpful tips on figuring out whether you’re contagious, and what you can do.

Here’s to staying healthy through this season and the whole year!