Social media is swamped with misinformation about COVID-19, and a lot of people find themselves having to question whether something is fact or fiction.

To combat misinformation, this article was written by Eagan Massage Center co-owner and massage therapist Jason Erickson. It's simple to read and understand, and contains links to sources used to write it.

We want you to have accurate, quality information, especially during such confusing times.

www.massagemag.com/covid-19-coronavirus-information-for-massage-therapists-fact-vs-fiction-122749/ 
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We hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. During these difficult times, there is so much uncertainty and challenges in our daily lives. With that being said, the Governor announced that the stay at home order will be in effect until May 18th and we are expecting that massage will be delayed beyond that date. We are hoping to open by July 1.

At this time, we just don’t feel it is safe enough for you and our team. Your patience and understanding is greatly appreciated. In order to open we have to have permission from the Governor, a COVID-19 plan in place that meets the CDC and OSHA guidelines, our employees need to be trained, and we need to have all the supplies on hand. This will take time.


Your feedback has assisted our planning and we are taking additional steps to provide an environment in which you can feel safe and comfortable. 

We would love a crystal ball to be able to set a firm date for reopening, but we just don’t know the answer. Our plan is that we will be available by phone the week prior to reopening to schedule your appointments for those of you who don’t use our online scheduling software.

Rest assured that our sanitation procedures will be above standard and offered with the highest level of care and concern.

Everyone at Eagan Massage Center is eager to see you again! Stay safe and well! 
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If you're on our e-mail list, you have received a note about a survey that will help us prepare to reopen. We really want your feedback because it will help us make sure that what we're doing helps you feel safe and comfortable when you come for a massage.
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For example, should we cover everything in plastic?
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We are planning ahead for when it is time to reopen Eagan Massage Center. The date has not been set, but we're going to be ready. When you return, we want you to feel safe and comfortable so you can enjoy a great massage experience.

That experience will look different in some ways, and we want to know what safety measures would help you feel safer. Some things we are considering include:

* Clients and therapists wearing masks
* Clients and therapists washing hands
* Sanitizing the rooms after each client
* Therapists wearing gloves
* Waiting in the car and being called in for your appointment to limit exposure in the lobby
* Hand sanitizer stations
* Taking temperature of clients and employees

You will be able to see a more extensive list and give us your feedback soon. We will send an e-mail to the people on our contact list with a link to that survey this coming week, and also post that link on our Facebook page. 

Thank you for your support! We look forward to reopening and providing great massage therapy again.

Three stretches to help keep your hips and back limber. Demonstrated with and without assistance. You can find a link to watch this video again in the Video Library on our website. When we reopen, you can have Jason help you with these and other stretches, and he can teach you how to practice them correctly on your own. 

https://youtu.be/QXDH7YhhB_Q

We've built a great reputation for helping people after motor vehicle accidents, including children. We've got a diverse team of massage therapists with different strengths and skill sets. We are happy to help you connect with those who are best suited to help with whiplash and other injuries related to motor vehicle accidents. 

Though we would prefer to be providing massages for you, we understand the statistics and rationale behind the Governor's decision to temporarily close massage businesses, and we support it. In the weeks to come, we encourage you to follow the guidelines regarding staying at home as much as possible. You can find details at https://mn.gov/portal/

During this break in our usual services, we will continue to support your wellbeing in other ways:

FACEBOOK page - we post educational articles, videos, research, and other useful / amusing information related to health, pain, and wellbeing :
https://www.facebook.com/Eagan-Massage-Center-108460775860904/

VIDEO LIBRARY - our website features a video library with links to videos about pain, stretching, etc. that you might find helpful:
https://www.eaganmassage.com/video-library-stretching-techniques.html

If you would like to support us, too, gift cards can be purchased on our web site. They never expire and we will send them to you quickly!
https://www.eaganmassage.com/massage-bodywork-service-gift-card.html

We look forward to seeing you again, so please stay safe and well! We will update you as additional information becomes available.
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Lots of people ask us for help with "muscle knots". This is an image of a "human knot".

We look forward to helping you feel looser and more flexible again. Stay safe and well! 
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In this early stage of planning to reopen, we're already encountering some challenges that amount to relatively minor setbacks. The most common are supplies and equipment that are back ordered and/or available only at greatly inflated prices. No worries, we anticipated these challenges and we'll overcome them. 

We WILL return to provide massages again this year!
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Based on this cat scale, how are you feeling today?

Laughter is the best medicine, so let us know if it helped you feel any better! 
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How are you using your time at home? We've heard from people that are learning a second language, refurbishing their homes, making TikTok videos, going for walks and other outdoor activities, binge-watching series on Netflix and Hulu, and catching up with old friends and distant family. Other people have said they're just chilling out and enjoying some time off. 

We hope you are finding ways to relax and enjoy any extra free time you may have. It's a great way to manage stress until massage is available again! 

Our top priority is helping people feel better and supporting proactive action to improve results. We normally do this by providing exceptional massage therapy and outstanding customer service, but these are not normal times.

Following today's announcement by Governor Walz, we will remain closed until at least May 2nd. This is part of a much larger policy decision that will help slow the spread of COVID-19 and the hospitalization rate here in Minnesota while our health care facilities scale up to handle the additional patient load and acquire the necessary equipment and supplies.

Though we would prefer to be providing massages for you, we understand the statistics and rationale behind the Governor's decision, and we support it. Over the next two weeks we encourage you to follow the guidelines regarding staying at home as much as possible. You can find details at https://mn.gov/portal/

During this break in our usual services, we will continue to support your wellbeing in other ways:

FACEBOOK page - we post educational articles, videos, research, and other useful / amusing information related to health, pain, and wellbeing :
https://www.facebook.com/Eagan-Massage-Center-108460775860904/

VIDEO LIBRARY - our website features a video library with links to videos about pain, stretching, etc. that you might find helpful:
https://www.eaganmassage.com/video-library-stretching-techniques.html

If you would like to support us, too, gift cards can be purchased on our web site. They never expire and we will send them to you quickly!
https://www.eaganmassage.com/massage-bodywork-service-gift-card.html

We look forward to seeing you again, so please stay safe and well! We will update you as additional information becomes available.
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Please follow state guidelines and CDC recommendations to help slow / stop the spread of COVID-19. The more we all consistently follow these recommendations, the better our odds of getting back to a sense of "normal life" within the next year. 

​Information and resources from the State of Minnesota: 

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html

Under Emergency Executive Order 20-04 from Governor Tim Walz, Eagan Massage Center is TEMPORARILY closing our doors starting at 5 pm tomorrow (March 17, 2020).

All appointments scheduled during this time period are cancelled and we are attempting to contact every person affected by this. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

We anticipate that the date of closure will be extended beyond the 27th. If so, we will notify everyone affected as soon as we become aware of the change.

We will update you all as events develop and new information becomes available. We will open again when advised that it is safe to do so.

We have been doing many things to provide a safe environment for all clients, and will continue to follow these policies when we reopen for business. Our top priority is the safety and wellness of all our clients and employees.

Please remain alert for additional updates from the CDC, the WHO, and from the State of Minnesota. We recommend following all guidelines regarding temporary social distancing and sanitary practices.

We look forward to seeing you again. We'll be ready to provide great massages and outstanding customer service once this temporary crisis has passed.

Here are some ways to minimize transmission: 
* Wear face mask or cloth covering when in public spaces
* Maintain physical distance of 6+ feet
* Regularly wash your hands with soap and water (30+ seconds each time), use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
* Avoid touching your face, especially after touching things that have been touched by others
* Get plenty (7+ hours) of sleep so your immune system is better able to fight off infection

For current information about COVID-19 and best practices to prevent infection, please visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

We understand that many people have special concerns about the COVID-19 virus. We are taking steps to maintain a safe environment for everyone.

When you arrive, we ask that you check in and then immediately proceed to use the restrooms to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds.

If you have recently traveled or spent time with people that have traveled within the past three weeks, we ask that you delay making appointments for at least two weeks afterwards.

At this time, please make appointments only if you have been free of symptoms (coughing, sneezing, fever, chills, body aches, etc.) for at least two weeks. If you already have an appointment scheduled but are concerned you might be developing symptoms, please call us ASAP and we will cancel your appointment at no charge. We will be happy to see you again when you have been symptom free for at least two weeks.

If you arrive and display any symptoms, we may refuse to provide massage and ask you to return when you have been symptom free for at least two weeks. This is to protect our staff and others who come to us for massage therapy, some of whom are immune compromised.

Likewise, our staff are not working if they have had any recent symptoms. We are also using medical grade sanitizing wipes to maintain a safe environment for everyone.

At this time, our therapists may avoid massaging your face, or they will be required to clean their hands immediately after doing so. This is a step we're taking for everyone's safety.

We expect the COVID-19 pandemic to be temporary, and appreciate your patience and understanding as we all adapt to it. However, it may take several months to bring it under control. We will do our best to make good decisions while providing safe and excellent service as best we can.

Here are some ways to minimize transmission: 
* Wear face mask or cloth covering when in public spaces
* Maintain physical distance of 6+ feet
* Regularly wash your hands with soap and water (30+ seconds each time), use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
* Avoid touching your face, especially after touching things that have been touched by others
* Get plenty (7+ hours) of sleep so your immune system is better able to fight off infection

For current information about COVID-19 and best practices to prevent infection, please visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

GOOD NEWS: Over 95% of those diagnosed with Covid-19 make a full recovery! We look forward to seeing you and hope you remain symptom-free and healthy for a long time to come.

We are pleased to announce that our renovations are mostly done (just a few details to wrap up). We'll be open to provide massage therapy this Tuesday and going forward.
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We've replaced our room doors with new, thicker doors that look great and do a better job of blocking out noise. We've replaced a few other doors, too. We hope you enjoy them as much as we think you will!

Below: Two of the new doors, compared to one of our old doors.

This Monday, March 2, we are not providing massages due to renovations. However, if you stop by to purchase gift cards between 8 am and 5 pm, we'll be happy to help you.
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We'll be open for massage therapy again this Tuesday, March 3. We hope you love the updates as much as we think you will!

If your kids play hockey, mouth guards can reduce the odds of concussion injuries. In this research study, over the counter mouth guards were better than custom dental ones! 

"Among cases, 236/315 (75%) were wearing a mouthguard at time of injury, while 224/270 (83%) controls were wearing a mouth guard at time of injury. Any mouthguard use was associated with an adjusted OR for concussion of 0.36 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.73). Off-the-shelf mouth guards were associated with a 69% lower odds of concussion (adjusted OR: 0.31; 95% CI 0.14 to 0.65). Dental custom-fit mouth guards were associated with a non-significant 49% lower odds of concussion (adjusted OR: 0.51; 95% CI 0.22 to 1.10). No dental injuries were identified in either cohort."

You can read the abstract of the study here:  
bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2020/01/14/bjsports-2019-101011?fbclid=IwAR2pSASzfWaCo5ZS29co5goK3n-ARtl64sUkpXirbcpE3wSFFS-DBtyGwwM 
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Happy New Year!
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Thank you for your support! 2019 was our best year to date, and we look forward to seeing you again in 2020.

In 2019, we were able to upgrade our massage tables with electric lifts, increase employee pay and benefits, add some great massage therapists to our team, streamline some of our administrative stuff, and bring in some new artwork for your enjoyment. This year, we will continue bringing in more new art for you to enjoy, and we've got some great plans for other improvements that we look forward to announcing.

Our mission remains the same: To provide you with the best massage therapy experience that we can.

Have a wonderful day and let us know when you want to come in for any appointment by calling 651-452-0246 or schedule online at EaganMassage.com