You’re still social (physical) distancing. Maybe a bit stir crazy because you can’t run around town? Let’s look at what you’re feeling physical. This time at home, without the distraction of friends and errands, can be used to tune into your body. If you’ve gone without massage since the governor’s Stay At Home order, then your body should be talking (or shouting) at you.

Take notes. These can be used to address issues with your therapist when you return to massage. Is your body stiff? Make notes on where exactly.  For example, I cannot get my much-needed massages either, but I’m staying active and moving. My left shoulder is what I’ll notice needs extra attention at night. My notes look like this: Top shoulder at joint has small discomfort (2 out of 10, with 10 being the highest) noticed at the end of the day. Not during physical activity.  Over the counter pain reliever as needed, but only if pain threshold exceeds 4 or more on the pain scale). I notice the pain is more when I play an upper-body sport (like volleyball).

I’ll take these notes to my therapist when I get my next massage. He’ll take a look and accommodate my massage to focus on what I’ve described. In the meantime, I’ll limit my upper body shoulder movement. I’ll still do a range of motion exercises daily (ex. arm circles) but perhaps I’ll limit our backyard volleyball or badminton games to every other day. Yes, it’s integral to your health to keep moving, but don’t overexert. If you’re in pain, listen to your body.

PS: These notes can be part of “journaling” where you write down your emotions/feelings during this time. This can help with your mental well being too. Don’t keep it inside, write it down.