Massage Therapy – Going Green on Earth Day

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Here in Halifax we are getting Mother Nature’s finest display of rain and wind I have seen for a while, but it’s all good. After all, every day is a bonus.

As a Massage Therapist, I have often contemplated the role the environment plays in my health and that of my clients. I have always been concerned about the environment, but have had a really hard time until recently a) finding accurate information which can help me live as eco-friendly as possible, and b) being taken seriously by skeptical folks (it’s getting better, but as we all know, there are some people who think global warming is a hoax).

Now, just let me clarify one thing – I am not a perfect, eco-friendly being. Yes, I have a car, but it is energy efficient, I take care of it in the most eco-friendly ways possible, and I really don’t drive that much. I do recycle a lot, have a stainless steel mug for my shade-grown coffee (for the most part), and lie awake at wondering at the plight of the whales, polar bears, honey bees and (sometimes) the human race.

When it comes to massage therapy as a profession, I chose to join an alternative health care industry out of my belief in a more holistic way of being and providing health care. I am sure that there are many others who share my beliefs, and at the very least, most massage therapists will acknowledge that what is applied to skin during treatment is absorbed into it and can affect the body. While there is a great deal of evidence which suggests that parabens found in many skin care and massage therapy products may be carcinogenic, how many of us are willing to absorb the extra cost of providing our clients with toxin-free mediums? Not only might we be exposing our clients to harmful chemicals, but we are literally elbow deep in the stuff for up to 5 or 6 hours a day.

For hygiene purposes, to prevent the spread of communicable disease, it is a generally accepted fact that linens be washed in hot water with chlorine bleach after each use – how environmentally friendly is that? I am 100% on board with washing anything that has touched bare skin of a client after its use, but I wonder if there are alternatives to performing our daily duties in a more sustainable way, so as to help preserve the environment? Perhaps washing a full load of linen in hot water with non-chlorine bleach followed by a cold rinse would suffice? Also, how about using a laundry detergent that is not only scent-free, for our clients and colleagues with environmental sensitivity, but also is absent of ingredients such as phosphates, dyes and perfumes? While we’re at it, why don’t we ban the dryer sheets and ensure that our appliances are working as efficiently as possible? Not only is this approach good for the environment, it is great for the pocket book.

The clinic itself is often an area where a multitude of environmental sins takes place. From massage table cleaner to floor, rug and bathroom cleaner, hygiene doesn’t have to equal toxic but it often does. There are several suitable alternatives to toxic, commercial and household cleaning products if you take the time to seek them out (bear with me, I am trying to help my readers with just that issue).

The bottom line is this – in an alternative health care industry such as massage therapy, how can we stand idly by and ignore our own behaviours which are contributing (in a small but not insignificant way) to the growing crisis in the environment? Isn’t it our responsibility in teaching our clients about holistic health care to acknowledge that our lives depend on the very health of the planet? If we fail to at least make a minimal effort to “green” our practices, then we are not only failing our clients and ourselves, we are failing the planet and future generations.

We don’t have to be perfect, a little effort can go a long way. Today, Earth Day, is the perfect opportunity to start thinking about how the massage therapy industry can have a positive impact on our clients, ourselves and our planet.