I am sure many of you have had several emails to the same effect. There are some common and rational themes happening right now that we would like to mirror. We prefer not to provide any detailed information as there are many resources that one can look to for good and logical information and will be continually updated. We instead would like to promote some good thinking that can be summarized simply.
Choose high reward, low risk behaviors.
Our practice skirts the line of necessity. Some of you are in genuine pain and need to continue frequent care if possible. Some of you are working on long standing issues that you have been managing for some time before being introduced to Move Better and our systems. If you need care, please come in. If you think you can do without it for a bit, that’s ok too. Not sure what is right for you? Ask your clinician. Want to reschedule? Text us, email us, or just use your Jane account. No late fees will be assessed for anyone until this is all past us.
We are taking the following actions at Move Better:
- Clean, frequently and consistently and near obsessively
- Ask staff and patients to stay home if they even think they are ill
- All patients will sanitize or wash hands upon entering the clinic
In truth, this does little to change our lives here at Move Better. We have always focused on cleanliness to create a positive experience and meet the obsessive tendencies of some of our neat freak staff. We have always asked staff and patients to stay home when ill. In fact, the only change we are making are to communicate more, ask patients to disinfect upon arrival, and clean even more than before.
In this current climate we are forced to deal with incomplete information about a virus that is not completely understood. There are, however, some clear important factors that must be taken into account. Most importantly that the coronavirus is in many places and many countries. Second, those with compromised immune symptoms, underlying health issues, and the elderly are clearly at the most risk. The most significant action must be taken to protect and help those high risk populations. It is up to you to make choices that help these people.
This can lead us to very logical conclusions about what we can do. If you are of a higher risk category or around those at higher risk, minimizing public interaction is a must. If you feel ill at all, stay at home. Clean yourself and your surroundings frequently.
We would also like to take this time to remind people of the tried and true ways of being healthy. Eat well, drink water, meditate, and exercise. Exercise (and even better with cold exposure) has long been shown to increase immune system function as well as reduce anxiety and stress. The same has been shown with mindfulness and meditation. These are powerful and free tools that have real results and have nothing to do with public interaction. If you are a patient that has not been in for some time, just send us a text and we can get your PhysiApp going again.
This could also be an opportunity to catch on some much needed personal time. Perhaps this is forcing us all to read a book, take naps, play a forgotten instrument, learn a language, doodle, play a board game (except Monopoly), work on a puzzle, or just simply day dream in silence. We can make popcorn and sit with the family to enjoy the amazing choices of digital entertainment. We can do our spring cleaning and organizing a little early. These are all great examples of high reward/low risk behaviors.
We are currently using this article to guide our decision making as it provides comprehensive data and mathematics. We are using the spreadsheet in that document to help predict if and when a clinic closure is necessary and prudent. If anything changes at any point, we will notify everyone again.
In Health,
Q, Whitney, Wiley, Thomas, Rachel, Mars, Omri, Rodney, and Keanu
