Medical massage
Encyclopedia
Medical massage is outcome-based massage, primarily the application of specific treatment protocols targeted to the specific problem(s) the patient presents with physician's diagnosis and administered after a thorough assessment/evaluation by the medical massage therapist with specific outcomes being the basis for treatment.
Until 1997, "Medical Massage" was referred to as "Massage Therapy" or Treatment Massage. Ever since 1997 the term "medical massage" has been gaining in popularity. Before this date there are several people who helped advance massage to a medical level, but the term first gained popularity with the public in America after Pete Spairring, owner of Cedar River Medical Massage(1997), was bold enough to put "medical" in his business name on a main street corner in Renton, WA and the term "medical massage" started gaining popularity and being defined. He openly used the term medical massage with the intent of lifting massage therapy to a higher standard and improve outcomes for patients. He also had the intent of making it very easy for patients to identify that a business did massage as a treatment, and not just for relaxation. Relaxation massage does have many medical benefits but should not be confused with medical massage unless it is prescribed for stress relief or hypertention. According to Cedar River Medical Massage, until a specific symptom is treated with a specific set of procedures to bring about a specific outcome then massage it is not "medical massage".Cedar River Medical Massage
The American Medical Massage Association (1998) and The United States Medical Massage Association (1999) came on the scene with similar goals of lifting the professions to higher standards and intern giving patients a better outcome. The AMMA has done a great job of working with the standard medical community and bringing massage therapy into the mainstream; they have done this through a board of advisors that includes massage therapists, physicians, chiropractors etc.
The term medical massage has grown in popularity because of its unique ability to bring massage therapy into the mainstream and present massage therapy in a positive view to doctors. More good massage therapists are raising their education level and integrating the term medical massage into their routines daily. A massage therapist can bill for a massage as long as they are a licensed massage therapist and are able to show improvement in a condition of a patient/client. Though in many states insurance companies still do not recognize their training and will not reimburse the therapist.
The term medical massage was birthed out of:
there is now a new National Certification for medical massage therapists in the United States.
Medical massage is useful in addressing conditions such as:
Though national certification exists for medical massage therapists, currently there is no licensures for medical massage therapists in any state, as there is in many states for general massage therapists. Though any therapist can bill for massage treatment those with national certification have much less problems getting paid by the insurance carriers. Any massage therapist can claim to be a medical massage therapist, The public should look at the training that a therapist has and see that they have been trained to treat the specific type of injury that they have. Recently in Washington state the Washington State Department of Labor and Industry reduced their reimbursement rate by 25% because their research found there were some massage therapist performing relaxing massages and billing them as treatment.
Until 1997, "Medical Massage" was referred to as "Massage Therapy" or Treatment Massage. Ever since 1997 the term "medical massage" has been gaining in popularity. Before this date there are several people who helped advance massage to a medical level, but the term first gained popularity with the public in America after Pete Spairring, owner of Cedar River Medical Massage(1997), was bold enough to put "medical" in his business name on a main street corner in Renton, WA and the term "medical massage" started gaining popularity and being defined. He openly used the term medical massage with the intent of lifting massage therapy to a higher standard and improve outcomes for patients. He also had the intent of making it very easy for patients to identify that a business did massage as a treatment, and not just for relaxation. Relaxation massage does have many medical benefits but should not be confused with medical massage unless it is prescribed for stress relief or hypertention. According to Cedar River Medical Massage, until a specific symptom is treated with a specific set of procedures to bring about a specific outcome then massage it is not "medical massage".Cedar River Medical Massage
The American Medical Massage Association (1998) and The United States Medical Massage Association (1999) came on the scene with similar goals of lifting the professions to higher standards and intern giving patients a better outcome. The AMMA has done a great job of working with the standard medical community and bringing massage therapy into the mainstream; they have done this through a board of advisors that includes massage therapists, physicians, chiropractors etc.
The term medical massage has grown in popularity because of its unique ability to bring massage therapy into the mainstream and present massage therapy in a positive view to doctors. More good massage therapists are raising their education level and integrating the term medical massage into their routines daily. A massage therapist can bill for a massage as long as they are a licensed massage therapist and are able to show improvement in a condition of a patient/client. Though in many states insurance companies still do not recognize their training and will not reimburse the therapist.
The term medical massage was birthed out of:
- the public's need for highly skilled, hands-on therapists in treating those with injuries and chronic painChronic painChronic pain has several different meanings in medicine. Traditionally, the distinction between acute and chronic pain has relied upon an arbitrary interval of time from onset; the two most commonly used markers being 3 months and 6 months since the initiation of pain, though some theorists and...
, - the present explosion of information in the injury-rehabilitation field which began with the ground-breaking work of Dr. Janet G TravellJanet G. TravellDr. Janet Graeme Travell, M.D. was an American physician and medical researcher. She was born in 1901 to Willard and Janet Davidson Travell. Heavily influenced by her father's profession of physician, Travell made the decision to pursue a career in the medical field. In 1929, Janet married John...
(1901–1997,) and - the benefit patients receive when medical massage therapists and doctors work together,
there is now a new National Certification for medical massage therapists in the United States.
Medical massage is useful in addressing conditions such as:
- Carpal tunnel syndromeCarpal tunnel syndromeCarpal Tunnel Syndrome is an entrapment idiopathic median neuropathy, causing paresthesia, pain, and other symptoms in the distribution of the median nerve due to its compression at the wrist in the carpal tunnel. The pathophysiology is not completely understood but can be considered compression...
- SciaticaSciaticaSciatica is a set of symptoms including pain that may be caused by general compression or irritation of one of five spinal nerve roots that give rise to each sciatic nerve, or by compression or irritation of the left or right or both sciatic nerves. The pain is felt in the lower back, buttock, or...
- Piriformis syndromePiriformis syndromePiriformis syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder that occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed or otherwise irritated by the piriformis muscle causing pain, tingling and numbness in the buttocks and along the path of the sciatic nerve descending down the lower thigh and into the leg...
- Rotator cuff injuriesRotator cuffIn anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
- Pain associated with bulged or injured spinal disks (medical massage cannot 'fix' the disk, but can help alleviate much of the pain associated with the injury).
- Migraines/headaches
- Pain associated with pregnancy
- Constipation
- Range of motionRange of motionRange of motion , is the distance that a movable object may normally travel while properly attached to another object. It is also called range of travel, particularly when talking about mechanical devices and in mechanical engineering fields...
issues - FibromyalgiaFibromyalgiaFibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia, a heightened and painful response to pressure. It is an example of a diagnosis of exclusion...
- Back and Neck pain
- Plantar fasciitisPlantar fasciitisPlantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory process of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the sole of the foot.Longstanding cases of plantar fasciitis often demonstrate more degenerative changes than inflammatory changes, in which case they are termed plantar fasciosis. The suffix...
(involving pain in the foot) - Repetitive use injuries such as those listed and tennis elbowTennis elbowLateral epicondylitis or lateral epicondylalgia, also known as tennis elbow, shooter's elbow and archer's elbow, is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender...
, Golfer's elbowGolfer's elbowGolfer's elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is an inflammatory condition of the medial epicondyle of the elbow. It is in some ways similar to tennis elbow.... - TMJ
- Pain associated with restricted fasciaFasciaA fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that permeates the human body. A fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding those structures together in much the same manner as plastic wrap can be used to hold the contents of sandwiches...
- Pain associated with postural imbalances
- Muscle crampsCrampCramps are unpleasant, often painful sensations caused by muscle contraction or over shortening. Common causes of skeletal muscle cramps include muscle fatigue, low sodium, and low potassium...
- Restless Legs SyndromeRestless legs syndromeRestless legs syndrome or Willis-Ekbom disease is a neurological disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move one's body to stop uncomfortable or odd sensations. It most commonly affects the legs, but can affect the arms, torso, and even phantom limbs...
- Sports injuriesSports injuriesSports injuries are injuries that occur in athletic activities. In many cases, these types of injuries are often due to overuse or acute trauma of a part of the body when participating in a certain activity. For example, runner's knee is a painful condition generally associated with running, while...
- Work Injuries
- Auto Injuries
- Edema (swelling)
- Injuries sustained in traumas such as falls or automobile accidentsCar accidentA traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
- Thoracic OutletSuperior thoracic apertureThe superior thoracic aperture refers to the superior opening of the thoracic cavity. It is also referred to anatomically as the thoracic inlet and clinically as the thoracic outlet...
Syndrome (numbness/tingling in hands/arms)
Though national certification exists for medical massage therapists, currently there is no licensures for medical massage therapists in any state, as there is in many states for general massage therapists. Though any therapist can bill for massage treatment those with national certification have much less problems getting paid by the insurance carriers. Any massage therapist can claim to be a medical massage therapist, The public should look at the training that a therapist has and see that they have been trained to treat the specific type of injury that they have. Recently in Washington state the Washington State Department of Labor and Industry reduced their reimbursement rate by 25% because their research found there were some massage therapist performing relaxing massages and billing them as treatment.