Medical massage

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.^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]} 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^{[citation needed]}

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^{[says who?]} 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:

1. the public's need for highly skilled, hands-on therapists in treating those with injuries and chronic pain,
2. the present explosion of information in the injury-rehabilitation field which began with the ground-breaking work of Dr. Janet G Travell (1901–1997,)^[1] and
3. the benefit patients receive when medical massage therapists and doctors work together,

there is now a new National Certification^{[citation needed]} for medical massage therapists in the United States.

Medical massage is useful in addressing conditions such as:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Sciatica
• Piriformis syndrome
• Rotator cuff injuries
• 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 motion issues
• Fibromyalgia
• Back and Neck pain
• Plantar fasciitis (involving pain in the foot)
• Repetitive use injuries such as those listed and tennis elbow, Golfer's elbow
• TMJ
• Pain associated with restricted fascia
• Pain associated with postural imbalances
• Muscle cramps
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Sports injuries
• Work Injuries
• Auto Injuries
• Edema (swelling)
• Injuries sustained in traumas such as falls or automobile accidents
• 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.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/archives/exhibits/travell/online/