We all know what it feels like to have a twisted ankle, a sprained finger, or a nagging headache that just won’t go away…but what about our experience with real pain ~”pain” pain.
Healing from an injury seems to take forever sometimes, but what if your pain persisted for months, even years? Unfortunately, the number of folks who have experienced chronic pain has become a recent national concern, with well over 50 percent of Americans 65 and older reporting, in the 30th Annual CDC poll, pain lasting a year or longer.
Can you imagine having a splitting headache or a pinched nerve for a year or longer? I can’t, and there’s no reason our clients have to, either.
As we move forward into the age of medical technology, more and more ailments are being corrected with surgery, which is leaving a growing swath of pain victims in its wake.
Physical and occupational Therapists are becoming more and more recognized for their beneficial roles in pain management, as traditional allopathic treatments consistently disappoint. These pain clinics are fast becoming over-burdened with patients, many with needs that could be met with manual muscle therapies or, in layman’s terms, massage!
This strategically places massage therapists in a particularly favorable position. But, like any fortuitous opportunity, there must be sacrifices made, and we have to decide if we’re ready to plunge into the center of the volcano for the Greater Massage Therapy Good! It’s really not as foreboding as it sounds, honest. Well, almost…
I’ve been an LMT for seven years, and have worked in several clinical settings where massage was covered by insurance. This is my ideal setting in which to practice Medical Massage, due largely to the amount of support, but it’s certainly not the only one.
I’ve also worked both as an independent contractor and as an employee of a spa where clients were (eventually) reimbursed for my services through their insurance companies. There is a protocol that must be followed, and the paperwork required to enact this benefit is only slightly less terrifying than the lava-spewing maw of a volcano…but it is absolutely worth the effort. I’ve worked with a variety of chronically injured and even terminally ill clients over the years, and there are very few rewards I cherish more than knowing I’ve helped someone ease their pain.
One of the reasons massage therapists are so uniquely situated for this task is that we incorporate all the facets of therapy pain management requires. Remember back to when you were little, and Mommy’s kiss on your boo-boo helped more than the medicine and band-aid? The dynamic ability of nurturing care to transcend the physical pain-state is what gives massage therapists the advantage to provide what others cannot ~ good old-fashioned comfort.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not implying that giving a nice massage is going to make all your clients’ pains go away. You still have to be a well-educated, informed, skilled and experienced clinical therapist in order to fill the job.
This career specialization is by no means going to appeal to all therapists, either. Medical massage therapy demands a more structured work schedule, increased accountability, creating and implementing rigorous and detailed treatment plans, and a less “alternative” approach overall ~ you can kiss those bare feet and incense at work good-bye!
One of the motivating benefits is the current ability to work independently, even as an employee. The education and experience of the therapist is often what will dictate function, and treatment plans, applied techniques, maintenance, and even long-term care is determined by the practitioner and their patients’ course of recovery.
In this framework, you will be utilizing some of the most effective and progressive techniques administered by therapists today, such as Myofascial Release, Biofeedback, PNF Stretching and Reiki, just to name a few.
This is a sensational opportunity to accelerate integration, acceptance, and respect for our profession like we have never before known. All we have to do is what we do best ~ return our clients’ smiles to their rightful places on their happy, pain-free faces!
© 2012 Massage Schools Guide