Medical Massage Therapy (2)
What is the difference between massage therapy and medical massage therapy? As far as techniques go, nothing is different. Medical massage therapy incorporates all forms of massage techniques. The one important difference that would separate medical massage would be that the therapist would receive specific prescriptive direction from a primary care physician as to what the client needs in regards to their healthcare problems. This form of massage therapy is generally billed to health insurance companies in 15 minute increments and proper and accurate patient charting is absolutely required by the therapist.
Techniques
Various techniques may be performed when applying medical therapy for a client. Some of these techniques include trigger point therapy, myofascial release, muscle testing, neuromuscular therapy, rehabilitation procedures and many more. The therapist would apply these techniques to the specific prescribed areas instead of a full body treatment. It is important to acquire exceptional palpation skills when working with medically referred clients, as the ability to palpate and locate musculoskeletal issues will result in better benefitting the clients’ overall health progress. It is also very important for healthcare providers to be aware that the term “medical massage therapist” does not imply formal medical training and such should only be recommended for a patient that does not have any serious underlying health condition that would be a contraindication for receiving massage therapy services.
References Cited in this Article
