There have been a lot of questions about what makes "massage" Medical massage.
Some would say that massage becomes "medical" massage when insurance is paying the bill.
The problem with this answer is that a few insurance plans pay for massage as a preventive benefit.
Some would argue that all massage is "medical" massage.
I would agree somewhat in that all massage has some medical benefits. For example massage reduces stress - a person with hypertension would receive the benefit of reduced blood pressure and this could prevent a heart attack or stroke.
There are so many benefits to massage that it would take many pages to list them. So to keep things short and simple I have come up with a short and simple definition that I believe would pass the American Medical Associations inspection of a true definition.
So I have Defined "Medical" Massage with the following definition:
Massage becomes medical massage when a specific symptom is treated with a specific set of procedures to bring about a specific outcome, until then massage is not medical massage"
As defined by my business I would also add that it must be following the directions stated on a prescription from a doctor.
Now with this specific definition in place. There already are a several specific symptoms that massage can be used effectively to treat. Most of these symptoms can be treated with more than one set of procedures to bring about specific outcomes. As a time goes on and massage therapist continue to document their treatment and break down the steps or procedures that they used to bring about specific outcomes. Massage will become more and more accepted in the medical community. It will also insure that the patients get the outcomes that they are expecting.
Some of the symptoms that Medical Massage has been proven to treat effectively are, back pain, sciatica, knee pain, neck pain, whiplash, shoulder pain, thoracic outlet, frozen shoulder, wrist pain, carpal tunnel, headaches, migraines, etc... This list is by no means complete but meant to give an idea of some of things that massage is effective treating.
Written by
Pete Spairring L.M.P.
