Medical Massage Therapy: The Stay Dressed Massage With Long Term Health Benefits
Outcome-Based Medical Massage
Many people come to a licensed massage therapist for wellbeing. Massage is very helpful to heal injuries, relieve pain, and prevent or even cure illnesses. The NYS, Department of Education defines massage as “engaging in the applying a scientific system of activity to the muscular structure of the human body by means of stroking, kneading, tapping, and vibrating with the hands for the purpose of improving muscle tone and circulation”. It is the manual manipulation of muscles and other tissues with the goal of establishing and maintaining a good physical condition and promoting health and wellbeing.
“The practice of medicine (massage therapy) is one-third science and two-thirds art”
John Harvey Kelloge, MD (1902)
Medical Massage Therapy has been defined by some as massage either proscribed by a physician or massage performed in a physician’s office. While both of these conditions may exist, it is our belief and experience that Medical Massage Therapy includes any massage performed with a desired clinical outcome while honoring any contraindications. Settings may include office, home, home visit, spa, or athletic venue.
Client-centered Clinically-oriented Massage
Most client-centered clinically-oriented massage therapists seek an umbrella large enough to cover the scope of their skills Medical Massage Therapy offers an ideal umbrella for all bodywork.
To begin to integrate into the clinical process requires objective and measurable assessment and documentation skills. Effective communication with other health professionals and the practice of medical ethics, helps the massage therapist become part of the healthcare team. Teaching our clients self-care for maximum treatment continuity completes this outcome-based model.
Acceptance also means that doctors and patients realize that Medical Massage Therapist fills a gap in our healthcare system by providing high-quality, hands-on soft tissue therapy. We have a unique opportunity to perform an essential role in holistic pathology rehabilitation that has been overlooked by several medical specialties.
The History Of Medical Massage
The history of medical massage dates back 5000 years. The massage was considered a natural and sacred way of healing. Herbs and oils were used to massage away muscle pain. In India, as early as 3000 BCE, massage was believed to restore the physical and natural balance of the body, improving the chances to heal naturally.
Around 2700 BCE Medical Massage made its way to China where it was believed diseases were the result of imbalance or deficiency of energy. The book “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic Book of Internal Medicine” was developed and is still a strong reference for alternative medicine: massage, acupuncture, and herbal medicine. Egyptians around 2500 BCE, Japanese in 1000 BCE, Greeks and Romans between 800 and 700 BCE, were all influenced and even added their own bodywork techniques.
In the last 50 years, as people seek a healthier way of life, medical massage has taken a new role, being recognized as good medicine for the treatment of pain management as well as restoring and maintaining healthy bodies.
“No singular therapeutic agent can be compared in efficiency with this familiar but perfect tool…the human hand.
It is pre-eminently the instrument of the artist in all departments.
The hand is an ever present agent of skill…
It is capable of infinite adaptation…
If half as much research had been expended on principles
governing manual treatment as upon pharmacology, the hand would be esteemed today on a par with drugs in acceptability and power. “
Medical Massage seeks to improve pain management, reduce inflammation, improve circulation, relieve nerve compression, improve digestion, improve flexibility, and other medical problems. Medical massage therapy is concentrated on a specific medical diagnosis. For that, medical massage makes use of a wide variety of techniques, based on the needs of the patient, the practitioner can use one or a combination of several of these techniques to alleviate the ailments of each patient.
The most commonly used techniques are:
- Swedish massage
- Deep tissue and trigger point therapy
- Reflexology
- Myofascial release
The typical complaints that patients report to their massage therapists are anxiety and stress, pain, fatigue, depression, neuropathy, movement restrictions, fatigue, depression, stress, anxiety, and sleep disorders. All of these symptoms can be relieved by Medical Massage.
Clothed medical massage
Many people are uncomfortable or self-conscious by the fact of being undressed. Modesty, religion, culture, and even skin conditions, can cause a person to reject massage therapy and never see the benefits of it.
Medical massage is performed through the pressure of the practitioner’s hands on the muscles of the patient to be treated, therefore direct contact with the skin is not necessary. The pressure can be applied over the clothing. However, it is important to know that not all types of clothing can be worn when receiving a medical massage. The best options would be loose clothing, short sleeves, or sleeveless t-shirts and shorts. Thick fabrics are more difficult to work with.
Medical massage is very unique, it seeks to attend specific problems. The practitioner and client set a goal for the treatment having in mind the specific health issue. There are massage techniques that can only be done directly on the skin. However, some people prefer keeping their clothes on, if that is your case, it shouldn’t stop you from getting health care, you still can enjoy all these benefits. Medical massage can be done over the clothing. The value of the clothed massage is the possibility for the patient to feel more comfortable, with boundaries and gender differences. It gives the practitioner the possibility to ask the patient to stand or walk in order to check signs of progress. A medical massage is a powerful tool that will benefit your range of motion, heal and pain relief from an injury or surgery, restore function while working on a specific problem area, improve sleep, increase blood circulation, relieve tension headaches, decrease stress, and provide general well-being. If your Doctor, Physical Therapist, Chiropractor or Nurse Practitioner has not prescribed a medical massage treatment you can reach out to Don Girodo, LMT at Crossroads Wellness and schedule a Medical Massage and Don will create a schedule and treatment recommendation for you.
30-minute Massage for just $25 with a Chiropractic Appointment
A 30 Minute Therapeutic Massage’s primary goal is to relax the entire body. Therapeutic Massage reaches deeper layers of muscles. It is used to break down knots and relieve pressure points throughout the body. It is exceptionally beneficial for increasing the level of oxygen in the blood, decreasing muscle toxins, improving circulation and flexibility while easing tension.
Dr. Carolyn Gochee, is a holistic chiropractor, that specializes in wellness.
CHIROPRACTIC FOLLOW UP WITH a DON GIRODO, LMT MASSAGE
Chiropractic Treatment with Dr. Gochee.
SOT(R) Methods, Cranial, Applied Kinesiology (AK), Logan Basic, NET (Neuro Emotional Technique), Sport’s Physicals
Medical massage is a therapeutic massage that can be prescribed by a physician. It is any massage performed with a desired clinical outcome and it provides the client with an individualized evaluation, specialized tests, rehabilitative exercises and stretches as well as hydrotherapy.
60-minute Massage for just $50 with a Chiropractic Appointment
A 60 Minute Therapeutic Massage’s primary goal is to relax the entire body. Therapeutic Massage reaches deeper layers of muscles. It is used to break down knots and relieve pressure points throughout the body. It is exceptionally beneficial for increasing the level of oxygen in the blood, decreasing muscle toxins, improving circulation and flexibility while easing tension.
Dr. Carolyn Gochee, is a holistic chiropractor, that specializes in wellness.
