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Is “medical massage a" Buzz word?
Dear members.recently I got a very interesting e-mail from one of LV meet up members .The following is a partial text.:” A lot of therapists are confused about the term "medical massage" and think that it means they have to be certified or ultra-clinical to be a part of this field. I've also had a therapist tell me that "medical massage" is no different from a "regular massage" and that it is just a buzz word...I was surprised with how many people agreed with her! “
BTW. On the record in US I was the first one who have introduced society to Medical massage name. I did it not intentionally and because I didn't know different one. In former Soviet Union I was trained to perform medical and sports massage.
Medical massage name was proposed by founder of this method professor of medicine Sherback and lately when Drs, Glezar and Delicho published text book :” segment reflex medical massage” and from the third addition the name was medical massage only. As you can see this is not BUZZ word, but have science-based roots. Honestly I don't know what is it “regular massage” and to me this name do not define what methodology one practicing. Massage therapy or medical massage having the same meaning. Which is :one providing therapy by means of massage. Name of the regular massage very difficult to understand and confusing. There is different expertise in the medical massage therapy fields such as orthopedic massage that protocols designed and utilized to treat sports and job related injuries, degenerative diseases of support and movements system est. I don't know if you have to be certified in order to practice orthopedic massage but I am positive 100% that if one not trained how to perform treatments for painful orthopedic disorders one shouldn't even touch this client but to refer this clients to one who trained in this discipline.
I am approved by NCBTMB as a continued education provider to teach medical and sports massage protocols. However in near future NCBTMB will offer special certification for advance massage therapy program.
As you understood one cannot give name to methodology if one will not conduct acceptable standards research, will publish paper and in this paper one declaring the name of that treatment.No, medical massage is not buzz word. Thank you for reading my explanation.
Hopefully that it will clarify a bit confusion. Soon I will be back in Las Vegas to teach workshops and of course traditionally I'm offering to group members free one hour or 3 hrs introductory medical and sports massage seminars. Of course you'll be notified by group organizer. Look forward to see you all.
Best wishes.
Boris
Views: 585
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Julie Onofrio on
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Actually I think it is a buzz word here which is part of the confusion. It was a specific method where you were trained but it is not here in the US. There are many therapists out there teaching so called medical massage. Is is all coming from your same teacher in the Soviet Union? No. Everyone is making up their own techniques and calling it medical massage.
My initial training is basic swedish massage taught me how to work with various conditions- back pain, neck pain, carpal tunnel just by relieving tight muscles. It is medical massage to me because it works with medical conditions. I also have been trained in triggerpoint therapy. Is that medical massage? Yes here it is in my opinion. Is orthopedic massage medical massage? Yes, I think it is too. Every kind of massage is medical massage.
You (and everyone else) calling it medical massage is creating part of the confusion. Call it Prilutsky method or something else. (No offense or anything personal here - just my opinion.)
This really should be a part of the profession stepping up and defining itself before someone else like the insurance companies do - which they are already doing in fact.
Thanks
Julie Onofrio
www.massagepracticebuilder.com
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Permalink Reply by Boris Prilutsky on
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Hi Julie.
My feeling that you just didn't have time to read my post. Because of on most, not on all but on most what you said I agree and in the first place made clear it in my post. I just will offer you again few sentences from my post:"
1.Massage therapy or medical massage having the same meaning. Which is :one providing therapy by means of massage.">>>>>you just repeated my statement like I am wrote something different.2.There is different expertise in the medical massage therapy fields such as orthopedic massage that protocols designed and utilized to treat sports and job related injuries, degenerative diseases of support and movements system est. I don't know if you have to be certified in order to practice orthopedic massage but I am positive 100% that if one not trained how to perform treatments for painful orthopedic disorders one shouldn't even touch this client but to refer this clients to one who trained in this discipline.>>>>>>>Yes Julie orthopedic massage is one of medical massage disciplines.
3.I cannot call this Prilutsky methodology,as you recommending because as I explained it would be wrong. I also explained why it will be wrong in my commentary.please spent a second to read my post again.
4. BTW I really don't know what other people doing and of course cannot be responsible for it,and if someone doing it as you described then one doing wrong.in my case I did explain why medical massage name that I am using is not a BUZZ
word .as well can assure you that I don't want to work with insurance companies. In principle it will be very bad care to our clients and terrible reimbursement fee to us.
Now on what I disagree with you.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
you wrote:"My initial training is basic swedish massage taught me how to work with various conditions- back pain, neck pain, carpal tunnel just by relieving tight muscles. It is medical massage to me because it works with medical conditions. I also have been trained in triggerpoint therapy. Is that medical massage? Yes here it is in my opinion. Is orthopedic massage medical massage? Yes, I think it is too. Every kind of massage is medical massage."
Julie,If you trained how to treat people who is suffering from painful support and movement system disorders then you must call it orthopedic massage, otherwise it will confuse. My understanding is that Swedish massage is designed for full body massage and this not including training in orthopedic massage protocols.
Have a blessed day.
Boris
Julie Onofrio said:
Actually I think it is a buzz word here which is part of the confusion. It was a specific method where you were trained but it is not here in the US. There are many therapists out there teaching so called medical massage. Is is all coming from your same teacher in the Soviet Union? No. Everyone is making up their own techniques and calling it medical massage.
My initial training is basic swedish massage taught me how to work with various conditions- back pain, neck pain, carpal tunnel just by relieving tight muscles. It is medical massage to me because it works with medical conditions. I also have been trained in triggerpoint therapy. Is that medical massage? Yes here it is in my opinion. Is orthopedic massage medical massage? Yes, I think it is too. Every kind of massage is medical massage.
You (and everyone else) calling it medical massage is creating part of the confusion. Call it Prilutsky method or something else. (No offense or anything personal here - just my opinion.)
This really should be a part of the profession stepping up and defining itself before someone else like the insurance companies do - which they are already doing in fact.
Thanks
Julie Onofrio
www.massagepracticebuilder.com
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Permalink Reply by Las Vegas Massage In Summerlin on
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Hey Boris!
We look forward to your training next month! For those massage therapists interested, here's our infomation:
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Hi Kris.
I'm also looking forward to teach at Las Vegas, and to work with Northwest health careers.you guys offering very welcome and positive energy. Thank you for this.Actually Julie initiated much-needed discussion on definitions of different massage therapy disciplines. I'm strong believer that good and better clinical treatment outcome is directly related to exact definition as well deep understanding .and if one don't have exact treatment definition that one is utilizing,one also cannot understand, and if one cannot understand to level of having clear procedure goals it is difficult to predict good outcome.
Therefore I will use opportunity and in my next post will offer definitions of sports massage.I hope it will be helpful.
Have a blessed day.
Boris
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The thing though Boris is that everyone seems to have their own definitions for every type of massage but the massage profession has yet to declare and definitions themselves to clarify all of this.
There are other teachers out there teaching something they call Medical Massage - how will people be able to separate your type of "Medical Massage" from everyone elses out there. There are too many people calling their work medical massage and all of it is very different work. David Luther was one of them. Ross Turchinov has a book by the same name. There are many schools saying they are teaching medical massage.
Who is the owner of the type of massage called "Medical Massage"?
Swedish Massage is not just relaxation massage. I have no training in orthopedic massage so I can't call it that. It is how the massage technique is being used - to just relax or to treat medical conditions.
Look at this list of so called Medial Massage schools
http://www.naturalhealers.com/feat-medical-massage.shtml
Are they all teaching the method you do and are calling Medical Massage?
Yes we do need much more discussion on this topic....I think it is one of the most important issues we are faced with and here in WA as health care providers for major medical insurance companies - they insurance companies are creating their own defiintion of what medical massage is and even attempting to create a certification for it.
Julie
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Dear Jolie.
Honestly I even didn't know on the situation as you described. Thank you for updating me.In such a case absolutely agree with you that need more discussion on this subject. In my future post I will offer more details on my views including on the importance of therapy definitions.Hope it will be beneficial. In any case
as I stated before basically Massage therapy or Medical massage means the same,which is to provide therapy by means of massage. The big question is, if our colleagues providing therapy by means of massage?I'm sorry don't know personally
David Luther as well do not familiar with his works,but I know personally Dr. Ross Turchaninov and even did review of his books.we both practicing the same methodology as it was proposed by Prof.Sherback.In my opinion his textbooks is the excellent source to study Russian/European scientifically based and clinically proved Medical massage methodology.
I really appreciate your discussion. You are thinking in very comprehensive way,therefore I'm suspecting that you delivering good clinical outcome.in my opinion it is very important to develop or to have comprehensive way of thinking for successful practice in our fields.
Have a blessed day.
Yours.
Boris
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Permalink Reply by Jody C. Hutchinson on
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Hello everyone,
I'm a little late to the discussion here but would like to add my 2 cents. I firmly believe that if we are to label subcategories of massage then terms like "sports, orthopedic, and swedish" are good places to start. I'm not in favor ot the label "medical massage" for the following reasons:
1. I don't think it really defines the techniques and is vague.
2. The word medical may confuse consumers who are trying to find a treatment or remedy.
3. When I think of medical I imagine long waits at the office, confusing billing and payments, short and impersonal care, and a large health insurance company dictating all the aspects of care.
I have been practicing since 1987 and have worked in the offices of doctors, anesthesiologists, chiropractors, and physical therapists-about as medical as you can get. In all that time the term "medical massage" was not used. Myofascial release and manual therapy were the terms-especially for insurance reimbursement. I was told not to use the word "massage" on any chart. Sessions were short and volume was stressed. Not my favorite way to work.
In closing, I would like to relate my experience with another part of "medical massage." About seven years ago I attended seminars with TMMO and D. Luther. At first it appeared to be a real movement. Soon, I saw the attempts to divide the profession and exclude many MTs using semantics and fear tactics. He did not like being transparent. Again, not my way to work this. After leaving, I asked: "where's the outrage?"
I appreciate the discussion from Boris and Julie and others.
Cheers,
Jody H.
Boris Prilutsky said:Dear Jolie.
Honestly I even didn't know on the situation as you described. Thank you for updating me.In such a case absolutely agree with you that need more discussion on this subject. In my future post I will offer more details on my views including on the importance of therapy definitions.Hope it will be beneficial. In any case
as I stated before basically Massage therapy or Medical massage means the same,which is to provide therapy by means of massage. The big question is, if our colleagues providing therapy by means of massage?I'm sorry don't know personally
David Luther as well do not familiar with his works,but I know personally Dr. Ross Turchaninov and even did review of his books.we both practicing the same methodology as it was proposed by Prof.Sherback.In my opinion his textbooks is the excellent source to study Russian/European scientifically based and clinically proved Medical massage methodology.
I really appreciate your discussion. You are thinking in very comprehensive way,therefore I'm suspecting that you delivering good clinical outcome.in my opinion it is very important to develop or to have comprehensive way of thinking for successful practice in our fields.
Have a blessed day.
Yours.
Boris
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Dear Jody.
For me personally, as well for my students it is impossible to change “Medical massage” name because more than 44 years ago at school I started training in medical and sports massage program. The same it will be difficult for my students whom I trained in US for last 17 years. I also explained it and any dictionary will support my statement: by offering Medical massage and/or massage therapy means that one providing therapy by means of massage. In my opinion shouldn't be confusion, and I believe You have to feel comfortable with this. Who are practicing results oriented massage should feel comfortable with this. If one not feeling comfortable with this terminology one should do a bit thinking and if one will come to conclusion that she/he providing therapy/health benefit then “medical massage word”will not make one feel not comfortable. If therapist will feel confident and comfortable with this words meanings:” massage therapy or medical massage” then customers also will feel comfortable with this words. Latin word “Doctor” means educator, and if one will feel confident on what type of therapy one providing then she/he will educate, MDs and other health practitioners as well customers on importance to incorporate medical massage or massage therapy in to the their treatment plans for prevention and management of diseases. 90% of doctor visits are related to stress, tension headaches, essential hypertension , anxieties, clinical depression, muscles aches est. it is scientifically and clinically proven that massage therapy is the most powerful methodology in stress management. Is it medical massage??? Or therapy by means of massage??? As a real loving colleague of your I would like to advise to do rerealizetion on what powerful healing methodology you practicing, in such a case you will care less about medical massage words, because most likely you practice one.
As you described your experiences working for medical offices make me feel very bad. We shouldn't work for some moneymaking not health care providers. This is really outrageous. Every one who will try
to control our industry for their own special interest must be rejected by us. You know this jock “why dogs ………..” and the answer is” because he can”. Let's not let individuals, and organizations with special personal interest to take advantage on us. I believe that your post is very important one because it expressed most likely unhappiness of the many practitioners. The mood of :” I'm not happy” will give opportunity to special interest to direct us to this special interest advantage, which is not interest of our industry, our personal interest, and most important not interest of the general public. I am hoping that my discussion with you somehow helping practitioners to make the mine in regards what kind of therapy they providing. Also using the opportunity would like to write the following:” one who providing orthopedic massage and knows how to make clients feel less pain, more functional activity est. shouldn't feel advanced or superior to one who performing full body medical stress management massage. Because from back pain quality of life will be affected, but due to stress related side effects people losing lives or disabling nowadays .
Best wishes.
Boris
PS.as I promised soon I will post my views on practical importance to define correct therapy types.
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Permalink Reply by Anastasia Wiley NCTMB, LMT on
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I wish you could come to Virginia Beach to teach CEU's that would be great Boris.
Anastasia NCTBM., LMT
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Dear Anastasia.
Thank you very much for interest to study from me. I also would love to come to Virginia Beach but haven't met nobody who can host my workshops. If you can advise will appreciate it. On the other hand I have home programs on DVDs . strongly believe that this home programs can be good source to study. For more information please visit
http://www.medicalmassage-ceu.com/
Best wishes.
Boris
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Permalink Reply by Marilyn St.John on
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Thank you all for addressing the "modality names" issue that I didn't know how to approach! I was lucky enough to have a very well-rounded education that included many modalities, including orthopedic techniques. While my certificate lists them, the actual blanket certification is referred to as "European Massage." Upon graduation, it never occurred to me to question it; but as years have passed, I have never seen a reference to "European massage." per se. Have any of you? I work mostly in the chiropractic and medical realm, and also do some wellness massage...now pursuant to this discussion, I'm not entirely sure how to define what I do! Interested to hear your take on it.
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Dear Marilyn.
Massage therapy as any other therapeutic procedures is about results. my understanding that you successfully delivering results. when you performing orthopedic massage which is medical massage or therapy by means of massage for back and limb disorders then you please choose how you want to define it. the most important provide therapy that will lead to decrease of pain , increase of range of motion, increase in functional activities est. I am practicing European Medical Massage as it was propose by the Russian professor of medicine Anatolie Sherback and lately was further developed by two German physicians Drs. Glezer and Delicho. As a professional I grew up in Europe and can assure you that there is no other official European methodology of treatment. Please use this reference but most important continue to deliver results by providing therapy by means of massage. I hope my explanation was helpful.
Best wishes.
Boris
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