Alliance of Massage Therapists

Comment

Comment by Mary Ellen Derwis-Balaz on October 18, 2009 at 9:44am

As a practitioner who works withing the medical massage system. I would like to point out that in order to submit claims detailed soap notes and other paperwork is required. Phililophically i agree with Bruce. In practical application one has to have a detailed plan and proof of outcome. Medical massage is a western construct and certain criterea must be met.

Comment by Cliff Korn on October 16, 2009 at 4:19pm

I used to agree with you, Bruce. I now am coming to the opinion that any form of bodywork can be medical is too simplistic. While I have no issue with the terms "medical" and "clinical" being used interchangeably, I think leaving the terms defined loosely can bite us in the butt down the road. I have seen far too many LMTs who are adept at putting a body in relaxation think they should be able to take insurance cases because, "when the body is put into a state of relaxation it can heal itself therefore any form of body work could be medical." I personally feel that clinical assessment skills and a treatment plan are necessary components of clinical practice. That does not necessarily mean that relaxation techniques cannot be part of that treatment plan, but it must be done with a specific purpose in mind. Use of the term "medical" seems to allude to a more structured approach, but I use the term "clinical" for my own practice.

Since neither term has a definition that is universally accepted it may all be moot anyway! ;-)

Comment by Bruce Baltz on October 16, 2009 at 4:05pm

I would like to suggest changing the term medical massage to clinical massage in order to represent the western structural approach. I believe that when the body is put into a state of relaxation it can heal itself therefore any form of body work
could be medical could it not?

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