Is “medical massage a" Buzz word?

by Boris Prilutsky

Feb 5, 2011

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
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  • up

    Boris Prilutsky

    Hi Gordon.

    absolutely agree with you. Many massage schools putting most effort to prepare graduates to pass board exams, and very proud in high statistics.at the time when programs have to prepare to successful career which can happen if one will deliver results by providing hands-on therapy.the same happens with physical therapy schools, chiropractors ect. Of course theoretical knowledge not always reflecting clinical capabilities and therefore meantime massage therapy not at position where it's supposed to be in stress management, pain management, detoxifications ect.


    you said:".A high percentage  leave because of various repetitive stress injuries."

    Gordon.most likely you will agree with me in regards of unity of body and mind. To this terrible statistic not only contributing wrong biomechanics  but also stress of desperation of not to know what to do in treatment room.we have to learn from negative aspects of other physical means of therapy schools, and to reform education to  much more clinical direction as well mandatory student clinics including instructors with good personal clinical experience.

    Best wishes.

    Boris

    Gordon J. Wallis said:

    I kinda think more tiered levels and testing will only make it worse...As it is now, most of the newer schools seem to be set up so students can pass National Certification and State exams. Forget about really teaching massage...The average career span for a massage therapist is now only six years...A high percentage  leave because of various repetitive stress injuries.  The very thing massage is best at..  So that National Certification exam is not setting that good of a standard..So adding more levels...I'm not sure,,but I think the whole teaching system needs to be reexamined.

    HolisticWomen'sWellness said:

    I have long believed that there should be a two-tiered training and licensure system for massage practitioners - a basic education and license process for "aesthetic", spa and relaxation massage and a more rigorous training and licensure process for practitioners of therapeutic or clinical massage and bodywork. 

     

    As to the term "Medical Massage", as with any term that has not been copyrighted, it is inevitably hijacked by those who are interested in making fast money, whether or not they practice or teach with integrity.

     

     

    Apr 16, 2011

  • up

    Gordon J. Wallis

    Well gosh..Even highly educated well meaning people are teaching incorrectly. The whole thing or subject is very complicated.  Part of it is  that massage, whatever style or approach, at its highest levels is an art.   And the field is so huge in scope...Well you can just study forever...And I think most of us do.  I personally think they need to tone down all this National Certification.  Make it easier.  Yea, not so intellectual.. Just basics. Fundamentals. Contraindications..How hard to press and so on..  What a knot in a muscle is.. I visited a school a couple years ago as a guest speaker. Everybody attending that school was ready to pass National Certification... If I took it right now..I dont think Id pass? Anyway,after I was introduced.. I asked the students if anyone could tell me what a knot in a muscle is? And how massage addresses a knot, if it does at all... I got blank stares...I turned to the instructor and asked her(she has a masters degree in teaching)...She shook her head and said I dont know.  Yet, they can pass all these exams..haha!    I dont know...Something is wrong...I mean imagine.  Well you dont need to imagine...They are graduating people from massage schools that can pass various state boards and national exams that dont even know what a knot in a muscle is, or how massage addresses  a knot in a muscle???????  Thats why all these exams and crap....for me they are only a pain in the ass.  If they do add tiers and levels of certification. I will start screening!..I honestly believe that one could reach the highest of levels of their certification and know nothing.

    Apr 16, 2011

  • up

    Boris Prilutsky

    Dear Mary.

    yes I agree with you on most of what you have expressed in your post. Just would like you to realize that in fields of physical therapy,chiropractor's, with all board certifications, and so-called advanced trainings, you will find many, many cases like you described. For last almost 20 years I see huge improvement in our industry and especially at CE education, which must to advance massage practitioners.A) we have too many schoolsB) not enough clinically experienced teachers in this schools. In order to teach advance you have to share knowledge from treatment room and not only from books.it must be combination .text books offering scientific data including counterindications that extremely important but cannot be substitute to clinical experience exactly like only clinical experience cannot be substitute to text books.


    Best wishes.

    Boris

    Mary Jo said:

    Orthopedic massage, medical massage what ever you want to call it. It is advanced training. There are many really good modalities out there, but when the school tells someone that they are "learning" it in the initial 500 hour program, they are doing a disservice to everyone! Whether it be telling the student that ALL massage is "medical" or that they are learning Trigger point therapy, or shiatsu or acupressure. I argued with a teacher who insisted that Acupressure, trigger point and myotherapy were the same!  This guy teacher all over Pittsburgh!  I called the school when he was giving CEU weekend class in Trigger points and told them they should be ashamed to have him as a teacher let alone teaching "trigger point"! He had no idea what he was talking about!

    I had written another in depth letter to all the schools he taught for when he was instructing a woman in a 20 hour "massage for friends" I took with my sis in law (so she had a partner) how to tell the employer that she had training in "acupressure". After the class, I called where she worked and ask about her credentials. She stated that she was trained in trigger point, acupressure and something else. Even more impressive was when she told me that she went to the trigger point therapy school that I went to (500+).  YES, after a 20 hour Community College clothes on class. Oh and he gave us all a "certificate" with the name of a Dean that had not been there for years, with no indication of hours. It just said "completed Massage 1" 

     

    We will not have a license, which might help this, but if she had been working as a massage therapist the whole time, she could be grandfathered in.  Let the buyer beware!

    Apr 18, 2011