Medical massage

Hello everyone! Today I wanted to share some information about medical massage. This information was shared to me by one of the members of BackTalk (April N. Wheeler-Andolfi). She has some experience with medical massage and how the benefits have helped her and how it may help you. Please remember to still consult your healthcare provider to make sure it is a good fit for you. This is a bit longer of a read but it is definitely worth it! I hope you find it helpful like I did.

Hi Scoli Warriors! I know many of you have seen me comment on others post in regards to Medical Massage Therapy and many of you have inquired about this with me. So today while researching for some options to help another fellow Scoli Sister in Texas, I found this place and was immediately impressed with their experience and all they offer for medical massage therapy. (I wish I had a place like this in NC! 😆) I highly recommend reading about this place and how they specialize in medical massages, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, deep tissue, cupping, taping & scraping. All forms of therapeutic modalities that every Scoli can greatly benefit from for a lifetime!! *Even though this is referred to as medical massage, this does is not to imply that this is covered by your health insurance company. Although some insurance companies do cover some aspects of medical necessity massage therapy (which we all would qualify for), you would have to check these benefits with your insurance company. I had heard through the medical grapevine that Medicare has been discussing the possibility of adding medical massage therapy to patients benefits, however we all know this will be a long drawn out process more than likely, so it may take years before this may happen. I truly cannot stress enough how important medical massages are for us Scoli’s and our overall health and well-being. These forms of therapeutic modalities listed above are all medical necessity for all us (whether you have pain or no pain, fusion or no fusion), as it truly helps to get to the source of our musculoskeletal tension, spasms, and pain. Some important things regarding medical massage and all of the therapeutic modalities. These type of massages and modalities are meant to be uncomfortable at first, but should always be tolerable discomfort or pain. - ALWAYS communicate with the Certified Massage Therapist and let them know if they need to apply less pressure, etc... They want us to communicate these things to them. - If lying on your stomach is difficult ask the CMT for a pillow to put under your lower stomach area. If you can’t lay on your stomach at all due to increased pain then ask to do your back while sitting on a massage chair or try laying on your side if this isn’t an option and put a pillow between your knees. - If you have never had a massage or are concerned about the pain and think that you won’t be able to tolerate these modalities, I truly ask you to reconsider how the benefits outweigh these concerns. You can always start with a basic Swedish massage the first few weeks to help desensitize your body to massages. Then work your way up to medical massages and then slowly add some deep tissue, trigger point and neuromuscular therapy, for example. And for those with a low pain tolerance, I wouldn’t try the scraping or myofascial release. For anyone that has had spinal fusion surgery, myofascial release is an excellent modality for scar tissue management and to help with any adhesions and pain often caused by scar tissue and adhesions. For some it can be an instant pain reliever and truly life changing. After a medical massage, especially deep tissue and trigger point therapy, you may experience some muscle spasms and/or tenderness. While completely normal it should subside within a few days (roughly 24-48hrs). By releasing the muscles that are tight and full of knots and tension, toxins are also being released from the muscles (one of the many reasons medical massage & these forms of therapeutic modalities are such an important health benefit for us). So this is also why we tend to be sore afterwards and a few may experience mild nausea. Which leads me to my next very important tip. **ALWAYS DRINK LOTS OF WATER BEFORE AND ESPECIALLY AFTER A MEDICAL MASSAGE.** I can’t stress this enough! And do not eat anything at least an hour before your massage unless it’s a very light snack. So lastly, how does one go about finding options for medical massage in their area: - Google “medical massage near me” first, then if not much luck Google just “massage therapy near me” - Then start by going down the list of the Google reviews under the map of your area and focus on the ones with 4 or more ⭐️ with 5 or more reviews when possible. (Just because a CMT may only have say 4 reviews, but has 5 stars they are still worth checking out) - As you go through the list when you select on if they do not have a website then skip and move one. This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. In my opinion, it’s 2021 and if you don’t have a website listing the information I need to determine whether you have what I need in a CMT, then it’s not worth my time. - Then go to their website and start by researching their bio which is usually under the menu of their website listed under “About” or “Our Team” for example. If more than one CMT is listed, then go through each one skimming for the key words medical massage or deep tissue, trigger point (therapy), neuromuscular therapy, and myofascial release or work. At the very least their experience must include deep tissue, but the more modalities they have experience with the more credentials and overall experience they also have as a CMT. (If there is not a bio listed you have two options; call for more information and inquire about these specific modalities or skip and move on) - Lastly look at their list of services, especially if they do not have a bio, that way you can see by their services what modalities they do offer. Always ask whether they have any new client offers and/or massage packages where you can save money if not listed on the website. A few other tips: - Try to avoid spas that also offer lots of other services such as a hair salon, nails, facials, etc... These places are what I refer to as “foo-foo” massage places 💆🏻‍♀️ 😆. These types of massages are not the true medical type massage therapy and therapeutic modalities that we truly need to benefit from these therapies. However if you have a low pain tolerance and need to work your way up to medical massage, then this may be a good place for you to start if you choose. I will also add that these types of places tend to be more expensive for massage in my opinion. - I personally do not recommend going to a place that’s like a big box massage therapy place such as a Massage Envy. If you should choose to try one I would recommend calling and asking which massage therapist has the most experience with medical massage therapy, specifically deep tissue, trigger point and/or neuromuscular therapy and how long have they been practicing as a CMT. The more experience in years of doing massages and with these therapies the better. I’m sorry this is long, but I hope this is helpful. I also just wanted to say that I realize for some that financially this may not be an option for you right now, but look at this as a medical necessity and when your situation improves. This is coming from my personal experience, as I’m permanently disabled at 41yo after working in the medical field as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (similar to physical therapy/physiotherapy as some may refer to it as). So I also live on a very limited income myself and completely understand having to make choices for what I’m able to afford. For me it’s cutting out takeout to once a week or less to better help me afford my weekly medical massages that I know my body can’t function as well without. I had to decide whether I was able to afford what I know is medical necessity for me and make a small change and sacrifice for something that tremendously helps with managing my chronic neck & back pain, muscle spasms & tightness from my neck to my calves, headaches, chronic fatigue, depression and anxiety (just to list a few 😆). If anyone has any questions whatsoever please feel free to comment below or send me a PM if you prefer. I truly hope that someone finds this helpful and for those that are in pain that you are able to get some relief soon. 💚 If I realize that I forgot something important I will add it in the comments below, as well as edit the post with the additional information. 😉 💚Take care Scoli Strong Warriors!! 💚