Chiropractic: Physicians Plus

80 Sumner Avenue · Springfield, MA 01108 · Phone: (413) 732-4800 · Fax: (413) 739-4239

CONDITIONS AND CONCERNS

What Is Medical Massage?

Definition

According to the American Medical Massage Association (AMMA), medical massage is:

"A system of manually applied techniques designed to reduce pain, establish normal tissue tension, create a positive tissue environment and to normalize the movement of the musculoskeletal system. Medical massage is a scientifically based method of manual therapy that seeks a clear understanding of the scientific principles of physiology that affect connective and soft tissue healing and treatment."

Physicians Plus specializes in applying these manual therapy techniques under the prescription and supervision from either a medical doctor, osteopathic doctor, physical therapist and/or a chiropractic doctor.

The difference between medical and therapeutic massage

Therapeutic Massage is usually performed by massage therapists working in a SPA-type setting and is described as a general, feel-good massage. Regular massage therapists while competent and well trained in relaxation-based massage, generally lack both the knowledge and experience to treat specific musculoskeletal disorders. Most initial massage education programs do NOT include the classes in health and medical sciences needed to gain expertise in these areas.

Medical Massage Therapists at Physicians Plus have been trained to adhere to the following clinical criteria:

Medical Massage is not a general treatment. Rather, Medical Massage Therapy is applied as a specific manual therapy to the areas relating to the diagnoses provided by the primary care physician.
Medical Massage therapy is delivered to an anatomical region of the patient's body based upon soft tissue and joint exam findings and various other assessment procedures.
Medical Massage treatment plans involve several progressive steps or stages of manual therapy treatment whose goal is to correct abnormal conditions affecting the muscle-skeletal system while reducing or eliminating pain.
Medical Massage adopts the medical terminology, medical techniques and medical protocols used by the traditional allopathic, medical systems of health care.

Will my health insurance cover my medical massage treatments?

Most people do not realize that they have health insurance coverage for many services offered by our medical massage therapists. Even if your health insurance plan has been denied coverage for past massage therapy, we have the existing network of primary care physicians who can prescribe the medical massage therapy that you need.

How long does a medical massage session last?

A typical medical massage session should last a minimum of 15 minutes and no longer than 60 minutes.

How long do I have to see a medical massage therapist for?

Each person and medical case is different so treatment plans will vary. A typical, initial treatment plan will last 12 sessions whereby the patient will be asked to return to the prescribing primary care physician for a re-evaluation. A written progress report will be delivered to the prescribing physician with a recommendation for further medical massage treatment if necessary.

Is there any scientific evidence that explains the benefits of medical massage therapy?

Over the years there has been a large amount of scientific research supporting the beneficial physiological effects of massage therapy. They include but are not limited to;

Increases circulation and allows the body to deliver more oxygen and nutrients to tissues and vital organs.
Stimulates the lymph system the body’s natural defense against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the number of cells that fight cancer.
Relaxes and softening injured, overused and tight muscles.
Reduces muscle spasms and muscle cramps.
Increases and restores joint motion and joint flexibility.
Reduces recovery time from strenuous athletic workouts while eliminating "next-day" workout pains.
Releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller. For this physiological reason medical massage is being included into treatment plans for chronic pain, acute injury and recovery from surgery.
Reduces post-surgery adhesions, scarring and swelling.
Improves joint motion and flexibility by stretching and stimulating weakened and tight muscles while lengthening shortened muscles.

Our staff at Physicians Plus is fully trained to perform the necessary assessments, documentation,
and progress reporting required by the insurance companies and medical community.