Medical massage

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Medical Massage may include some of the same techniques offered in some wellness massage sessions, but is primarily the application of specific treatment protocols targeted to the specific problem(s) the patient presents with physician's diagnosis and administered after a thorough assessment/evaluation by the medical massage therapist.

Birthed out of
1) the need for highly skilled, hands-on therapists in treating those with injuries and chronic pain,
2) the present explosion of information in the injury-rehabilitation field which began with the ground-breaking work of Dr. Janet G Travell (1901-1997,)¹ and
3) the benefit patients receive when medical massage therapists and doctors work together,
there is now a new National Certification² for medical massage therapists in the United States.

Medical massage is useful in addressing conditions such as:

• Carpal Tunnel syndrome
• Sciatica
• Piriformis Syndrome
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Pain associated with bulged or injured spinal disks (medical massage cannot 'fix' the disk, but can help alleviate much of the pain associated with the injury).
• Migraines/headaches
• Pain associated with pregnancy
• Constipation
• Range of motion issues
• Fibromyalgia
• Back and Neck pain
• Plantar Fasciitis (involving pain in the foot)
• Repetitive use injuries such as those listed and Tennis elbow, Golfer's elbow
• TMJ
• Pain associated with restricted fascia
• Pain associated with postural imbalances
• Muscle cramps
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Sports injuries
• Edema (swelling)
• Injuries sustained in traumas such as falls or automobile accidents
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (numbness/tingling in hands/arms)

Though national certification exists for medical massage therapists, currently there is no licensure for medical massage therapists in any state, like there is in many states for general massage therapists. Any massage therapist can claim to be a medical massage therapist, and thus credentialling needs to be examined on a case-by-case basis. For example, if a therapist claims to be a medical massage therapist, check their certifications to see if they have been certified as such, or to see if they have equivalent certifications.

¹(http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/archives/exhibits/travell/online/)
² (http://www.mmncb.org/)

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