What You NEED to Know:

What is Medical Massage?

Medical Massage is result oriented and the treatment is specifically directed to resolve conditions that have been diagnosed and prescribed by a Physician. The therapist may use a variety of modalities or procedures during the treatment, but will focus the Medical Massage treatment only on the areas of the body related to the diagnosis and prescription. Medical Massage is generally billed in 15-minute segments using current procedural terminology and adhering to the usual and customary reimbursement fee schedule.

Why is a Prescription necessary to perform Medical Massage?

In order for Massage Therapists to state that they are treating someone, they must first be able to legally determine what it is that they are actually treating.

Since it is beyond Massage Therapists’ scope of practice to diagnose, they must work from a doctor’s prescription if they are claiming to treat a specific condition. Non-prescribed therapy may also be administered to address clients, where assessment shows soft-tissue imbalances.

Many in the field may think this is giving away their power to the physician, but nothing could be further from the truth. A physician can become our most powerful ally when we learn to work in a cooperative manner.

Massage Therapists, Physicians and other Health Professional can work effectively together in the best interest of the patient/client.

Medical massage therapists work with the following patients or problems:
Premature infants
Pediatric patients
Obstetric patients
People with traumatic injuries
People with sports injuries
People with back or neck problems
Stroke victims
Automobile injuries
Joint injuries or point diseases
Geriatric patients
Repetitive strain injuries
Athletes in training or competition
Corporate wellness programs
Dental trauma and TMJ
Degenerative diseases such as MD, MS, Parkinson disease or neurological problems
Post-operative conditions such as joint surgery
Psychological trauma
Dancers and performing artists
Sports teams
Major group athletic events
The medical massage practice model is not significantly different from any other allied health care practice such as physical or occupational therapy, indeed, the medical massage therapist may also be a physical or occupational therapist, nurse, physician assistant or other health care professional. The medical massage therapists scope of practice will vary from State to State and depends upon State licensure issues, other training and licensure the medical massage therapist may have, and the working environment within which the medical massage therapist is employed and supervised.