A note on "Treatable Conditions"
It is outside the scope of LMTs and other types of bodyworkers to diagnose medical conditions, and believe it or not, even the terminology "to treat" is problematic for this field, since we are not medical professionals and "treatment" is typically reserved for a predetermined protocol with an intended trajectory. Sometimes treatment is limited by insurance coverage or blind spots where allopathic practitioners have no training with which they can speak to the beneficial impacts of bodywork. We are considered to be allied health providers, and it is the responsibility of bodyworkers to self-educate beyond the limited trainings of massage therapy schools. In contemporary times, we need to preserve the knowledge of touch and soft tissue medicine our predecessors fought so hard to validate.
When we talk about treatable conditions within the scope of massage therapy, we talk about how the symptoms and complications of various conditions manifest, a conversation that is often absent in an allopathic setting. In a bodywork setting, we have permission to explore what else might be tying in to certain conditions, what may be resulting from complications of these conditions, and we may explore the whole body in our search for things like core imbalances or original injuries...
...Which can sometimes lead to finding really good answers as to how those markers and symptoms may be managed in a holistic way; i.e. How can massage therapy mitigate, reduce or eliminate symptoms of certain conditions, or their complications and side effects? Can looking at the whole body open us up to possible answers that may be overlooked in a limited allopathic setting? How can ongoing bodywork improve quality of life, when most of the conditions we live with don't just simply disappear forever after a few "treatments"? What do we do when we can't change our life circumstances that lead us into chronic pain patterns and imbalances? The reality is, that we live in bodies that need ongoing care throughout our lives. We are not unfeeling machines, and even if we were, mechanics know machines need maintenance! Carpenters know houses will crumble if not built plumb, level, and square!
The body is actually highly responsive to input... This is one of the foundations of my work at EWTA and one of the reasons why I advocate for massage therapy trainings to become associated with higher education and more rigorous training. Many conditions may be highly managed, and sometimes can lead to complete or near-complete healing, through skilled bodywork and a knowledge of a range of conditions. This is also the foundation of what we sometimes call "medical massage", though the true skill set of the practitioner is their responsibility to grow and develop by devoting their time and their career to this path. We must devote ourselves to understanding what is and is not in our scope, where practitioner responsibility begins and ends, and how to know when we reach those limits. Massage and bodywork are not replacements for therapy or medical care, but can be of great support in a client's journey toward health, healing, quality of life, and a greater sense of well being.
I invite clients to understand their own bodies better when we work together, because knowledge is power. There is a night-and-day difference in our experience when we feel the results of hands-on soft tissue healing work, and when we are permitted to become engaged with our own journey of healing, restoring balance, or finding the path of a better quality of life. A world of opportunity awaits, when we step into self knowledge and empowerment, and the attitude of caring for our selves as a lifelong devotion begins with believing it's possible to have a better experience.
There are many, many, highly manageable conditions that can be addressed through bodywork. What it takes is that knowledge, devotion of the client to continuity of care, and the skill set of the practitioner to rise to the occasion each session; to be able to track changes over time; and to meet the client where they are at in any given session.
(PS-- 8/26/23: This list is in development and there is a plan to create live links for certain conditions. This will correlate with the creation of upcoming articles and social media posts so stay tuned)
When we talk about treatable conditions within the scope of massage therapy, we talk about how the symptoms and complications of various conditions manifest, a conversation that is often absent in an allopathic setting. In a bodywork setting, we have permission to explore what else might be tying in to certain conditions, what may be resulting from complications of these conditions, and we may explore the whole body in our search for things like core imbalances or original injuries...
...Which can sometimes lead to finding really good answers as to how those markers and symptoms may be managed in a holistic way; i.e. How can massage therapy mitigate, reduce or eliminate symptoms of certain conditions, or their complications and side effects? Can looking at the whole body open us up to possible answers that may be overlooked in a limited allopathic setting? How can ongoing bodywork improve quality of life, when most of the conditions we live with don't just simply disappear forever after a few "treatments"? What do we do when we can't change our life circumstances that lead us into chronic pain patterns and imbalances? The reality is, that we live in bodies that need ongoing care throughout our lives. We are not unfeeling machines, and even if we were, mechanics know machines need maintenance! Carpenters know houses will crumble if not built plumb, level, and square!
The body is actually highly responsive to input... This is one of the foundations of my work at EWTA and one of the reasons why I advocate for massage therapy trainings to become associated with higher education and more rigorous training. Many conditions may be highly managed, and sometimes can lead to complete or near-complete healing, through skilled bodywork and a knowledge of a range of conditions. This is also the foundation of what we sometimes call "medical massage", though the true skill set of the practitioner is their responsibility to grow and develop by devoting their time and their career to this path. We must devote ourselves to understanding what is and is not in our scope, where practitioner responsibility begins and ends, and how to know when we reach those limits. Massage and bodywork are not replacements for therapy or medical care, but can be of great support in a client's journey toward health, healing, quality of life, and a greater sense of well being.
I invite clients to understand their own bodies better when we work together, because knowledge is power. There is a night-and-day difference in our experience when we feel the results of hands-on soft tissue healing work, and when we are permitted to become engaged with our own journey of healing, restoring balance, or finding the path of a better quality of life. A world of opportunity awaits, when we step into self knowledge and empowerment, and the attitude of caring for our selves as a lifelong devotion begins with believing it's possible to have a better experience.
There are many, many, highly manageable conditions that can be addressed through bodywork. What it takes is that knowledge, devotion of the client to continuity of care, and the skill set of the practitioner to rise to the occasion each session; to be able to track changes over time; and to meet the client where they are at in any given session.
(PS-- 8/26/23: This list is in development and there is a plan to create live links for certain conditions. This will correlate with the creation of upcoming articles and social media posts so stay tuned)
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Allergies, Chronic and Sinus, Eye, Ear Congestion
Anxiety, Agitation and Restlessness Arthritis (Various Types) Brachial Plexus Syndrome Breathing Tightness or Shortness, Chronic (Non Acute) Bursitis Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Radial Entrapment Chronic Pain Circulatory Support Depression Digestion Ehlers-Danlose Syndrome Epicondylitis (aka Tennis or Golfer's Elbow) Fibromyalgia Fractures (after 8 or more weeks) Frozen Shoulder (aka Adhesive Capsulitis) Generalized Pain Headaches (Cluster and Tension Types, and Migraines) Heart Conditions (When Indicated by MD, as Part of a Wellness Plan) Hypertension Hip Pain and Range of Motion Ilio-Lumbar Dysfunction Immune System Support Joint Degeneration Joint Replacements Knee Pain Long Covid Low Back Pain aka Lumbago Lyme, Chronic (and Co-Infections) Lymphatic System Support Menstrual Pain and PMS Migraines Multiple Sclerosis Myofascial Pain Neck Pain and Range of Motion Pelvic Floor Therapy Support (Synergist Muscle Groups) Plantar Fasciitis and Foot Pain Post Operative Care Pre Operative Care Psoas Syndrome Radiculopathy Repetitive Strain Injuries Rotator Cuff Injury Sciatica (and False Sciatica) Scoliosis Shoulder Pain and Range of Motion SI Joint Instability Sleep Insomnia Sore Throat, Chronic (Non-Contagious) and Cough Spinal Conditions: Spondylolisthesis, Spondylitis, Spondylosis, Stenosis Spinal: Bulges and Herniations (Sub-Acute, Non-Emergent, and When Indicated by MD) Spinal: Post-Surgery (When Indicated by MD) Sports Injuries Sprains (Sub-Acute) Stress Tendonitis and Tendonosis Text Neck Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) TMJ-Dysfunction (and Phantom Tooth Pain) Torticollis Trigeminal Neuralgia Trigger Points Upper Back Pain Upper Cross Syndrome Vertigo (In cases where there is a physiological mechanism) Whiplash (Sub-Acute) |
