When you think of healthcare what are the first things that come to your mind? Most think of primary care physicians, nurses, hospitals, and medical doctors. Healthcare involves way more than our medical doctors and nurses! Let us turn back time and try to remember our anatomy classes from high school or college- do you remember how many different organ systems make up the human body? Let's review them quickly: integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive. So, we have 11 body systems that contribute to our overall health.
Do you think that massage therapists should be considered healthcare professionals?
I think licensed massage therapists should be recognized as healthcare professionals. We work directly with the human body. Our work specifically targets the muscular system and can affect all the other systems as a result. Other medical professionals such as occupational therapists (OT) and physical therapists (PT) are trained in some basic manual therapy techniques. Insurance companies don't like to reimburse providers as much for it. As a result, a lot of OTs and PTs don't do manual therapy during treatments, or if they do, it is for a very short time. Massage therapists spend the entire time you are in their office manually working on your muscles!
Massage therapy works well with chiropractic care, acupuncture, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. We each have our specialty: chiropractors specialize in the skeletal system, occupational therapists specialize in fine motor skills, physical therapists focus on gross motor skills and massage therapists specialize in manual muscle manipulation. People would recover faster and suffer less pain if all the different healthcare providers worked together to reach the patients' goals!
A new study published earlier this year by researchers, Jeff Levin and Matt Bradshaw, at Baylor University has shared their findings that Americans are seeking out massage therapy for overall mind and body wellness more regularly. In an interview done by Lori Fogleman, Jeff Levin shared, "Our study shows is that it's probably not helpful any longer to label massage as an 'alternative' therapy, with all of the marginality that the term conveys." I have to agree with his statement. Massage therapists have a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions they have to overcome in their practice. Between the entertainment industry sexualizing massage therapy to other medical professionals not recognizing the results achieved by massage treatments. We work hard to educate others about the industry and the many health benefits massage therapy offers. Levin also shared, "Licensed massage therapists ought to be respected as mainstream practitioners, whose profession provides a therapeutic approach not just to address pain and functional challenges but to foster wellness and overall well-being, physical and emotional. Everyone can benefit from working with a skilled massage therapist. They're the hidden gems in the healthcare system."
Do you think that massage therapists should be recognized in the healthcare system? Share your thoughts below!
Check out the article and research study below.
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