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A Touching Homecoming - A Relaxing Return - Good Touch - Does Your Doctor Know?
Does Your Doctor Know?
By: Ken McEntee
Top physicians throughout Northeast Ohio are referring their patients to Strongsville's Today's Touch Massage Therapy for Workers Comp claims, personal injury cases, neck, back and shoulder pain, depression and more. Here's why:
Your doctor may not know it, but massage therapy is covered by Workers Compensation. Or he or she may be unaware of a local massage therapist who is a certified Workers Comp provider. And you may not know that if your doctor gives you a prescription for massage therapy, you don't have to pay state sales taxes for the treatment. There is a lot we may not know about massage therapy, including why it works. For that Mimi asked Bill Hansen, founder of Strongsville's Today's Touch Massage Therapy and a certified Worker's Comp provider:
Mimi: So isn't a massage just a relaxing experience reserved for the rich and famous?
Bill: Absolutely not! Massage therapy is first and foremost a medical treatment. Sure it reduces stress, which is a tremendous health benefit in itself, but it can also treat a host of medical problems, including sciatica, back pain, headaches, neck pain due to whiplash or other trauma, shoulder pain, carpel tunnel, fibromyalgia and more, including autoimmune disorders like MS and Lupus.
Mimi: So how does it work?
Bill: In two critical ways. Most injuries are the result of damage to connective tissue, like muscles, tendons, ligaments and even cartilage. To heal these injuries, the body needs oxygen, which is delivered by the bloodstream. A proper therapeutic massage dramatically improves circulation near the injury, thereby delivering much-needed oxygen to the damaged tissues. The second way is by eliminating harmful toxins. Over time diet, stress and other environmental factors can trap lactic acid and toxins in muscle tissue. By massaging the muscle we move the toxins into the lymphatic system. From there the body disposes of them through the urinary system just as it disposes of other harmful wastes.
Mimi: If it is that effective, why don't we all get massages more often?
Bill (frustrated): The short answer is our pharmacological culture. We all expect an expensive pill to cure us. But I can tell you, my clients are growing increasingly tired of the side effects of pain medications. At Today's Touch you can get pain relief without feeling 'out of it' or damaging your internal organs with prescription drugs.
Mimi: Is massage therapy expensive?
Bill: Actually, it can cost you nothing. Workers Compensation provides treatment for massage therapy for many accidentrelated injuries. Simply ask your doctor to create a C9 form and turn it over to the MCO [managed care organization] assigned to your employer. The doctor will prescribe the number of sessions with the massage therapist to aid in your recovery. Insurance companies prefer massage therapy because it can be far less expensive than medications or surgery - or a lawsuit - and can prevent serious injury and disease down the road. The same holds true for personal injury cases. Speak to your doctor, insurance provider or attorney and ask them to refer you to Today's Touch for treatment. In fact, the sooner we see you after a whiplash or other automobile-related injury, the better your chances of stopping hidden symptoms from surfacing decades later.
Mimi: So seeing you quickly after an accident is important?
Bill: It's essential. In fact, physicians are now referring patients to us directly from local urgent care centers. Last week, a client came in straight from the emergency room. He was in so much pain he could hardly walk. He was a pharmacist, ironically. When he left, he was walking fine and was virtually pain-free. He even called from his car on the way home to thank us again. I love that!
Mimi: But massages are also good just for relaxing, right?
Bill: Of course, but even that idea has a medical component. A massage encourages the body to release endorphins, which elevate the mood naturally. Many of our clients prefer a regular massage over antidepressant drugs.