compensation case clients

[TillieDillie]

Hi,

I have a new client who had a car accident last year and has been recommended to have massage by both her GP and the doctor involved in her compensation claim against the insurance company of the other car. They have asked me for a letter saying how much treatment I think she will need to cure the problem. I have a couple of problems with this......

I am not happy to claim that I can cure the problem, especially in writing and also that I don't know how long she will need treatment at this stage (I have done one massage so far)

I wondered if anyone has any advice on how to handle this and what (if anything) to put in the letter.

Thanks!

 

[golden sindy]

Hi Sally,

I agree that this is a tricky one! I think I would write a letter stating that Massage Therapy is not in itself a cure, but that it may help to alleviate the pain and stiffness caused by muscle trauma following the accident. I would go on to sat that as such, it would be impossible to specify a precise number of treatments, as all bodies react in an individual manner to massage. Perhaps you could say that you would recommend a course of 6-8 treatments at 2 weekly intervals to begin with, after which the situation could be re-addressed, and change to monthly sessions.

Obviously it will depend on the extent of the injury.

Hope that is of some help!

k x

 

[LilNicole089]

As a holistic massage therapist myself, I always make it clear that I cannot 'treat' injuries as such, but can help to relieve symptoms of muscles tension and pain. I often refer clients on to either an osteopath or a remedial therapist and wonder why the doctors didn't suggest this to her.

No offence, to you, of course, Sally...

Lesley

 

[Sharon Hambright]

None taken and I agree with you!

 

[TWIGGY2]

Hiya
I would see how the muscles have reacted from the time you finished the 1st session to when you start the second session....depending on whether the muscles have gone back into the same state of trauma, stayed the same or improved since your last treatment will help gage how long you may reasonably suggest.

If treating acute conditions I would tend to treat maybe once every 5 days or biweekly as the condition improves (or at any rate becomes less acute) I would drop this to 7 or 10 days then to 15 then to 3 weeks etc etc after 2 x three weekly sessions I would tend to "dispatch" them with instructions to get in touch if they have any problems or queries.

If you do not have to much experience in treating injured muscles and are just maybe using the "basic" swedish massage techniques then it maybe an idea to refer on, or give it a try and see how you go on.....

so in answer to your question, yes it depends on the body but note the difference in the client in terms of pain, comfort levels and muscular trauma and try and make an estimate from there but make it clear it is intended for a guide only...

Hope that helps somewhat...
T
x

 

[gcadgmnx]

Hi,

I do what Aromababe does. Between Osteopath appointments, the massage I do helps speed recovery, so I say that too in the letter.

 

[Ana P]

Hi Sally. I agree with Tracy. I would treat twice a week and note improvement and suggest that they see an osteopath in between.

Agree also that if you don't feel confident or don't have massage skills beyond swedish then maybe best to refer to somebody who does. But agree with the reluctance to the word 'cure'!

 

[sreeguevilhifyejf]

Since when has massage not been a cure for muscular/skeletal dysfunctions?

This type of thing is really quite common though sadly we seem to be the last resort instead of the first, so the dysfunctions are usually old and set in by the time we start to rectify them.

You need to do a full assessment of any restrictions in the normal range of movement and keep track of them as you progress through the treatments, as well as that keep track of the knots in the muscles and when both are sorted then you have cured the dysfunctions and put a report in outlining the treatments and price of the course etc.

 

[Muninn]

Paul I agree with your second point, it is a shame we are not often the first point of call because as we know remarkable improvement can be achieved with massage.

I think the word 'cure' is a dodgy one myself. I don't think anybody should commit to saying they can 'cure' anything! If you say for instance to the insurance company 'I can cure this problem in six sessions' and you don't.....then you have left yourself wide open.

Personally I would never say that I could 'cure' anybody or anything. If the problem improves or goes away, then fantastic.

 

[npekguexiaeifmexk]

My point was that those of us who've trained in holistic or swedish massage are specifically taught not to 'treat' injuries.

Lesley

 

[JoseBZ]

Hi Lesley

Swedish massage as it was originally taught was all to do with treating injuries and addressing postural problems but yes if you are not taught to treat injuries then you will possibly not be insured to treat them.

It is a real shame that there seems to be more importance placed on knowing the names of the muscles then learning how to treat them these days [&:]

 

[packerfan]

Surely even doctors can't guarantee to cure someone! Maybe a remedial massage therapist could help more as I believe they are more trained in injuries.

 

[fa fas]

I can only re-state what I have said. No therapist of any discipline should claim to 'cure' anybody! What is a cure anyway? We could toss that one about a bit.

 

[box of chocolate]

so many people in the alternative world use the word cure ( absence of symptoms )

I personally feel this is wrong , we should not claim cure

I say to my clients that "I have had good results with your condition "however I do not mention CURE

If we do then we open ourselves up to ridicule

lab
Dez

 

[reyRuisy]

cure should not be used.....look at the man who claimed he could cure cancer or so it was put forward, is not in jail for false claims...
T
x

 

[vcrrvvor]

None of the theapists at our Centre would ever use the word 'cure'. In fact, no client or patient has ever asked for one!

When people come in with severe pain or limitations then we would do our best to help them. Usually they will have some improvement after the first treatment and this will encourage them to come back, usually the next day or in a couple of days and the problem would be worked upon. If they then get relief from the condition they are pleased and so is the therapist and we may never see them again, or the problem can re-occur.

I'm lucky as I have other therapists who I can refer them onto if I can't get to the root of the problem. I am always very happy to do this and realise my own limitations.

I do have a problem with the word 'cure' and also with the word 'heal'. I believe strongly in healing and am about to start a spiritual healing course, but I am not entirely comfortable with the words 'heal' or 'healer' as I think it can be misunderstood. Afterall, you can give 'healing' to somebody with a condition that can't be healed, but it doesn't mean that they don't get something from the healing itself.

We don't 'cure' or 'heal' anybody do we?

 

[dcgottaeat]

Dear Sally B

I would suggest that you treat 3 or 4 times, ideally twice or at least once a week & see how they are progressing. [sm=scratchchin.gif]

In the meantime write to GP & insurance company & tel them roughly your proposed treatment plan.

If they're doing well, then carry on. Insurance companies, just want a figure, so say something like - will review after 4 ttt's, but expect that it will take at least 8 for a reasonable outcome.

Use similar non-commital medico-legal speak for the GP as well, just be honest, but don't do yourself down either - they have given you the respect to refer in the first place. And they know it's a lot cheaper than referring to an orthopaedic consultant, that at best will refer to a physio. [&:]

If they haven't made good progress or stop improving, then yes, I would advise refering to an osteopath. The upside of this is that they may refer people to you that need more soft tissue work between their osteopathic treatments. And whiplash type injuries would be a good example of that. []

Re. Paul's comment.



I know of nothing that 'cures' other than the person themselves and yes we may have gone some way to aid that, but essentially its they that do the healing.

The legalities of it in the UK is that it is not only illegal to say that you can offer a cure, but it is also illegal to say that you can 'treat' conditions, unless you have good evidence to support it, run it through the medico-legal system, the government & the advertising standards agency.

With regard to treating conditions - How can anyone treat a condition? [sm=idea.gif]

To even think in these terms is not being holistic, but is being reductionistic like othodox medics. Think about it! [sm=scratchchin.gif]

You can only treat a person. The 'condition' is a manifestation of that person - it is not an entity in it's own right. It is part of that person, so how can you treat it as a separate issue? [sm=banghead.gif]

This is IMHO one of they key failings of the orthodox view of health & disease. In fact they seem to spend so much time studying dis-ease that they miss the big picture that is health. []


Good luck - Andrew.

 

[Abby Kim]

OK People

Massage is the scientific application of soft tissue manipulation, to rectify muscular sprains/strains to bind slack joints and release tight ones to help prevent muscular atrophy etc.

Yes there are some conditions which cannot be cured/rectified and they are generally maintained to help the person have a more comfortable and productive life.

If someone calls you out because they cannot get out of bed because they have sprained their backs and you get them back to work in a week or two and the problem is rectified then they are cured, if you have cleared out all of the knots and scare tissue then the problem should not happen again.

If you do not believe you can sort something out then what is the point of trying! when you have obviously already decided that you cannot sort it? and if we all worked this way then there is no wonder that the Drs have such a pore image of massage therapy as an alternative to physiotherapy!

 

[Smarty Pants]

I personally don't believe that I can't sort 'something' out within my own capabilities and if there was no point in trying then I wouldn't bother to do the job! I certainly don't do it for the money.



GP's believe in physio because the NHS trains physios and they refer patients onto them as a matter of course.

I personally think that claiming to 'cure' people is far more likely to harm our image with doctors and we need to tread carefully and make slow progress with them and others. I can handle that. I have had more success with some clients than physios have and am forever being told 'I tried physio but....' However there are probably lots of things that a physio can do that I can't and I respect their knowledge and training that is greater than mine.

I think we are all coming from the same place and we here, with people's best interest at heart. It's a great thing to get somebody out of bed when they couldn't manage it and it is a great thing to relieve somebody's pain and discomfort, but I still would not use the word cure.

 

[D.P.T]

Since we seem to be saying the same sort of thing using different words I thought I would look in the dictionary for the correct terminology of what we are talking about here.

According to the dictionary.
cure: heal, restore to health; remedy which is a course of medical treatment; restoration to health.

Therapy: any treatment designed to relive or cure an illness or disability.

Therapist: specialist in a particular type of therapy.

Therapeutic: of healing, remedial, therapy - curative treatment.

Massage: rubbing and kneading the muscles, etc., as curative treatment.