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March 6, 2008

Massage Training In PT School: Part 2

We started massage training in physical therapy school and my fellow classmates assume this unit is going to be a no-brainer for me. Actually, because of my previous training, I'm finding this style of training challenging. The training I am receiving now is based upon a very specific Swedish/German style of massage. Stroke order and number, hand position and pressure are very specific. Some of it feels very awkward to me. But I'm strapping on my "game face" and hoping for that easy "A."

Our teacher is very exacting and I believe the reason is because when someone practices in a medical setting, treatments must be consistent. The same therapist may not be performing services for a given patient from day to day. For consistency of care, the massage protocol must be in the patient's chart so the attending PT assistant may perform the same massage. Without this consistency, liability issues could be raised or insurance companies may not pay, and that is not fair to the patient. Also, for research purposes, the massage must be uniform for all recipients in order to have reliable data.

This rationale may exist in the area of training and research, but I've been reassured that out in the clinic, no two therapists give the same massage. This has also been my experience out in the real world. I have received massages from many therapists trained from the same school and the variability in techniques reflects each therapists talents and insights into what happens in the body in order to facilitate healing.

tags: massage massagetherapy wellness massage therapy bodywork health

Posted by linda at March 6, 2008 4:01 PM