Health care is on the minds of most people--whether they have it, need it, or don't have the right policy due to financial infeasibility to acquire or maintain it. Unfortunately, when it comes to health, if you don't invest in it now, you pay for it later.

So much of our health is dependent on the continuum of life (wear and tear), the environment--whether external or internal--and genetics. At some point in our lives, we may all experience the decline of the body system, whether it's due to an injury that requires surgery and rehabilitation, or age and its attendant compensation, compression, habits and accumulation of repetitive motion, traumas and toxins.

When we treat the body, what are we affecting? Is there a model, and is it holistic in its approach? Does this model exist within the insurance model?

When we treat the body, we should be treating the individual, not just isolating the dysfunction, disease or trauma. After all, these ailments do not reflect a person's total being; it is just the experience they are expressing in their life at the current time. Disease, as the word is broken down, is really the lack of ease in the body. It is out of balance.

I have not seen a model demonstrate the value of hands directed in attention to an individual with power that equals massage therapy. And yet it still comes up short in regards to reimbursements and acknowledgment in the medical field.

The variety of techniques and application of massage therapy are vast, according to the training and experience of the licensed massage therapist. State laws are in place for licensing and certification. When looking for a therapist, it's always a good idea to find out about further education and experience on the massage therapist's part.

When injured, you should seek out a massage therapist with skill, training and experience compatible with the injuries and sustained ailments that you have. For instance, you would not want to seek out a massage therapist who specializes in spa massage. Injury treatment is specialized and has specific protocol and training, whereas spa massage does not.

Insurance companies will not recognize a "feel good" spa approach as a medical procedure. A consumer should also ask about how the facility or practice managed, what kind of specialized training do they have, and what kinds of experience have they have in treating specific dysfunctions.

Recommendations from your primary health care provider or local hospitals are a good resource to find an experienced therapist. The American Massage Therapy Association offers a referral source of proven massage therapists available at www.amtamassage.org

For the best results, advocate self-education and consumer awareness, and have a proactive approach. Be a willing participant in your healing, and recovery will happen.



Andrew Wolfe, LMP, is a licensed massage practitioner based in Arlington, and can be reached 360-653-4657 or http://www.harmonymassagetherapy.com.

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