adjective: medical
relating to the science of medicine, or to the treatment of illness and injuries.
When considering the term ‘medical massage’, it’s important to include context. Medical massage has enjoyed very loose boundaries in the massage community. This is due to the lack of national or state controls over education standards and titles.
In Texas, for example, there is no official designation of ‘Medical Massage Therapist’. Neither is there an official state authorized course of study to give you that title.
The term Medical Massage implies two things:
1. Where you work and/or
2. The intent of your work.
Where a massage therapist works would make them a medical massage therapist if they are employed at a doctors office, hospital, rehab center, or other medical setting.
If the intent of the massage therapists work is designed for the treatment of illness or injury, you can place a medical masage label on that as well.
When you are outside of a doctors office, how do you determine the best choice for medical massage care if there are no regulations around it? A hard question to answer.
Education
The best area to look at is education. The qualifications to become a licensed massage therapist vary greatly from state to state. In Texas, an LMT leaves school with a base of knowledge that centers around Swedish massage, the light touch of warming tissues, and improving circulation. Any knowledge beyond this is completed through the therapists choice in continuing education.
Look at your therapists history of continuing education. Remember that there is no official designation of a medical massage therapist. If there is a course listed as medical massage, ask, “What did the class teach?” Education directed toward assessing problems, resolution based massage treatments, movement science, etc., are all good practices for injury and recovery directed massage.
Intent
Your second place to find a medical massage therapist is to discover the intent of their work. Is the intent of the massage placed on recovery? Are there assessments to guage problems in movement and function? What types of therapy are used for the treatment and resolution of their findings?
Many of these questions are hard to answer without a hands-on session with the therapist. If that is not possible, talk with friends and family and get their descriptions of a therapist who helped them with a pain problem or injury.
Conclusion
The main takeaway for understanding medical massage is to never take a title at face value. Your massage therapists’ education, experience, direction of treatment, and history with clients are a better way to identify the kind of therapist you want to partner with.