Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/969285
A 62 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k m a y / j u n e 2 0 1 8 This excellent article from Ben Benjamin shines a light on a much-needed subject for discussion in the massage therapy profession—the widespread inability of massage therapy graduates to translate functional anatomy into physical assessment before massaging clients who report pain and dysfunction. The missing link, in my opinion, has always been a lack of orthopedic assessment skills tailored to massage therapy. What I like most about this article are the specific educational solutions Benjamin offers. Under the "Pathways to Learning and Mastery" section, he eloquently outlines strategies for massage therapists to fill this void in assessment skills. A skilled massage professional is able to accurately recognize both indications and contraindications and knows when to refer for additional health and medical intervention. In many cases, a massage therapist may be the only provider who sees a client on a regular basis, thereby serving as the first line of health and wellness defense. Proper training in assessment helps massage therapists make good decisions about treatment and referral. I hope this article inspires my fellow massage educators to teach skills that will contribute to massage therapists being recognized as equal partners in the care of people in pain. Benny Vaughn, LMT, ATC, CSCS, owner Benny Vaughn Athletic Therapy Center At some point, all practitioners in the massage and bodywork field are asked to treat clients who are experiencing musculoskeletal pain, usually due to injury. If we choose to work on injuries, then we are responsible for having the appropriate training, skills, and knowledge to assess the client and determine if we can safely treat them. Common malpractice suits against massage therapists can result from a massage therapist's failure to refer the client or collect all the important information (omission), or from acts that result in harm to a client (commission). 1 Sometimes therapists inadvertently hurt their clients and remain unaware of this mistake because the client never returns. The cases I am called to testify in are because the therapist and/or the organization they work for are being sued for clients' injuries as a result of these errors. The following are examples based on real cases. FORWARD