Anyone wanting to receive therapy from a massage therapist or any other bodyworker must see a physician first to rule out any serious internal injury. Once internal injuries are ruled out, massage therapy can be one of the best treatments to enhance healing for both the mental and physical trauma experienced as a result of the accident.
Full Answer
Is physical therapy considered a medical treatment in an injury claim?
For example, in accident-related injury claims, physical therapy is a common treatment, yet it is generally considered to be lower in the pecking order than other kinds of medical treatment.
How does post-accident medical treatment affect a personal injury claim?
The details of your post-accident medical treatment play a big role in how the insurance company values your claim. A key component of most personal injury claims is the injured person's "medical special damages," which just means the amount the claimant spent on medical bills while having their injuries diagnosed and treated.
What is the best treatment for an accidental injury claim?
Physical therapy. For example, in accidental injury claims, physical therapy is a common treatment, yet it is generally considered to be lower in the pecking order than other kinds of medical treatment.
Does physical therapy count as medical specials for insurance?
But if you have physical therapy for months and the therapy accounts for the largest part of your medical bills by far, the insurance adjuster is likely to use a lower multiplier when plugging your medical specials into the damages formula. Also, where you receive physical therapy may affect how the insurance company views it.
Does massage therapy Help injuries?
By encouraging circulatory movement and relaxing muscles, massage helps the body pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs. This allows the rehabilitating injured area(s) to become more flexible and heal at an accelerated rate.
Can you get a massage while injured?
Getting massage therapy for pain (safely) You CAN get massage therapy when you have an acute injury, as long as the therapist you work with understands soft tissue conditions. Licensed therapists will have the training needed to help you heal and avoid further injury.
Do massage therapists judge your body?
It doesn't matter if it has been a couple of days, a couple of months, or if you don't shave at all. Your massage therapist is not judging you by your leg hair, armpit hair, or any other body hair you may have. As massage therapists, all I care about is that you are comfortable and able to relax.
How is settlement value calculated?
How Do Insurance Companies Determine Settlement Amounts?The type of claim you are making. ... The policy limits and amounts allowed for recovery. ... The nature and extent of your injuries. ... The long-term effects of your accident on your life. ... The strength of your case. ... The distribution of fault. ... Previous matters.
Can massage make an injury worse?
A popular treatment option that can help reduce back pain is massage therapy. However, in some cases, massage therapy can make back pain worse if the condition you are suffering from requires other treatment. In these situations, massage therapy will not be effective in reducing back pain and can even make it worse.
Can massage make a strain worse?
Although it may help in the short term, its long-term effectiveness is less clear. In fact, a new study shows that chronic pain could get worse after massage treatments, especially if the patient is depressed, writes lead researcher Dan Hasson, with Uppsala University in Sweden.
What should I not say to my massage therapist?
What NOT to Say / Do with Your Massage TherapistAsk your massage therapist to go see a movie / come to your house / etc. ... Excessive noises. ... Comment on our looks/attractiveness. ... Poke your head out of the room to let us know you're ready. ... Start undressing while we are still in the room. ... Touch us.More items...•
What can a massage therapist tell about you?
A therapist can tell whether you stretch or exercise and what type of activities you participate in based on the length of your muscles or tensions you may have in certain areas. Whether you drink enough water. Dry skin and underlying tissue are indicators of lack of hydration.
What should you not do before a massage?
Ten Things Not To Do Before a MassageDon't Sunburn. ... Don't "Caffeinate" ... Don't Eat a Large Meal. ... Don't Run a Marathon. ... Don't Apply Lotion or Oil. ... Don't Apply Topical Medications, Patches or Tapes. ... Don't Take Prescription Pain Medication.
How do you calculate emotional pain and suffering?
These types of compensation are called pain and suffering. Generally, pain and suffering awards will be calculated by adding up the economic damages and multiplying them by a number between 1.5 and 5, depending on the severity of the injury.
What is the formula for personal injury settlements?
The formula goes like this: Damages = Economic damages x 1.5 (based on the injury severity) + lost income. For instance, assuming you fractured an arm in a motor collision and the medical expenses sum up to $10,000. Let's also assume that the injury made you miss 2 months of work which would have paid you $20,000.
How are personal injury settlements paid?
When a settlement amount is agreed upon, you will then pay your lawyer a portion of your entire settlement funds for compensation. Additional Expenses are the other fees and costs that often accrue when filing a personal injury case. These may consist of postages, court filing fees, and/or certified copy fees.
How soon after an injury can you get a massage?
For any type of injury, it's recommended that you wait at least 48 hours before engaging in any type of massage. Some physicians even recommend waiting up to 72 hours before massage therapy. Particularly for acute injuries, like a strain or sprain, it's important to follow what is known as the R.I.C.E. program.
When should you not get a massage?
However, there are three types of contraindication: TOTAL, when massage should not be performed at all....Local ContraindicationsVaricose veins.Undiagnosed lumps or bumps.Pregnancy.Bruising.Cuts.Abrasions.Sunburn.Undiagnosed pain.More items...
Can I get a massage with a broken bone?
Applying Massage Therapy After A Fracture In many cases, massage can be performed around the injured areas, which allows you to reap its benefits even if you're still wearing a cast. By working on the tissues that surround the affected area, circulation can be stimulated while reducing the buildup of lymph.
Is massage good for soft tissue injury?
Massage therapy is a treatment that can help relieve the pain of soft tissue injuries and aid in faster recovery times. Often these injuries can benefit from a combination of chiropractic adjustment treatment along with massage therapy.
What is the purpose of massage therapy?
While massage therapy does provide an element of comfort and relaxation, its main purposes are to complement traditional medical procedures; ease tension, stress and anxiety; and help restore mobility and balance to someone who has been injured by charting a course toward wellness and life without pain.
What is the importance of back office procedures for massage therapists?
Having a balance of back-office procedures and streamlining business details allows you, the massage therapist, to focus on what matters most: the recovery process of the people you serve.
How to provide flexibility for clients?
The good thing is you can provide flexibility for your clients by giving them options to help pay for services in their time of need: direct billing, insurance billing or using a lien company are all great ways to ensure your client has a pleasant experience while receiving your services.
What is direct billing for massage?
While many massage therapists are familiar with direct billing, which is when the bill is paid directly by the client, and insurance billing, which is when the bill is sent to the insurance company your client is covered by, most people do not understand another payment option: using a lien. This is what I want to delve a little deeper into in hopes of giving you a better understanding of how to incorporate this into your practice.
Do massage therapists need to be covered?
When people are in pain and in need of care, as massage therapists by nature, we instinctively want to provide them with the treatment needed. However, the business aspect demands we make sure we are covered for the services rendered and not left with the short end of the stick when it comes time for billing.
Is it important to understand the massage business?
Regardless of where you are in your massage business, either just starting out or as a seasoned professional, it is important to understand all aspects of the business . From learning what works best for client comfort to the details of billing and insurance, nothing should be overlooked. You need your business to run smoothly, with as few bumps in the road to success as possible.
Is working in massage therapy rewarding?
Working in the massage therapy industry is both rewarding and challenging. Making sure you know the ins and outs of business can be challenging at times, but with a little mentoring and research, and by implementing resources that will help stabilize money transactions, the pressures of billing can be alleviated to some extent. Working with a lien company is one way to be involved with clients recovering from accidents and injuries, without jumping through all the hoops of insurance reimbursement.
Why is it important to contact a lawyer for a massage therapist?
When these injuries occur, it is important to contact a lawyer to determine if a lawsuit is valid based on the extent of bodily harm suffered.
What Injuries Can Occur with a Message Therapist?
While many massage therapists will help alleviate pain in the back, along the spine, in the shoulders and other areas where muscles bunch or knot, some professionals may inflict injury either intentionally or indirectly. Certain pressure points along various areas of the body are more intense and have a stronger connection with certain individuals that can cause greater pain.
How long does it take for a massage therapist to diagnose a problem?
If the massage therapist caused an injury that harms the internal organs, muscles or other locations of the body but these injuries are not visible, it could take months or years before the damage is known to the victim or diagnosed by a doctor.
How long does it take to file a personal injury claim?
Generally, for a personal injury claim, the individual harmed will have one to two years to file the claim in the state of residence. However, this can change based on the location and the discovery of the injury. If the massage therapist caused an injury that harms the internal organs, muscles or other locations of the body ...
What happens if you get injured and you lose your income?
The injury or damage caused usually causes a loss of income while the person recovers or may lead to hospitalization. Contacting a lawyer usually can provide the information that the claim is valid or that there is a claim at all.
What is the first step in an injury lawsuit?
One of the first actions that the injured party must initiate is an investigation into the matter. For the person affected, a lawyer is the best professional to contact first to both file the lawsuit later and to start the investigation while this individual recovers from the initial damage caused.
Can massage therapy cause pain?
Pre-existing injuries become aggravated through message as well. New medical procedures may also increase the pain experienced through massage therapy. If the massage therapist is aware of these troubles, he or she can usually work around them.
Why is physical therapy important after spinal cord injury?
Spinal cord injuries. After a spinal cord injury, physical therapy is useful in helping to protect muscles from atrophy. Pain relief is another important benefit from physical therapy for this type of injury.
What can a physical therapist do for you?
The physical therapist will assess your needs and recommend exercises that can be done to improve flexibility, strength, and mobility. You’ll perform some exercises during your appointment, but also be expected to exercise on your own at home.
What happens if you miss work for physical therapy?
If you’re missing work to attend physical therapy appointments, lost wages can be included in your personal injury compensation. Document this expense by keeping copies of your timesheets and pay stubs.
What is personal injury law?
Personal injury law can be quite complex, but working with an experienced attorney ensures your rights will be protected throughout the settlement process. Our personal injury lawyers can assess the worth of your case, help you document your expenses, line up evidence to show negligence, and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.
Can you claim physical therapy expenses in a settlement?
If your injuries resulted from another driver’s negligence, you can include your physical therapy expenses as part of the settlement. A physical therapist is a licensed healthcare professional with a master’s degree in physical therapy. As such, physical therapy services are included in the same general category as emergency room visits, surgical care, and follow-up appointments.
Can you reimburse physical therapy for travel?
If your physical therapy appointments involve travel, the cost of transportation and lodging can be included in your request for reimbursement. Keep receipts for gas and hotel expenses as well as a record of mileage.
What Is an Occupational Therapist?
An occupational therapist is a healthcare practitioner whose main focus is helping injured or disabled clients achieve functional goals and improve their overall quality of life.
Damages an Occupational Therapist Can Help Quantify
Here are some of the aspects I am able to closely quantify with the aid of an OT:
What happens if you have a long period of treatment?
Logic says that if an injury receives a long period of medical treatment, the injury requires a long period to heal, and that translates to a high degree of pain and suffering. So, if you undergo a long period of treatment, you can argue to an insurance adjuster that the timeline was evidence of the seriousness of the injury.
What is medical special damages?
A key component of most personal injury claims is the injured person's "medical special damages," which just means the amount the claimant spent on medical bills while having their injuries diagnosed and treated. Medical specials are part of the personal injury compensation formula that many insurance companies use to figure out a claimant's total ...
What is the difference between treatment and diagnosis?
In many cases, the diagnostic process is relatively quick, and the charge for it amounts to a small part of your medical bills, as compared with the cost of treatment. In such cases, insurance companies do not usually bother to make any distinction between diagnosis and treatment. They lump all your medical bills together into one medical specials amount.
Does insurance discount physical therapy?
Also, where you receive physical therapy may affect how the insurance company views it. If your doctor prescribes physical therapy but you receive the actual treatment outside the doctor's office and beyond the doctor's control, the insurance adjuster might discount the physical therapy bills.
Is a medical bill considered legitimate?
Any medical bill you have incurred at the hands of a medical doctor, hospital, or medical clinic, no matter how outrageously expensive, will be considered legitimate by almost any insurance adjuster and will usually be given a high multiplier in the damages formula.
Is medical service equal to personal injury?
According to insurance adjusters, not all medical services are created equal when it comes to figure out the value of a personal injury claim. Let's take a closer look at some of the variables.
Can an insurance adjuster view the total medical specials?
If most of the medical bills are for diagnosis only, and the injury winds up requiring little treatment, an insurance adjuster might not view the total medical specials as accurately reflecting the injured person's "pain and suffering.". Consequently, the adjuster might use a lower multiplier for those medical bills in arriving at ...
What Are The Common Injuries Among Massage Therapists
Many massage therapists are happy with their roles because their jobs are fulfilling and also make them active. At the same time, the job’s repetitive nature offers the possibility of injury. In the paragraphs below, we will look at the most common injuries massage therapists suffer while providing massages. They’re as follows:
Common Side Effects Of Massage Therapy
Most side reactions to massage therapy are minor. But then, in rare cases, severe reactions can occur. Below are some of the common side effects of Massage:
Final Words
There’s no denying that Massage is an effective treatment for many conditions, including low back pain and sports injuries. Also, this therapy alleviates stress and helps with conditions such as arthritis, sciatica, and fibromyalgia.
How Can a Chiropractor Help Me After My Injury?
Chiropractic care is a medical treatment often referred to as “manual manipulation” or “manual adjustment” because the chiropractor will be directly treating your pain points. Your doctor is likely to advise chiropractic care if you are facing spine or spinal damage, or pains that will be best relieved by manual manipulation.
What Should I Do if I See a Chiropractor After a Personal Injury?
Whether you have experienced an injury from a car accident, a slip and fall, or while you’re on the job, chiropractic care expenses may be covered in your personal injury claim.
Contact a South Carolina Personal Injury Attorney
At Harris & Graves, our South Carolina personal injury attorneys understand your injuries and financial losses can dramatically impact your life. That’s why we want to help you receive the compensation you deserve.
What is the best treatment for trauma?
Once internal injuries are ruled out, massage therapy can be one of the best treatments to enhance healing for both the mental and physical trauma experienced as a result of the accident.
Why do people refuse emergency treatment after an accident?
There are some people who will refuse emergency treatment after an accident. This may be because they feel fine or think the injuries are minor. In the next day or two when the pain begins, they may come to a massage therapist for relief.
What happens after a car accident?
After surviving a car accident the person will most likely experience a lot of pain, even if there are no visible signs of injury. When a sudden traumatic event occurs the body’s protective mechanisms kick in. There is an endorphin rush, which can mask any pain and, along with an increase in adrenaline, enables the person to escape from the perceived danger. Unfortunately, after the danger has passed, the production of these chemicals subsides and the result is pain – sometimes lots of it. The last thing a person may want to do is get a massage. Others, who know about the benefits, will rush to make an appointment for bodywork.
What happens after the danger has passed?
Unfortunately, after the danger has passed, the production of these chemicals subsides and the result is pain – sometimes lots of it. The last thing a person may want to do is get a massage. Others, who know about the benefits, will rush to make an appointment for bodywork.
Is massage therapy reimbursable?
Insurance companies are slow to recognize massage therapy as a reimbursable medical treatment. One of the exceptions is for massage after an automobile accident. Though there is extra paperwork involved, treating clients with soft tissue injury resulting from an accident can be rewarding in many ways. There is no doubt that wearing seat belts saves ...
Can massage therapy help with car accidents?
Working with victims of automobile accidents can require long, hard work for a massage therapist. But the outcome can be rewarding as clients heal from their injuries, and their appointments may continue into the future as they feel the benefits of massage.
Is insurance reimbursement less than hourly?
While these insurance reimbursement payment s may be less than your usual hourly fee, they can provide a steady and dependable income for your practice. And, because there is a lot of paperwork required, you may feel that your hourly income is even further reduced.
Why do you need an MRI?
An MRI can often increase the value of your case. When the injury is heavily detailed, it allows the full extent of your injury to be negotiated in damages. You want to make sure that you’re getting the right diagnosis with an MRI, which will help to justify your treatment and settlement later.
Should I get an MRI of my injury?
If your doctor believes that seeing more detailed images of your injury from an MRI would be beneficial, then you should do it as soon as possible. It can actually hurt your case if your doctor recommends you get an MRI, and you do not do so.