Community, Commentary and Curriculum
for Massage Therapists

Do-It-Yourself Massage?

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I received a flyer from a build-it-yourself workshop broker www.biyworkshops.com.  For $250 - 300 you can take a workshop to learn how to install a wood floor, plumbing essentials, bathroom reno, upholstery…even drywall and carpentry.  Apparently each workshop is directed by industry professionals and you can save thousands of dollars by doing it yourself (DIY).

Regardless of how suspicious you may be of this business model, you might admit many people will try it.  In the age of technology and internet-based information, many people are more information-savvy and in fact feel esteemed in saving where they can…despite inevitable impact on craftsmanship and quality.  Industries – real estate, home improvements, fitness, landscaping, legal counsel, even divorce and civil courts - have experienced an elbowing out of professionals by do-it-yourselfers eager to save money and earn bragging rights.  Health care and wellness industries are also subject to the DIY mentality. 

People can order pharmaceuticals on-line and can research their symptoms via websites becoming more informed than their general practitioners.  Billions of dollars of vitamins, non-prescription pain medication, exercise equipment and other items are sold to self-diagnosing, self-prescribing “consumers” who, armed with some information seek a solution to their current problem or need.

How will the DIY mentality impact massage therapy?  Foam rollers, inflatable balls and percussion/vibratory devices are already incorporated in self-massage.  In fact massage therapists often prescribe and supply these devices to provide relief between office visits.  Small self-applying TENS (muscle stim) and ultrasound machines are available, and hot tubs and saunas are finding their ways into more homes as pricing comes down. 

Massage therapy is time and labour intensive, heavily relying on employee benefits plans and discretionary income available in strong economies to finance such supply.  But with the economy of cheap, surplus goods passing behind us more people will seek to get relief on their own.  Listen for the comparison between the cost of a foam roller and massage care in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lLw81kGeXg&feature=player_embedded#!.  Examine the comparisons of this massage chair, “your personal masseuse…” http://www.humantouch.com/ht-1650.html.  See how inexpensive self-applications of muscle stim or ultrasound are for patients to access http://thevitalitydepot.com/index.php?MenuLevel1=Products&MenuLevel2=EMS and TENS Portables. 

Now I may surprise you here.  I’m going to state that these innovations are a GOOD THING.  “But it’s taking away from my business!”…only if you don’t innovate, continuously survey the needs of your patients / clients and upgrade your knowledge and skills.  As Darwin says (and my wife Cheryl reiterates to me frequently) “Adapt, or die.” 

David Siegel, author of The Power of Pull contrasted the current system in medicine – where the doctor is the centre of care, generating revenues for hospital employers (whether patients health improves or not) and reporting to insurance companies (where doctors may game the coding to improve reimbursement) – to a system of standardized protocols, monitoring via technology/body-worn devices and integrated pharmacist counsel.  This latter system ensures patient adherence to protocols and pharmaceutical compliance, better patient monitoring, a reduction in office visits / resources used, and observable patterns and learning opportunities that may direct research, develop better methodology and protocols and generate effective health care policy.  In a study by Kaiser Permanente of this integrated system, patient satisfaction is way up and office visits to the physician are down 26%.  By integrating health services and technology, and including the patient in the solution, we can free up physicians to see more critical patients. 

Eric Topol presents on TedMed http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/eric_topol_the_wireless_future_of_medicine.html a vision of the near future in monitoring vital signs, health and morbidity factors.  General Electric has developed a handheld ultrasound that can, among other functions, screen for breast disease.  Topol describes how our smart phones will transmit information such as heart rate, blood pressure, fluid status, medication compliance, continuous glucose levels, sleep patterns and even posture from small body-worn devices.  This information can be sent to our physician, the lab, the pharmacist and others in the health network.  Personal metrics such as energy consumption and expenditure can be tracked, monitored and changed as needed.  Massage therapy will have more opportunity to prove efficacy with such metrics monitoring and measuring change to lifestyle interventions. 

With our aging population, challenging work conditions and an ever-increasing array of stressors, people need to self-apply measures that will bring relief.  They still need the professionals for the sophisticated interventions, and those professionals can gain greater trust and respect from patients / clients by acting not just as practitioners…but teachers.  Teach people how to soothe themselves; empower them to modulate their symptoms and we can rise above the dependence/ignorance-based health care model largely dominating now. 

If you really want to help as many people as possible, make them less reliant on you and more autonomous in their health care.  They will reward you with more work - as many aspire to higher levels of self-awareness and wellness – and more referrals to their friends, family and co-workers.  They will be exhilarated when they can do some self-care themselves, and still come to you - the expert - when they need to.

Don Dillon, RMT         Feedback              Previous Posts