"I don't understand why more doctors don't know about this. They should be recommending it to every person who has problems after a knee replacement," my client stated.
I very much appreciate her comment, and she has made remarkable progress in just a few sessions. This progress has allowed her to feel good about her decision to have the replacement, rather than a tinge of regret for the discomfort she was having.
What I hesitated to point out to her was the bigger problem, and It has little to do with physician referral. The larger issue is the scarcity of massage therapists who have the interest in, and competence to, treat these highly specific soft-tissue problems. My client is a wonderful example. Prior to seeing me, she tried looking for a therapist in her area. She called many therapists in her surrounding communities to explore options. None had interest in seeing something so specific or it was clear that their focus was massage for general relaxation. In the end, she did find a therapist that was two and a half hours away, and an excellent one at that. This therapist suggested that she come to see me, since I am only an hour's drive for this client.
My client jumped through many hoops to find therapists who could help her. Yes, the results have been stellar, and one would hope for that for every person who struggles with soft-tissue problems such as this. But, how many people have the resources and determination to drive so far to get treatment? In the end, we need simply need more therapists doing this work.
Massage therapy for relaxation is vitally needed, especially in the turbulent world in which we find ourselves. But, we also need people with the skills to address highly specific soft-tissue problems. This is why I am so committed to continuing to teach PNMT across the country. The need far surpasses the availability of therapists. The number of people calling the NMT MidWest phone number looking for a therapist in their area is a testament to that need.
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