FAQ
- What’s the difference between Manchester Bedford Myoskeletal clinic and other massage therapy businesses?
- What’s Clinical massage?
- Is Myoskeletal Therapy similar to Rolfing® treatments?
- What are Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques®?
- Does my health insurance, worker’s compensation, or automobile insurance cover Myoskeletal Therapy treatments?
- Which doctors/hospitals do you affiliate with?
- What if I don’t know what is causing my problem or pain? Can you tell me?
- How many visits will I need before my problems are resolved?
- How long does a treatment session take?
- What clothing should I wear to my appointment?
- Do you use oil or other lubricant on skin?
- My injury required X ray/CT scan/MRI which I had taken and I have copy/copies of. Should I bring them with me to my appointment? What if I don’t have copies?
- Is there an elevator in your building? I cannot climb stairs.
- I have other special needs — medical air, sight-impaired, nursing, small children, no transportation to or from my appointment, medical device-assisted heart/lungs, paralysis, etc. Do you have staff or equipment to help with or monitor these problems?
- I have a genetic cause to my problem. Can Myoskeletal Therapy help congenital problems?
- My doctor/chiropractor told me that I should get a massage. Do you do “just massage”?
What’s the difference between Manchester-Bedford Myoskeletal clinic and other massage therapy businesses?
The most significant difference is we do not perform spa services like relaxation massage, wraps, facials, and scrubs. Our patients come to us for musculoskeletal pain. Patients participate in their sessions and have some form of therapeutic “homework” to continue their therapy between sessions.
We incorporate all of the treatment modalities we are highly certified and experienced into each visit. It doesn’t matter if their compensation patterns are incidental, pathologic, postural, kinesthetic, or neurologic in nature. Our two primary treatment modalities are:
Myoskeletal Alignment Therapy® addresses soft tissue dysfunction that creates or allows skeletal misalignment. Some common examples are forward head posture, vertebral facet jamming, joint mobilization or restriction, certain neurological dysfunction, pelvic rotation, and pronated foot, and;
Remedial massage addresses medical conditions and pathologies which may not necessarily adversely affect skeletal alignment. Common examples are headache, carpal tunnel syndrome, groin pain, and dysfunctional nerve conduction.
Combining these powerful modalities and others facilitates the very best chances for improvement in our patients. We offer one-on-one appointments. Because we only see one patient at a time, you have the therapist’s full attention throughout your visit.
Is Myoskeletal Therapy similar to Rolfing® treatments?
No. We integrate western-style massage therapy techniques, Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques®, and other modalities to work with all forms of soft tissue. The founder of Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques (MAT) is a Rolfer and MAT is a form of structural integration. However, MAT® is not Rolfing® and we do not follow their protocols.
What are Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques®?
Please follow this link.
Does my medical insurance, worker’s compensation, or automobile insurance cover Myoskeletal Therapy treatments?
Commercial insurance details found here.
We may be able to submit claims to your insurance company as an Out-of-Network provider if your policy is not an HMO, but the insurer will make the determination on your claim. For those polices that allow us to bill, insurance may reimburse the patient at their out-of-network rates. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans rarely allow out-of-network services or referrals except in cases of emergency.
New Hampshire WC injured persons can go to the medical provider of their choice, including licensed massage therapists. Your lawyer or physician must refer and treatment follows a prescription. We are a federal agency provider for Workers’ Compensation cases and may accept New Hampshire Workers’ Comp patients on referral through a managed care organization or your physician.
We do not currently bill automobile personal injury insurance (PIP). This may change in the future.
Which doctors/hospitals do you affiliate with?
MBM does not affiliate with any particular physician, other healthcare provider, or hospital. We accept formal and informal patient referrals from any valid state licensed provider and directly from the Manchester, White River Junction, and Jamaica Plains, MA VA Medical Centers Offices of Community Care.
We do not currently provide outpatient or inpatient services at any hospital facility.
What if I don’t know what is causing my problem or pain? Can you tell me?
An in-depth health history and discussion regarding your current condition will help rule out contraindications and determine the need for further physician diagnosis. This is an important step before conducting an initial full-body assessment to determine your treatment path.
We do not chase pain. We look for root causes for dysfunction wherever it may be. Sometimes, we do not locate the root cause because your body assimilates our corrective action and resolves the issue before we learn the actual cause.
Licensed Massage Therapists cannot legally diagnose medical conditions or prescribe medication or activity unless collaterally licensed or certified to do so.
Some patient’s conditions have a diagnosis when they come to us. Oftentimes, physicians are unable to make a diagnosis regarding soft tissue complaints or the diagnosis is “idiopathic”. Believe it or not, licensed massage therapists are the field experts when it comes to muscles. Regardless, diagnosing is outside our scope of practice.
How many visits will I need before my problems are resolved?
Shorter dysfunctional times usually mean shorter treatment times. However, that statement is simplistic. Soft tissue injury and dysfunction can be extremely complex. Still, it is true that most people do not recognize dysfunction for months, years, sometimes even decades before seeking help with it.
The old weather adage, “Long foretold, long last; short notice, soon past” also seems appropriate with bodywork.
There are too many variables in every individual to say with certainty how long a person may need to undergo therapeutic bodywork to resolve their problem. Some people find relief almost immediately. Others may take significantly longer. Still others may never resolve through bodywork alone.
Your therapist assesses each patient every visit. When technique assimilation stops and complaints do not resolve, we refer the patient to their physician or manual therapist for re-evaluation or to another bodywork style.
Some chronic pain patients resolve to a certain level, then plateau. At that point, they may prefer to become maintenance patients rather than pursue other forms of bodywork or other medical procedure. The therapist will discuss this aspect of treatment with the individual.
Referring physicians may limit the total number, frequency, and/or length of visits. We discuss these referral limitations with the patient.
How long does a treatment session take?
You can expect your assessment visit to last 15-75 minutes. Therapeutic visits generally range from 30-90 minutes.
If you do not have flexibility in scheduling your sessions, please let the therapist know and the therapist will work within your timeframe. Charges remain the same.
What clothing should I wear to my appointment?
Patients should wear or bring with them a sports top and shorts or loose-fitting clothing that will not restrict full range of motion of any portion of your body. Our therapist conducts a full body assessment and treatment, regardless of the original complaints. We use appropriate draping when necessary.
Do you use oil or other lubricant on skin?
Myoskeletal therapy does not usually require lubricant. However, some techniques require a small amount. The therapist will wipe off residual oil or cream.
My injury required X ray/CT scan/MRI which I had taken and I have copy/copies of. Should I bring them with me to my appointment? What if I don’t have copies?
Your therapist is not qualified to interpret results of radiological findings, but they are helpful to see when discussing your case or when conferring with your physician. A radiology report (analysis of the films by a radiologist) is also useful. Imaging DVDs are retained in your file unless you ask us to return them.
We request any diagnostic imaging previously performed from the institution or your physician unless the patient has a copy on a storage device with them. We will require you to sign a release form which will allow the imaging company to release your personal health information to us.
Is there an elevator in your building? I am unable to climb stairs.
We are located on the second floor of our building. Unfortunately, there is no elevator or mechanized system for carrying non-ambulatory individuals up or down stairs. This is a medical park community, so we’re as mystified by this as you probably are.
I have other special needs — medical air, sight-impaired, nursing, small children, no transportation to or from my appointment, medical device-assisted heart/lungs, paralysis, etc. Do you have staff or equipment to help with or monitor these problems?
No. If you require assistance or attendance by your caregiver, please inform them that they must remain for the duration of your session.
I have a genetic cause to my problem. Can Myoskeletal Therapy help congenital problems?
Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques® are excellent tools for functional problems. However, our experience shows temporary relief is common since structural, genetic, or disease-caused dysfunction nearly always a functional component to it. Please read this page.
My doctor/chiropractor told me that I should get a massage. Do you do “just massage”?
Manchester-Bedford Myoskeletal specializes in Myoskeletal Therapy and orthopedic massage. There are many spas and privately-owned, licensed massage practices in our area who excel at relaxation and stress-related massage. They cater to relaxation clients and have the ambiance to go along with it and we do not. We’ll try to refer you to another therapist if you’d like a referral.