Health Practitioners Have Ethical Responsibilities

Your health practitioner has an ethical responsibility to keep your care as the top priority. For example, if you go to see your therapist for a pain in your hip and they have you come back every week for three months but your problem really isn’t getting any better.

Do you consider this ethical? I don’t.

I have ethical parameters that I have set for my practice. That is, if my clients are not seeing a reduction in symptoms and an improvement in their condition within three treatments, I will either think about what I am not doing and try something else. Or I will send them to another practitioner in my network for a second opinion and some alternative treatment.

This is my ethical responsibility to you to keep your care as the top priority, and it should be a responsibility for all health practitioners as far as I’m concerned.

The reason I want you to keep these things in mind is that, I have seen many people going to a health practitioner trying to overcome a problem, only to be going there for six months or more and not getting any results. This is not right. As I’ve pointed out above, your therapist or practitioner has an ethical responsibility to you.

Ask Questions When You Are Not Seeing The Results You Should

If you are not getting the results that you want within a reasonable time frame, then you should be questioning your health practitioner’s motives. Are they just trying to wean more money out of you? Are they scared to lose you as a customer if they refer you on to someone else? Do they simply not know what to do or how to treat your condition properly?

The thing is, no practitioner knows everything. We all have our limitations and that’s okay. As long as we know when and where it is time to send our clients elsewhere, or seek another opinion. Don’t get locked into having treatment that you feel isn’t working. And don’t feel guilty or bad about saying something to your practitioner if you want an explanation, a better result, or more feedback.

You pay good money to have a good service delivered to you, so make sure your health practitioner is operating with ethical principles and can provide you with a reasonable estimate in the time frame it is going to take for you to get better. What the chance of recovery are for you. If there are other things you can do to help progress your recovery quicker. Just be sure that your remedial therapist or health practitioner has your care as a top priority.

A massage is more than a way to relax yourself. It certainly is a great way to get relaxed because an experienced therapist can soothe a lot of your aches and pains away. This particular treatment works by stimulating your blood circulation while giving your muscles a great workout. The movement of the therapist’s hands over your body in a particular pattern aids your blood circulation considerably. This helps to bring nutrition and oxygen to your muscles and to remove toxins that have been accumulated there.

The most immediate response you feel is indeed relaxation, but there are plenty of health benefits as well. For instance, your anxiety levels will reduce by a considerable extent as a result of this treatment. This can help regulate your blood pressure and bring it to a normal level. Your heart rate will also be at the normal level immediately after the session is over. Your body releases fewer stress hormones as a result of this treatment.

If you suffer from musculoskeletal problems that cause you a lot of pain, you will benefit greatly from taking a massage. An experienced therapist can give you excellent pain relief after each session. The pain relief will not be permanent but it certainly is welcome when you are in agony.

Your metabolic rate increases after each session. This helps you to burn more calories than you otherwise would. People who get massages often tend to be very fit and slim due to this reason. Apart from making them look better, this also gives them freedom from diabetes and obesity. Your body also releases serotonin and endorphins which help to elevate your mood. In fact, you can easily fight depression if you are massaged regularly. This positive outlook on life gives you the ability to fight diseases better. You therefore tend to be disease free if you are massaged often.

Being massaged regularly help you to sleep better. The very fact that your body gets plenty of much needed rest helps it to have better immunity. You will be very pleased to see that your chronic health problems reduce just because you get massaged often.

There are many people who can offer you massaged. However you should make your choice carefully and based upon the kind if treatment you need because you might not get the desired effect if you use the wrong method. If done correctly, a massage can help you enjoy great health.

The Australian government guarantees that everyone is entitled to Medicare to help cover many medical needs; but few people realize what the limits of their Medicare coverage are, and where private health cover fits into the equation.

When you don’t have a solid understanding of the difference between what Medicare covers and what your health insurance covers, it’s difficult to make the best decisions for yourself and your family when it comes to planning for the future and protecting your finances if an unexpected illness or injury disrupts your lives. By comparing health plans, you can get a better idea of how much private health coverage actually costs, and what it can do for you.

Who needs private health coverage? Doesn’t Medicare cover all of your health insurance needs? What if you’re a young couple or family with no reason to worry about health issues?

It’s important to start by understanding how Medicare works, and what coverage it does and does not provide.

Medicare was introduced in Australia in 1984 as the country’s public health cover system, guaranteeing access to free or low-cost medical and hospital care for every Australian citizen and permanent resident.

The Medicare system offers access to a public hospital and treatment by a hospital appointed physician. While Australians receive excellent care through the Medicare system, there are little to no options when it comes to selecting the hospital in which you will be treated, or even when you will be admitted.

Under Australia’s Medicare program, any treatment that does not fall into the “emergency” category is considered to be elective, which places patients on a long public hospital waiting list to be seen.

Australians can improve their health care situation by purchasing private health cover to augment Medicare, which you retain even when your private health plan takes effect. When your health insurance strategy includes a private policy in addition to Medicare benefits, you have the option to choose treatment as either a private or public patient in a private or public hospital. The decision is up to you.

People with private health coverage earn choice and flexibility when it comes to their own care. Your health insurance allows you to choose the physician or specialist responsible for your treatment, the schedule for admission to the hospital for treatment, and quicker access to any elective surgery you may be having.

Your insurance will cover most if not all of those costs that Medicare does not pay, and you can avoid waiting on a public hospital list for the treatment you need.

It’s important to check with your insurer and read your policy details before you schedule a hospital stay to be sure your health insurance covers your particular procedure.

When it comes to receiving treatment outside of a hospital, Medicare will cover 100 percent of the cost to visit a general practitioner, specialist, or medical center. In fact, your private health plan cannot by law pay for costs incurred when visiting a physician or specialist outside of a hospital.

Still, there are plenty of medical services that Medicare does not cover, but your health insurance can, including:

- Physiotherapy.
- Chiropractic services.
- Remedial massage.
- Psychology consultations.
- Ambulance.
- Most dental exams and treatments.
- Hearing Aids
- Glasses and contact lenses.
- Podiatry.
- Certain therapies including occupational therapy, speech therapy, and optical therapy.
- Natural therapies like acupuncture and homeopathy.

If you or your family needs or wants access to these services, your private health plan can include coverage for the specific treatments you will be seeking.

The best way to make realistic decisions regarding your family’s coverage is to first make sure you have a good understanding of Medicare. Determine what coverage your family needs according to your age, lifestyle, and whether or not any preexisting conditions need to be considered. Compare health insurance policies to find the best coverage to fit your needs and your budget.

Speak to an insurance consultant and ask for a thorough explanation of all the benefits available to you, both through Medicare and your private health insurance. No one can put a price on the health and financial well-being of their family. Augmenting your Medicare benefits with private health coverage in an excellent way to achieve financial protection and peace of mind.

HICAPS, is an acronym that stands for Health Industry Claims and Payments Services. The company overseeing the system was established in 1998 and is now considered as the number one ancillary health payments and claims services in Australia. With HICAPS, health care providers who offer ancillary treatments may now help their patients to conveniently and easily have on-the-spot reimbursements and payments, right after they have the specific services. The HICAPS machines can be used by health care providers specializing in the following:

Myotherapy
Naturopathy
Acupuncture
Remedial Massage therapy
Speech pathology
Occupational therapy
Psychology
Optometric
Osteopathy
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Dental prosthetics
Dentistry

Because of HICAPS, the patients as well as their healthcare providers would be able to enjoy the following benefits:

Improved and speedy cash flow with all your and your patients’ transactions
It will save time for everyone because it is on-the-spot and you don”t have to go anywhere else just to claim reimbursements
Absolutely free of any charge. You would not have to pay for any annual fees and establishments. The patients who will use the facility would not have to pay for any charges with all the transactions they will make
The facility is compact and easy to operate. This means that both health care providers and patients would find it very accessible and easy to use. You do not even need instructions for using the equipment.

For the privilege of offering HICAPS services, health practitioners typically pay a set monthly premium directly to HICAPS. In addition the HICAPS terminal is best linked to a merchant account so the system can accept credit card and eftpos payments. Both these configurations make the payment process as quick and effortless as possible for patients.

Health touch

In this specific treatment, your masseuse doesn’t touch you at all! How does it work? This is because the treatment helps balance the inner healing energy in your body.

‘Cranio-sacral’

This massage is intended to fix your spine and cranium so that both of these components function well.

‘Shiatsu’

If you have not heard of the previous two, chances are you have heard about ‘shiatsu’. ‘Shiatsu’ massage focuses on pressure point therapy. This way, you can balance your entire body and rejuvenate your health altogether. These points are located along your body on invisible lines that are called the meridians.

Lymphatic drainage

If you need detoxification, you should go for this massage. It helps you to get rid of toxins in your body. What are the toxins found in your body? They can be chemicals or pesticide. The masseuse stimulates the lymph flow so that your lymph system is more efficient.

Neuromuscular therapy

This treatment works on tight muscles that are so tense, they cause you pain.

Deep tissue therapy

Be prepared to feel some discomfort. Actually, discomfort is a rather subjective term. Some people might think deep tissue therapy is painful because your masseuse will apply deep pressure when massaging your body. This treatment is beneficial for your connective tissues.

Warning: Note that you should only seek professional masseuses for a remedy massage.

So the client may come in complaining of persistent headaches where the primary cause of this problem is a knee injury. A remedial massage therapist is trained to not only diagnose what is causing the problem but also in treating it with massage.

Clients that visit a remedial massage therapist will have a consultation with them before any treatment takes place to find out what is causing the issue or injury. This consultation will take a variety of forms, usually questions and also a series of tests to see how much range of movement the client may have in certain muscles groups. For example if the client is complaining of headaches, the remedial massage therapist may get the client to turn their head, to see how far their muscles will let the head turn to see if there is muscle tightness in the neck region which might be causing the problem.

The therapist will also observe the client’s posture. In the example above, the therapist might notice the client favouring one leg whilst walking and then find out that there has been a knee injury that needs to be fixed. Remedial therapists also use palpitation of the muscles which is generally just feeling the different muscle groups to feel if they are tight or shortened.

Muscle tissue works by contraction. If muscles tissues are so shortened it cannot work properly then sometimes it cannot contract further and is not able to do the work of the muscle. This can occur from repetitive use of the muscle or it can occur from inaction, for example is an arm is in a sling for a long period of time.

A remedial massage therapist will then use a variety of techniques to soften, stretch and manipulate the muscle so that it will start to work as it should again. These techniques include trigger point therapy. Trigger points are small, highly contracted areas of the muscle and the remedial therapist will manipulate these regions to release them.

Trigger points are often a large source of pain, and releasing them can cause relief from tension and hurt. Sometimes trigger points cause referred pain. So a trigger point maybe located in the shoulder but the pain maybe referred by the muscle to another region in the back. Remedial massage therapists are trained to diagnose referred pain and also treat the underlying cause.

Sometimes these contraindications can be so absolute that a massage is not appropriate at all. There may even be other conditions that the massage therapist should know about the negative side effects that the massage could cause but are contraindicated massage techniques even though modified massage applications can have very positive effects.

When a client partakes in his or her first interview, the therapist will ask pointed and specific questions about the client’s health to deduce whether or not they have any contraindications. If that particular client is under strict care from a physician then the therapist should consult with the doctor before undergoing any massage treatment for the client.

Some of these major contraindications would be:

An Abnormal body temperature: if the presenting client has a fever greater than 37.5 deg C, the massage should not be given. Mostly, fevers mean that a person body is trying to locate and dispose of an invading organism. The human body will activate its defensive measures so it can isolate and take of the ailment. A massage may halt or hinder this process.

Infectious and acute disease: Clientele that have contracted any infectious diseases like typhoid, influenza, or any other sort of severe cold should not be administered massage treatment. A client who receives a massage while they have an acute viral infection may have their illness intensified, whilst there is also a risk that the therapist may contract the virus.

Inflammation: This type of situation is very common. If an individual has some acute inflammation, a massage will only add to the irritation and further the spread of the inflammation. If you have sustained an injury in the past twenty-four hours like an ankle sprain or hurt something in your back, then you should submit yourself to the first aid principle of RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).

It is also advisable at this point to make a call to your doctor. Receiving a massage to an inflamed area will only cause you more harm.

(nb, you should apply ice in fifteen-minute intervals- homemade ice packs of ice cubes and a towel will work as well as a commercial one. You do not want to put the ice pack directly to the skin or let it sit on the area for long periods.)

Even though massaging directly on that are will be contraindicated, it may be very beneficial to a person to massage not on the area but around that area so that you can relax the muscles and prompting the body to naturally heal itself. After a person has had the inflammation subside after 72-96 hours, having a massage can dramatically help a person’s mobility of joints as well as helping reduce scar tissue forming.

Varicose veins: When the valves of your veins have a break down it is due to back pressure causing the veins to stick out and bulge. You can usually see this happen in your legs because of gravity, this occurs when the legs or crossed or are put in other sitting positions that hinders blood circulating to your legs. Standing for a long time will also do this and add to it. Women in pregnancy can experience this from pressure on the veins of the pelvic region and can cause varicose veins.

Massaging legs which have large bulging varicose veins has the risk of releasing blood clots in the body’s circulatory system and massaging these areas is contraindicated.

Osteoporosis: This condition in its later stages can cause bones to become extremely brittle which can easily be broken or cracked. Before you start massaging a person afflicted with this condition it is advisable that the client speak with their doctor on this matter to see if this would worsen their condition or not.

High Blood Pressure: If you happen to have a client who has or has had high blood pressure, then that person’s physician should be consulted before undergoing massage therapy. Massage therapy can actually help reduce some of the hypertension that usually accompanies high blood pressure. You will usually not have to worry about massaging a person with a low blood pressure but you will want to be careful since this can cause some clients to feel dizzy after the therapy because of a drop in their blood pressure

Other contraindications: There are a plethora of different contraindications for getting a massage. The guidelines for this are straightforward enough- you do not want your therapist administering the massage to worsen any medical condition you may have, and you do not want to give anything contagious to your massage therapist. Please consult your doctor before receiving massage therapy if you are at all unsure on this issue.

Other conditions can include:

1. Fracture, burns, or bleeding

2. Blood Clots

3. Opened sores or lesions

4. Systemic infections

5. Cancer

There have been cases with women during their period that have received massage therapy within the first few days of their menstruation noticing the flow of blood a lot heavier than normal.

There is some debate on the issue of massage therapy being contraindicated during the first trimester of pregnancy. Usually, if there are not any underlying medical problems and the pregnancy is moving, as it should without history of miscarriage, then receiving massage therapy from a professional is ok. Please take up any doubts on this issue which your doctor or health care professional.

Massage therapy has been regarded as an aid for health throughout years. Different techniques and methods have been developed to make it more comfortable and fruitful for people. It involves holding and movement of the soft tissue and applying pressure on the body parts softly which provides a soothing feeling.

While receiving Massage from professional therapeutic massagers, you will feel two hands that have been casted to give you utmost comfort. They will make you feel better than before and your malady will be removed. Therapeutic Massage has an unimaginable healing power. It offers healing from many ailments. This Massage therapy is so popular that many people avail it in private settings, for example in home sessions.

People usually seek out Massage therapy to get relief form aches and pains or something that causes discomfort. There are many other benefits too which you can receive from a Massage. It enables you to move your joints smoothly by increasing the range of motion and boosts up your immune system so that you recover faster from illness. Therapeutic Massage helps you sleep better, decreases high blood pressure, facilitates your focus and concentration, above all promotes and encourages feeling of calmness and health.

While visiting a Massage parlor, you will find many options to choose from. You can choose other body relaxing options along with therapeutic Massage to intensify the outcome. Special oil is spread over the body to make the detoxification process faster and relieve you from tension. Unlike other Massage techniques, you need to sit on a special chair to get therapeutic Massage which will take care of your hands, upper back, shoulders, head and neck. You can choose the deep tissue Massage technique if you are suffering from chronic muscle pains. The massagers will give slow strokes over the grain of muscles which will relieve you and make you feel good.

Heated lava rock technique is used to treat joints and tendons and increase blood circulation. If you are pregnant, then you can opt for pregnant messaging technique. During pregnancy mother’s usually goes through different kinds of stress and pains. Therapeutic Massage would be a good solution for them to get relieved.

Besides of making you relaxed and relieved from aches and discomfort, therapeutic Massage has many other advantages. It improves your tone of body while losing weight and your overall look will get better. As your blood circulation gets better, toxic substances flow out of the body through excretory system. Muscle fibers get revived and make you feel more energetic. Body joints are renewed and become flexible which gives you improved range of motion. The effects of this type of Massage therapy is shorter; however if you take Massage on a regular basis, the effects will last longer.

A question that is often posed is should the pre-event massage happen before or after the athlete warms up. To answer this one needs to understand the physiological effects of a warm-up: to increase heart rate, body temperature and respiratory rate; and to prepare the body’s nervous system. Hence a pre-event massage done after the warm-up would defeat it’s purpose and you would not want the athlete’s heart rate, body temperature and respiratory rate to drop during the massage.

In general a pre-event massage should assist in increasing the circulation of blood to the muscles to allow the muscles to be flushed and oxygenated. Tight muscles may be relaxed so that joints can be moved through their range of motion. Emphasis should be placed on the muscles used during the activity so improve performance and also reduce the chance of injuries. The athlete can use the time to focus on their event, to relax or complete their mental preparation. At the end of the massage, the athlete should feel great!

More specifically before giving a pre-event massage, the therapist should ask several key questions which relate namely what techniques should be used and what is the intent.

These question include:

- what type of event is the athlete competing in? Are lightening quick reactions required as a pre-event massage given too close to the event may dull reaction times?

- does the athlete’s sports permit the use of oils or lotions during the pre-event massage?

- is the athlete required to be “loose” prior to the event (eg boxing) or relaxed (bowling)?

The massage should generally be done at a moderate pace, non-specific, relatively light, warming and short in duration (no more than around 15-20 minutes). It certainly does not have to be a complete routine. As with most massage treatments, it is preferable to be conservative – too little is better than too much. The massage must not be painful or include high impact techniques such as deep cross-fibre frictions or deep muscle therapy. The techniques most commonly used are general Swedish techniques (petrissage, vibration or percussion), compression, jostling, broadening strokes and general frictions.

It is important to note that no two individuals respond to massage in quite the same way and this can present a problem to the therapist seeing an athlete for the first time for a pre-event massage or in the last couple of days before an event. For example, two days before an event the massage can be deep so that the athlete can obtain the maximum recuperative benefit from the pre-event taper. However the depth required to address specific problem areas will vary considerably between athletes. An athlete should see how they respond to a massage in the last 48 hours/pre-event at a competition (or simulated training session) that is non-critical. So please don’t leave it until the day before the City to Surf or your big event to have your first massage!

Prenatal massage from a qualified and experienced massage therapist aims to alleviate some of these and other pregnancy-related conditions.

Benefits of Pregnancy Massage

Massage is considered to have many health benefits including stimulating blood flow and the lymphatic system, improving flexibility to muscles and enhancing the mobility of joints. As pregnancy progresses, then the body adjusts to a changing centre of gravity caused by the baby’s increasing weight. The change in posture puts increased strain on the legs, hips and back. Massage improves the flexibility and functionality of the muscles, which assists the woman to carry the extra weight along with some of the aches and pains associated with pregnancy.

The claimed benefits of pregnancy include:

- reduced stress through relaxation and pain relief
- maintenance/awareness of good posture
- relief of muscular tension and spasms (in particular in the hips, legs, back and neck)
- reduction of stress on weight-bearing joints.
- assistance in pain relief for any sciatic pain that frequently arises during pregnancy
- reduced oedema in hands and feet
- medication free headache relief
- improved energy levels and reduced fatigue

Even just taking time out for oneself during pregnancy can be emotionally rewarding, particularly if there is emotional support through the nurturing touch of the therapist.

Studies from the Touch Research Institute have indicated that pregnancy massage provides more than just physical relief for the mum-to-be. A group of pregnant women were provided with either massage or relaxation therapy during a five-week study. The researchers found that massage group had fewer complications during labour and delivery. In addition, they also had a reduction in stress, improved sleep quality and less back pain than the relaxation therapy group.

Massage Cautions

Massage is normally safe during pregnancy for most women. However if the women is experiencing any of the following conditions or symptoms then massage is contraindicated.

- any discharge of blood or water
- contagious illness/fever/vomiting
- pre-eclampsia
- high blood pressure
- abdominal pain
- blood clotting disorders

This list is not considered to be complete. If you have any concerns about having a massage during pregnancy then you should contact your health care professional. Indeed some massage therapists will not perform pregnancy massage without the approval of their doctor and others will not massage during the first trimester.

In choosing your prenatal massage therapist then please make sure that they are suitably trained and experienced. Just because a therapists offers pregnancy massage in their brochure or website does not mean that they have the necessary training and skills. Some therapists use pregnancy massage tables that have a hole for the belly, however these are generally not recommended by experienced prenatal massage therapists as the lack of support causes additional muscle strain on the belly and stress on the lower back