Money, Money, Money!

There was a post on my blog page recently regarding the cost of myofascial release therapy. The person was not rude, but only stated that therapy is an "unnecessary expense". I considered ignoring this post, as it may be the truth for this person at this time. I decided, however, that it is a post that bears responding to, given the state of medicine and the economy currently. Myofascial Release is a therapy that works to relieve all manner of pain, and its effects are long lasting. I have patients whose goal is to be able to walk around their home without pain, to be able to reach up and wash their own hair without pain. They want to be able to stand at the kitchen stove and prepare a meal. It is not a lot to ask, and the expense of the extreme pain medications they are on is greater than my treatments cost. Also, their meds render them unable to operate cars, to cook, to walk around the block and in some cases, even to stay awake. Those are my most severe, home-bound and disabled patients. This therapy relieves their pain, reducing patient dependence on medications, and increasing independence and participation in family activities. These folks would say that this therapy is, for them, a necessary expense.

Lets talk about the folks who are not yet disabled by their pain, the fireman who has carried one too many patients to safety, the paramedic, the farmer who has thrown one to many tarps, the nurse who has lifted patients until she herself has become a patient. These people CANNOT work doing what they do if they become addicted to pain medications. When their pain becomes crippling, they have to quit. What if there is a form of therapy that can relieve their pain, return their bodies to symmetry, and keep them serving us. What if this therapy can keep these people gainfully employed and not dependent upon government for their bare survival? WHAT IF?

I see patients who are considering surgery, considering early retirement, considering giving up doing that thing they love. Myofascial release is successful in relieving their pain and keeping them earning money. Of course, my job is to work myself out of a job with your body, so I teach each patient to self treat using MFR techniques, I teach family members to treat each other, and I teach strengthening exercises specific to each person's work needs to maintain the pain free status.

If you tell me that you are hurting, and that this therapy is an unnecessary expense for you, then you are saying that you are not worth it. There may also be a twinge of hopelessness to such a statement. I know what the therapy is worth. 2 years ago, my arms were going numb to the point that I could no longer work. I got treated with MFR, learned to self treat, and changed my specialty in Occupational Therapy to myofascial release, because it worked. My hands are worth the price of this therapy. no surgery, no 3-6 months down. And I got rid of most of the migraines in the bargain!

I cannot guarantee that myofascial release works for everybody. Nobody can guarantee that, not even surgeons and medications can guarantee a pain free existence. I can guarantee that we will work as a team to identify the antecedents to your pain, that I will give you as many tools as I know to make you independent in the treatment of your pain, and that I will do no harm.