Physical Therapy Schools|Benefits Of Massage Therapy Schools

As a massage therapist, I've seen my fair share of clients with shoulder pain and injuries. This article will review what causes shoulder pain, the massage therapy treatment that will help, as well as simple exercises you can do yourself.

Shoulder pain can be caused by a wide variety of things such as sports injury, repetitive strain, motor vehicle accidents, and in some cases the cause is unknown. Sometimes the pain can come on suddenly, and others it has a gradual onset. Even if the pain came on suddenly, in most cases, the problem may have started a while ago.

The massage therapy treatment will differ slightly depending on how the pain started, so make sure you try and explain to your RMT exactly what you are feeling in your shoulder, how long it's been there, and how it started. This will help your massage therapist determine not only what structures might be injured, but also what the root cause of your shoulder pain is, which in most cases is bad shoulder posture.

Shoulder posture, the key to all injuries

Being slumped over a desk, working at a computer, and starring at a monitor for 8 hours a day is how most Torontonians spend their weekdays. That is 40 hours sitting with your shoulders and head slumped forward, and your arm reaching for the mouse so thousands of daily clicks can be performed. CRAZY! It's no wonder I have so many client suffering with shoulder injuries, and pain.

Remember your mother telling you that if you make that funny face again, you might get stuck that way? Well she may have been wrong about the face thing, but if you repeatedly place your body in a certain position it will definitely stay that way. Muscles will adaptively shorten, or lengthen, and the fascia, the connective covering around the muscles and body, (Think saran wrap) will tighten around the new altered posture, making sure you stay that way.

In the case of slumped shoulders, the Pectoralis major and minor (Muscles of your chest) become very tight and short. This pulls your shoulders forward and upwards causing your upper shoulders and neck to get very tight as well. In contrast, the muscles of the upper back and around the shoulder blades, become very weak and overstretched, so even if you wanted to stand up straight your muscles are no longer strong enough to fight against the super tight pecs.

In this slumped position, the ligaments and capsule of the shoulder are lax, and no longer stabilize the shoulder joint like they should. This will predispose the shoulder to injury, because it is no longer as stable. On top of that, it will also cause the muscles that cross the shoulder joint to work overtime because they want to try and re-stabilize the shoulder. This will lead to chronic tension and pain the muscles of the shoulder.

Not only does this position cause tight muscles and lax ligaments, but it also alters the normal movement between the bones of the joint, we call it altered joint biomechanics. This altered biomechanics will cause the arm bone ( humerus) to squish the tendons that attach around the shoulder. So every time the arm is moved, the tendons get squished. OUCH!! Overtime these tendons get very irritated and inflamed, leading to tendonitis, or worse, a tear in the tendon.

Now if you suffer from shoulder pain you may have noticed that the pain can come and go, sometimes it's better and sometimes it's worse. This is because our body has an amazing way to repair itself, and injuries will heal. Unfortunately if the root cause, (slumped posture) is not rectified the injury and pain will re-occur... and this is where MASSAGE THERAPY STEPS IN!

Massage therapy for shoulder pain focuses not only on decreasing the pain, and speeding up the healing process, but also fixing posture, the root cause of the injury. At Myocare, our RMT's at our downtown Toronto location have specialized in shoulder treatments. These treatments begin by massaging all the muscles of the shoulder. This helps decrease the chronic tension and knots in the muscles, eliminating pain related to the musculature. We then proceed to releasing very specific muscles, such as the Pectoralis major and minor, as well as muscles of the neck, and the biceps. By releasing and re-lengthening these muscles, the shoulder joint, and blade are able to fall back to their normal resting position.

In this position, the biomechanics of the joint return to normal, allowing the tissue to heal, and before you know it, the shoulder pain is gone!!

Once the pain is gone, this means the acute swelling has decreased, and the tissues are healing nicely. In order to make sure they heal nice and strong, our RMT's will give you some very specific strengthening exercises. These exercises will re-strengthen the injured tissue, as well as fix your posture, so you're shoulder pain doesn't return.

How you can help yourself

On top of picking up your phone and booking yourself a massage with any of our RMT's you can also do some simple exercises that will help with your posture. One simple exercise is called the 5 point stance. This exercise helps re-educate your brain on what prefect posture is, as well as stretches and strengthens some of your muscles. As you've probably guessed this exercise have 5 simple steps.

1. Stand against a flat wall with your feet hip width apart, about a foot away from the wall.

2. Tuck your tail bone in, like if you had a long tail and you were trying to put is between your legs

3. Flatten your shoulder blades so they are flat against the wall. (Or as close as possible)

4. Pull your finger tips towards the floor.

5. Tuck your chin in, like you're trying to make a double chin, flatten the back of your head against the wall, and pretend a rope, tied to the ceiling is pulling the very top of your head upwards.

Now hold this position for 15 seconds, and repeat it 3 times. Do these exercise minimum 1 x per day, and within a few weeks you should see an improvement in your posture.

Are you ready for the new HIPAA 5010 Requirements and ICD-10 Coding standards that are quickly approaching?

For those of you that who handle medical claims, you are probably aware of the many changes that we will soon be facing in the medical billing industry. With the first deadline of January 1, 2012 right around the corner, it is imperative that you are prepared for the new HIPAA 5010 requirements. If you are not aware of what I am referring to, please let me explain - In the near future, a federal mandate is going to require that clearinghouses, billing vendors, health plans and health care providers use a new set of coding standards in regards to electronic transactions. These transactions will include claim submission, remittance, eligibility, and claim status. So what does this mean for you and your practice? I highly suggest that you start by contacting your clearinghouse and billing software company to confirm that they are preparing for this change. It is also important to find out if it is going to be necessary for you to upgrade your software and if you will be required to submit claims for testing. What is the purpose of this upgrade? The ultimate reason for this upgrade is to prepare for the MASSIVE change in the billing process that is going to occur on October 1, 2013. I know that this seems like it is a distant date but I highly encourage you to do your research in order to fully grasp the extent of this change and understand why it is important to start preparing now.

The standard ICD-9 codes that have been used for over 30+ years by physicians, physical therapist, and other healthcare providers will soon become obsolete. The new ICD-10 coding system is not an upgrade but rather a 100% replacement for what has been used for decades.

To help you better understand; below are a few key points about what the new ICD-10 codes will look like:

a.) ICD-10 codes will consist of 3-7 characters

b.) ICD-10 will consist of 21 chapters

c.) ICD-10 will all begin with an alpha prefix

d.) ICD-10 will contain 5 times the amount of codes that ICD-9 codes did

e.) ICD-10 codes will show laterality (which side of the body)

f.) 8 Chapters of the ICD-10 codes will REQUIRE a 7th digit

g.) ICD-10 codes will consist of category, etiology, anatomic site, severity, extension

h.) ICD-10 codes will consist of placeholders "x", that will hold positions for future expansion

In order to demonstrate just how complex and detailed the new ICD-10 coding will be in comparison to the current coding system, I have included an example of how to build a full code under the new regulations below:

S52. - Fracture of Forearm

S52.5 - Fracture of lower end of radius

S52.52 - Torus Fracture of lower end of radius

S52.521 - Torus Fracture of lower end of right radius

S52.521A - Torus Fracture of lower end of right radius, initial encounter

As you can imagine, this coding overhaul is going to result in extensive training in order to get medical providers and billing coders up to speed on the new ICD-10 system. Although October 1, 2013 is over two years away, I believe that the severity of this change is so great that it is important to start educating and training now in order for you to be fully prepared for the ICD-10 standards.

Canine massage is becoming more and more popular in the world of holistic pet care and more pet owners are consider massage therapy for their pets. But what is dog massage and how is it different from simply petting a dog? In this article we will exam what is dog massage, how it is different from simply petting your dog and under what circumstances therapeutic massage may be a good option for your dog.

What is Dog Massage?

Dog massage is deliberate and focused touching for the purpose of providing health benefits for the dog. Canine health benefits include increased blood circulation, increased lymph movement and stimulation of acupressure points. Canine massage therapy also helps maintain range of motion, tone and flexibility, which is especially beneficial for older dogs or convalescing pets.

How is Massage for Dogs Different from Simply Petting a Dog?

Therapeutic massage for dogs is different from simply petting a dog in several ways. First, canine massage generally follows a specific sequence to relax the muscles, to promote general well-being and to also help address any underlying health concerns.

A certified canine massage therapist is trained to assess and evaluate a dog. In addition to learning specific massage techniques for the canine body, certification includes coursework in anatomy, muscle function and holistic health.

While petting a dog is a very important bonding component for a healthy, happy relationship with your pet, it is generally less structured and usually lacks the specific intention of improving or maintaining a dog's health that canine massage offers.

Is Therapeutic Therapy a Good Option for My Dog?

Just like with people, almost all dogs can benefit from therapeutic massage. While massage should never be used as a substitute for traditional veterinary care, massage therapy is a complementary form of canine health care for dogs of all ages and breeds.

Can Puppies Benefit From Massage?

All puppies need touch to thrive and socialization to be a happy, confident member of the family. Canine massage therapy provides both for puppies. Also, puppies tend to be very stimulated by the world around them, so massage gives them the opportunity to calm down and relax.

In addition to socialization and general well being benefits, therapeutic massage is especially valuable for large breed puppies. Sprains are much more common in fast growing breeds, so regular massage therapy sessions promotes blood circulation, which in turn helps insure growing puppy bones receive the necessary nutrients to help prevent injury.

The Massage Therapy job outlook in the US is always made out to look more promising that it really is. Current job statistics do not take into account the fact that most massage therapists start their own business. They also do not inform you of the low rates of pay for entry level jobs and even mid level jobs. Entry level jobs start at $12 an hour which can hardly be making a living in most areas.

Some of the other things that are not mentioned have to do with the work situations that are available. Many jobs are sub-contractor jobs meaning that you are basically self employed. Also as a massage therapist most do not work more than 25 hours a week because of the physical demands of the job. When you are hired as a massage therapist, many employers also will only pay you when you have a client or they will pay you only minimum wage when you don't have a client. You will then be doing other chores like doing laundry and cleaning.

The massage therapy job outlook is questionable and quite controversial. While you can find jobs at the many franchises opening up in various cities where it can be a great way to start your career. If you go into your first massage job with the attitude that you just want to learn the ropes and get experience some of the franchises will be a great opportunity. You can then go on to find higher paying jobs.

One of the other things is that the key to finding higher paying massage jobs has more to do with your ability to sell yourself to a potential employer. While your massage skills are important, your people skills and ability to get clients to return is more important. If you focus on that skill and what you will do for the massage employer you will be able to find better jobs.

Overview

Physical therapy is an awesome career and is full of great opportunities for people to make a difference in the lives of patients. There are several things about physical therapy that can make it very appealing. Some of these include:

• Great salary (avg. $75,000)


• Professional interaction with all members of the health care team


• Really make a difference in people's lives

As a practicing physical therapist, I get great satisfaction out of helping my clients reach their former glory. Most of my time is spent working with clients that have just completed surgery of some sort, and it's my job to help them get back to doing what they love.

So what does it take to become a physical therapist?

1-You must complete an undergraduate degree. The degree does not have to be related to health care, however you must take a number of anatomy and physiology classes relating to health professions. The prerequisite courses vary slightly from university to university, but they generally include anatomy, physiology, physics, chemistry, trigonometry, psychology, and statistics. Check with the university of your choice for specific requirements of courses and GPA.

2-Most universities require that you take the GRE. There are no specific guidelines for what score will get you into PT school, but it does play a part in the application process.

3-You must complete a number of observation hours. This requirement varies with each school, but generally you need over 100 hours. It definitely helps to have the hours in a variety of settings, including orthopaedics, geriatrics, pediatrics, and home health.

4-In your senior year of your undergraduate degree, apply to PT school using the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) and obtain the required transcripts, letters of recommendation, and forms.

5-Complete 3 years of PT school and graduate with your Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree.

6-Pass the National Physical Therapy Licensure Exam. Don't forget to study!

What can I expect for a career?

Many students get their first thoughts of what field they will focus on while they are in their first internship in school. There are so many different possible combinations of settings that the sky is the limit. I currently work at a rural hospital and am involved in inpatient, outpatient, orthopaedic, geriatric, pediatric, and home health. I really enjoy the variability, but I do know some that prefer only seeing patients with total knee replacements or some other specific condition. Whatever your choice, physical therapy is an exciting career where you can have tons of fun and truly make a difference.

A Ball Chair is actually a fitness ball used as your primary seating device. The thought behind the Ball Chair is to accomplish a couple things:

1. Comfortable seating to alleviate lumbar pain or discomfort.


2. Stimulate and possibly strengthen your core.


3. Allow you to move around and not be stagnant for extended amounts of time.

There have been many recent developments with creating complementary hardware or bases to place the fitness ball in, that give it the appearance and feel of the standard office chair. Some of them happen to be carefully engineered to look like a normal office chair.

Evolution and History of the Fitness Balls

• 1963 - The initial fitness ball or "Swiss-Balls" was made by Aquilino Cosani. He was able to build a process for making puncture resistant balls. Those balls were then generally known as "Pezzi balls".


• The Pezzi balls were first used in various programs for newborns and infants by a British physiotherapist employed in Switzerland named Mary Quinton.


• Thereafter, Dr. Susanne Klein-Vogelbach, the director from the Physical Therapy School in Basel, Switzerland used the ball for physical therapy for neuro-developmental treatment. The balls were used to help remedy adults with orthopedic or medical problems.


• 1980's - The Pezzi ball technology was introduced to America and referred to the ball as the "Swiss Balls", put to use in rehabilitation for the people with spinal injuries.


• 1990's - The fitness balls was moved into the athletic paradigm and is now quite popular in the fitness world. The fitness ball is used commonly in athletic training, fitness routines, aerobic classes, yoga sessions, physical therapy, pregnancy, gardening, offices as well as in classrooms. It would appear that functions for the balls are nevertheless developing.

Precisely what are Fitness Balls composed of?

Exercise balls are constructed of plastic vinyl or PVC (plastic vinyl, however some are burst-resistant while others usually are not. Fitness balls usually have a diameter of 35 - 85 centimeters (14 - 34 inches). Some will be more durable, created to hold more weight and in most cases will cost you a little more. It is suggested that the exercise balls are inflated to the appropriate level, and also the valve stem is used to seal air inside. Some exercise balls have "stayball technology" engineered inside, with a substance that's added inside to keep it in position.

Massage therapy is increasingly becoming in high demand not only for recreational purposes but also within the medical field. With consumer demand on the rise gaining a certificate in massage therapy provides many different avenues for individuals to choose when picking a career within the industry. Many colleges offer accredited programs for massage therapy that adequately prepare students to enter the profession.

The growth of employment is estimated to rise 19 percent for the next eight years according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Currently, 42 states provide licensures for massage therapy and more schools that offer this program are appearing throughout the country. Certification requirements are standard from state to state giving individuals the ability to successfully enter the industry. Attending an accredited program typically has a student working within six to seven months after full-time study.

Colleges that offer massage therapy typically offer subjects including anatomy, physiology, the study of tissue, body movement, body mechanics, massage techniques, and business management. The continued growth and demand for massage therapists will lead to new opportunities in career choices. Graduates will typically find a strong client base in metropolitan areas, spas, and cruise ships. With the increased medical benefits from having a massage more hospitals and physical therapy organizations are hiring massage therapists as well.

After completing an accredited massage therapy program and passing the final examination a wide job market is available depending on skill level and techniques mastered by individuals. Upon graduating massage therapists can start their own business, work out of their home, or work for a business in an area of their choice. Other career options include working for physical therapy offices, hospitals, spas, cruise ships, and resorts.

States that provide regulating requirements for massage therapists will continue to provide jobs for individuals who have completed formal training. However, new massage therapists should expect to work only part time in a variety of places until they build their client base and work towards becoming a full time massage therapist. Because of the fact that the business is centered on referrals from other clients building strong relationships with them will help a massage therapist rapidly increase client base and success within the chosen area of work.

Many massage therapists use their work as a second income. Because of this yearly earnings vary significantly within the industry. In bigger cities a therapist may charge $60 to $70 an hour, in a rural community the average rate is $35 to $50 an hour. With the demand increasing yearly massage therapists should see a direct increase in earnings, places to work, and client base.

Consumer confidence is rising due to the health benefits of receiving a massage. More doctors are increasingly talking with patients about massage therapy, which will have a direct impact on the success of the career. However, outside the health benefits massage therapy is becoming more popular for relaxation and pleasure. With many people needing a moment to relax from the stresses of life the demand for massage therapy will only continue growing. With massage therapy gaining in popularity more schools will open to accommodate the demand and leave qualified massage therapists in a positive and secure career.

Self education is almost a lost art in our society.

We are so into institutions for everything we do, we have forgotten that we used to teach ourselves nearly everything. Conversely, my grandfather who was born in 1893, taught himself how to build radios at age 12, and was a radio operator on a ship traveling the world, at age 18.

There are modern examples of self education.

We don't think of these examples as self education. We think of them as special gifted people who popped into this world with amazing talent, period. I'm talking about people like rock stars, race car drivers, concert violinist, and famous sports figures. The simple truth is, in virtually every case, these people have spent many thousands of hours involved in critical practice - practicing hard, pushing past their previous practice high points, to make progress with each session.

You can find future stars everywhere in every field.

They are the kids that seem intensely tuned-in spending almost all their time focused on one thing. Unfortunately, you'll also find kids intensely tuned-in with video games, putting in thousands of hours of practice that probably won't end with any star status, professional status, or even a good job with great pay.

Be Careful, children driven by the dreams and aspirations of their parents can (and often do) end up with problems born of following someone else's dream.

You may be reading this, and you may be tempted to make your 12-year-old a pipe welder. You can do that, and it would be a gift that would ensure he or she will never wash dishes, but it has to be their vision, or you'll pay a price on the other end.

Here's the good news.

At almost any age, the vast majority of us can gain a valuable skill which will at least provide a good income, IF (and it is a big if) we simply practice that skill with critical practice at the edge of our ability, for 300 to 500 hours. We can become world-class, at almost anything, with thousands of hours of practice.

In the case of 6G pipe welding, the conventional institutions (welding schools) require so much baloney before you can actually weld a 6G practice joint, you can literally spend two years in welding school before you weld your first joint. Next, you'll sit in pipe welding classes where they teach you some book learning about pipe welding. Next, you'll get to weld a joint, and it's back to the classroom.

"All in all, you're just another brick in the wall," to quote an old rock song and show my age.

So, after two years of school, as another brick in the wall, and then 6 months in pipe welding school, you have welded maybe 25 pipe joints in the 6G position. You may just have one slim chance of passing a bend test to certify. 25 joints just isn't enough, but they don't tell you that. They tell you, "you just don't got it."

It is so sad, but true. Ask a pipe welding school that puts say, 40 students through a 3 month, $12,000 program how many students certify at the end of 3 months. They'll tell you, 12 or 14. Do they blame the fact that they are not getting these student enough critical practice? No! The students who can't certify, "just don't got it," according to the instructor or school owner.

I don't know about you, but if the entire point of school was to learn to weld pipe, why didn't you weld more?

Many old time welders will tell you, you just have to burn a lot of rod. That is particularly true of 6G welding. There isn't a lot more to it, after you understand to how to cut the pipe, prepare the test joint, and get it set up at 45 degrees, it is time to burn rod. Yes, you need a great video, a fantastic welding book, and your own good old determination to put the hours in, just like you did when you got so good at "World of War Craft."

Once you know how to set up and proceed, practice is all that's left, hours and hours of critical practice.

Let's say you could set up your first joint tomorrow and start welding, and you could weld up 3 or 4 joints a day, for the next 60 days. Do you think you could do more than pass your certification test? Yes! You would ready to become one of the cream of pipe welding, after some field experience - just 60 days from now. Rig welders are out in the shale oil fields making $70 an hour, right now.

Warning!

The world will constantly tell you what you can't do. Only YOU can tell you what you can do. Please seriously consider finding the right welding book, the right welder, rod, pipe, video, and written instructions to teach you. Attend U University, because it is the best, most caring and fastest school in the world - you teaching you.

Physical therapy is the removal of movement disabilities and functional problems by physical exercises and trainings. There are certain disabilities that develop when we recover from diseases and these include back and shoulder pains, knee pain, bone crackling and all these problems may lead to move constrains if left uncared. The best way to get these body parts in order is to go through physical exercises and trainings. These training are designed by therapy experts and each exercise is specifically meant to heal certain pain.

The good thing about getting physical therapy is that it does not bring bad with good unlike other medical treatments. It involved performing physical exercises under guidance of expert therapist and thus it can rightly be termed as the risk free and safe treatment. The doctors and health care professionals are of the view that it should be the first treatment to physical movement constrains as it does not cause any side effects or after effects. All that is required is to follow the safety guidelines given by the therapist.

Physical therapy involves physical training and thus it has to be performed under guidance of expert therapists who themselves are specialized in some area of physical therapy. Before you visit a therapist, you need to make sure that the therapist you are going to visit specializes in the pain or problem you are having. Don't blindly go the therapist simply recommended by you friend because that therapist may or may not be equally good for you if he or she was good for your friend.

If you are suffering from back or shoulder pains, knee-joint pain or crackling or any other physical disability which restrain you from physical activity then you need to get physical therapy and training in the least amount of time possible. Don't waste time on thinking that the problem will be worked out on its own without having to get therapy because you would end up having the pain permanently residing in your body. It is completely harmless and painless. If you feel any sort of unusual pain during the exercise, then let your therapist know about it.

"Give your patient twenty dollars and them to go home so at least you can have a cup of coffee while you're losing money", is what Chuck Felder of HCS Consulting suggested in his speech at the American Physical Therapy Association's Private Practice Section Conference in San Diego in the fall of 2007. He went on to explain that with the average cost of a PT visit's being $81 accepting an insurance contract that pays less can be disastrous.

How Physical Therapy Clinics are doing:

Of the PT clinics surveyed in his study they ran from a 30% loss to a 38% profit with the median profit being 12%.

What Physical Therapy Clinics are Charging:

In the clinics studied charge amounts ranged from $75/visit to a high of $160/visit. The average charge was stated as $137/visit though the average income per visit was only $91/visit. If that sounds good to you remember that the average cost per visit was $81. Chuck says that if you charge 125 to 150% of Medicare Rates you can expect a 30% write off. He also stated that the average accounts receivable for a standard PT clinic is 200% of the monthly charge. Alison Palic, PT, a contributor to the Cash Practice Secrets home study course stated that she charges $95 cash for a 50-minute session and has no accounts receivable.

The president of the private practice section of the APTA, Steve Andersen, PT notes that reimbursement rates seem to be decreasing "beyond our control".

Chuck stated that cash-based physical therapy was an area we want to grow in because there's a much higher hassle factor when you're trying to get paid after the fact.

Chuck showed a picture of his son shooting a black powder rifle but used it to illustrate a good point. He said, "Take good aim at what you want to do and you'll hit your target".