Massage Newsletter - January 2016
Hello all!
Hope this finds you doing well. I have some exciting changes coming up in my massage work in this new year that I'd like to share with you – read on!
======================================
Contents:
-New massage job and upcoming schedule changes
-Do you have insurance that covers massage? Some tips to streamline using these benefits.
-Anatomy and self-care classes on hold for now
-Nerdy tidbit du jour – on stretching
======================================
-New massage job and upcoming schedule changes
I'm excited to say I'm now offering appointments at the Downtown Seattle office of Monroe Therapeutic Massage in the Medical Dental Building at 5th and Olive on Monday evenings. I know this is a much more convenient location for many of you than the Bellevue location. I've been working at MTM's Bellevue location of since August, and it's been great. I am now there Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Coming in to either office is a good option for folks who have massage coverage through their health insurance plan, L&I, or a motor vehicle injury claim. See below for some tips on prepping for a first appointment at any of MTM's clinics.
I'm also happy to say I've started working at the Banya 5 spa at 9th and Thomas. It's a lovely spot for dealing with the cold this time of year. I'm there Saturday nights 5-10pm, offering massage, scrubs and coconut/shea wraps. See Banya's website for more info, and call them to schedule. FYI, the locker rooms at Banya are gender binary, though they do each include a single-stall restroom; the tubs, sauna and steam room are all-gender with bathing suits required. There's an early-bird special on Wednesdays and Thursdays 11am-2pm.
And of course, I continue to see clients in my private practice on Beacon Hill on Thursdays 11-8. I am actively seeking new clients and appreciate your referrals!
In short, here's my current schedule:
Mon: Downtown Seattle Monroe Therapeutic Massage 5:15-8:45pm
Tues: Bellevue Monroe Therapeutic Massage 12:30-6:30
Wed: Bellevue Monroe Therapeutic Massage 12:30-6:30
Thurs: Private practice in North Beacon Hill 11am-8pm
Sat: Banya 5 in South Lake Union 5-10pm
-Do you have insurance that covers massage? Some tips to streamline using these benefits.
If you have insurance that covers massage, here are a few things to do before coming in to your first appointment at any Monroe location:
-Call your health insurance's customer service line and ask what massage benefits are included in your plan. Unfortunately, Medicare and Medicaid plans do not provide any massage coverage at this time. Many other plans have a limit on the number of visits covered per calendar year, and massage may be pooled with physical therapy or chiropractic care (for example, some plans cover a certain number of total visits of any combination of PT/chiro/massage).
Ask them how much of your deductible you have met so far for the year and how much you will be charged per session. If you have not met your deductible for the year, your out-of-pocket costs could range from $59-$120 depending on your insurance provider. This will count toward your deductible. If you have met your deductible, you may only be charged a 10-15% co-insurance fee of $5.90-$18 per session. Or you may have a standard co-pay amount.
-See a doctor or chiropractor about the health issue you want support with and ask them for a massage referral if appropriate. Some insurance plans will deny coverage without a prescription, and MTM has a policy requiring all clients seeing us through medical insurance to have a referral on file.
-Fill out the online intake, OR print and fill out intake forms, OR come in early to fill out paperwork before your appointment.
-Bring your insurance card(s) with you
-For clarification and further information, call the Monroe office you'd like to go to and talk to the Office Manager.
-Anatomy and self-care classes
I put on an anatomy and stretching class focusing on the pelvis/hips/thighs a few months ago. Thanks to all who participated and/or expressed interest in future classes. I had fun with it and hope to put on more of these in the future, but will be putting this project on the back burner for a while as my schedule has gotten much fuller. I do plan to put some materials related to the class on my website at some point - I'll keep you posted!
-Nerdy tidbit du jour – on stretching
First a caveat that there are many schools of thought about stretching, and the research is constantly evolving. This is my understanding from my training and experience.
Here are some tips for effective stretching that I share with a lot of my clients, and that I talked about in the hip/thigh/pelvis class:
-first find a comfortable stretching position, where you feel a gentle stretch in the area you're focusing on, and where the rest of your body can be as relaxed and at ease as possible.
-once in position hold the gentle stretch for at least 30 seconds, longer if it's comfortable – the stretch should start to feel easier, at which point you can go a little deeper into it if you like.
Now here's the why: this approach allows your nervous system to take in the feedback it is receiving from gentle stretching – that it is safe to release – and signal the muscles to relax. Quick stretches don't allow time for this to take effect. And stretching too intensely can trigger the muscles' stretch reflex - a reaction meant to protect muscles from injury – which is counterproductive and frustrating because it causes muscles to contract while you are trying to get them to relax, and can cause injury.
Also be sure to stretch in a balanced way – if you feel tight in your hamstrings, be sure you also stretch your quads and adductors. If you feel tight in your right low back, be sure to stretch the left as well. And so forth.
It can be counterintuitive, but we often feel a sense of tension in muscles that are already overstretched – this often registers as a burning sensation. Muscles that are in a contracted, shortened position can get comfortable that way and escape our notice – until you try to stretch them or pressure is applied, at which point a deep dull ache often makes itself known. Our bodies are held in position by the balance of tensions exerted by muscles and their surrounding fascia pulling in different directions. Comfort and ease are supported by moving toward a balance in these tensions – front to back to side – and a balanced stretching routine is key.
Lastly, slow down and listen. Notice patterns, notice imbalances, experiment. Don't force it. Be kind to yourself and have fun exploring.
Thanks for reading and take care,
marc maupoux, lmp
Hope this finds you doing well. I have some exciting changes coming up in my massage work in this new year that I'd like to share with you – read on!
======================================
Contents:
-New massage job and upcoming schedule changes
-Do you have insurance that covers massage? Some tips to streamline using these benefits.
-Anatomy and self-care classes on hold for now
-Nerdy tidbit du jour – on stretching
======================================
-New massage job and upcoming schedule changes
I'm excited to say I'm now offering appointments at the Downtown Seattle office of Monroe Therapeutic Massage in the Medical Dental Building at 5th and Olive on Monday evenings. I know this is a much more convenient location for many of you than the Bellevue location. I've been working at MTM's Bellevue location of since August, and it's been great. I am now there Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Coming in to either office is a good option for folks who have massage coverage through their health insurance plan, L&I, or a motor vehicle injury claim. See below for some tips on prepping for a first appointment at any of MTM's clinics.
I'm also happy to say I've started working at the Banya 5 spa at 9th and Thomas. It's a lovely spot for dealing with the cold this time of year. I'm there Saturday nights 5-10pm, offering massage, scrubs and coconut/shea wraps. See Banya's website for more info, and call them to schedule. FYI, the locker rooms at Banya are gender binary, though they do each include a single-stall restroom; the tubs, sauna and steam room are all-gender with bathing suits required. There's an early-bird special on Wednesdays and Thursdays 11am-2pm.
And of course, I continue to see clients in my private practice on Beacon Hill on Thursdays 11-8. I am actively seeking new clients and appreciate your referrals!
In short, here's my current schedule:
Mon: Downtown Seattle Monroe Therapeutic Massage 5:15-8:45pm
Tues: Bellevue Monroe Therapeutic Massage 12:30-6:30
Wed: Bellevue Monroe Therapeutic Massage 12:30-6:30
Thurs: Private practice in North Beacon Hill 11am-8pm
Sat: Banya 5 in South Lake Union 5-10pm
-Do you have insurance that covers massage? Some tips to streamline using these benefits.
If you have insurance that covers massage, here are a few things to do before coming in to your first appointment at any Monroe location:
-Call your health insurance's customer service line and ask what massage benefits are included in your plan. Unfortunately, Medicare and Medicaid plans do not provide any massage coverage at this time. Many other plans have a limit on the number of visits covered per calendar year, and massage may be pooled with physical therapy or chiropractic care (for example, some plans cover a certain number of total visits of any combination of PT/chiro/massage).
Ask them how much of your deductible you have met so far for the year and how much you will be charged per session. If you have not met your deductible for the year, your out-of-pocket costs could range from $59-$120 depending on your insurance provider. This will count toward your deductible. If you have met your deductible, you may only be charged a 10-15% co-insurance fee of $5.90-$18 per session. Or you may have a standard co-pay amount.
-See a doctor or chiropractor about the health issue you want support with and ask them for a massage referral if appropriate. Some insurance plans will deny coverage without a prescription, and MTM has a policy requiring all clients seeing us through medical insurance to have a referral on file.
-Fill out the online intake, OR print and fill out intake forms, OR come in early to fill out paperwork before your appointment.
-Bring your insurance card(s) with you
-For clarification and further information, call the Monroe office you'd like to go to and talk to the Office Manager.
-Anatomy and self-care classes
I put on an anatomy and stretching class focusing on the pelvis/hips/thighs a few months ago. Thanks to all who participated and/or expressed interest in future classes. I had fun with it and hope to put on more of these in the future, but will be putting this project on the back burner for a while as my schedule has gotten much fuller. I do plan to put some materials related to the class on my website at some point - I'll keep you posted!
-Nerdy tidbit du jour – on stretching
First a caveat that there are many schools of thought about stretching, and the research is constantly evolving. This is my understanding from my training and experience.
Here are some tips for effective stretching that I share with a lot of my clients, and that I talked about in the hip/thigh/pelvis class:
-first find a comfortable stretching position, where you feel a gentle stretch in the area you're focusing on, and where the rest of your body can be as relaxed and at ease as possible.
-once in position hold the gentle stretch for at least 30 seconds, longer if it's comfortable – the stretch should start to feel easier, at which point you can go a little deeper into it if you like.
Now here's the why: this approach allows your nervous system to take in the feedback it is receiving from gentle stretching – that it is safe to release – and signal the muscles to relax. Quick stretches don't allow time for this to take effect. And stretching too intensely can trigger the muscles' stretch reflex - a reaction meant to protect muscles from injury – which is counterproductive and frustrating because it causes muscles to contract while you are trying to get them to relax, and can cause injury.
Also be sure to stretch in a balanced way – if you feel tight in your hamstrings, be sure you also stretch your quads and adductors. If you feel tight in your right low back, be sure to stretch the left as well. And so forth.
It can be counterintuitive, but we often feel a sense of tension in muscles that are already overstretched – this often registers as a burning sensation. Muscles that are in a contracted, shortened position can get comfortable that way and escape our notice – until you try to stretch them or pressure is applied, at which point a deep dull ache often makes itself known. Our bodies are held in position by the balance of tensions exerted by muscles and their surrounding fascia pulling in different directions. Comfort and ease are supported by moving toward a balance in these tensions – front to back to side – and a balanced stretching routine is key.
Lastly, slow down and listen. Notice patterns, notice imbalances, experiment. Don't force it. Be kind to yourself and have fun exploring.
Thanks for reading and take care,
marc maupoux, lmp