Archive for March 5th, 2008
Massage Therapist Scope Of Practice Referrals
5 March 2008I was told by one of my PIP injuries Insurance companies that I was not allowed to diagnose and refer my client to a chiropractor. I was shocked and didn’t really know what to say. I was under the impression that I could refer my clients to chiropractors if needed.
So I did some asking around and research. Yes it is well within our scope of practice to refer a client to a Chiropractor. It is however out of our scope of practice to perform Grade 5 manipulations that is well within the scope of practice for a chiropractor in correcting a subluxation.
MTs can go all the way up to a Grade 4, which is manipulating the muscles around the subluxation to get it to release.
So yes if our client is in pain because of displaced bones and we can feel and see that that is the problem we can indeed refer them to a Chiropractor for alignment and an Acupuncturist for pain management. The recovery time is less when all three of these are used along with the client’s homework for strengthening and stretching.
If they are a PIP injury and they are required to get a script from their physician, have them get one so that your work is magnified and not done in vein.