Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries (MVA)
If you have been in an automobile accident, your doctor may prescribe massage as part of your treatment plan. Massage can address the stress that goes with a traumatic event like a car accident, and it can help address many of the sprains, strains, and other injuries common in a MVA.
Know Your Rights
If you are injured in a Motor Vehicle Accident you should immediately visit your Primary Health Care Physician in order to have your situation assessed and documented. This serves as a baseline for your care and as evidence of your situation if you proceed to court. Based on your assessment, you will be assigned permission to access either 10 or 21 treatments for your condition.
Often, a Doctor will recommend Physiotherapy treatments first, possibly followed by Chiropractic treatments. If you request massage, they will request that you see a specialist first. Since your Primary Health Care Practitioner can be an MD, Physiotherapist, or Chiropractor, OFTEN THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THE BENEFITS OF THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE TREATMENTS, and would refer you to treatments that they are familiar with. THIS IS WHEN A CLIENT SEEKING MASSAGE THERAPY NEEDS TO KNOW THEIR RIGHTS, and to be able to provide this information to their Primary Health Care Physician.
INSURANCE COMPANIES DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF TREATMENTS YOU ACCESS-ONLY YOUR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PRACTIONER DOES-BASED ON YOUR REQUESTS
The Practitioners Information has been provided for you to take to your practitioner if required, AND TO SHOW YOU WHY YOU CAN REQUEST MASSAGE TREATMENTS.
Treatment Protocol
Typically, the goals of massage therapy injury recovery are to:
- reduce stress
- reduce pain and swelling
- improve circulation
- improve range of motion (ROM)
Immediately after a car accident, massage therapy can help you recover by helping to restore balance to your autonomic nervous system – i.e., the relaxation benefits of massage can help reverse the effects that the shock and trauma of a car wreck can have on your nervous system. Massage also promotes circulation of both blood and lymph, which can help manage the swelling (edema) that usually comes with auto accident injuries. During the sub-acute stage (a few days to a few weeks, or even longer, after the accident), massage can help prevent the formation of scar tissue and other Myofascial adhesions. Later in your recovery, LENSEN can address specific musculoskeletal injuries like whiplash, neck pain, back pain, headaches, shoulder sprains/strains, etc.
No two car accidents are the same, and everyone responds differently, so we always adapt our treatments to your unique needs. Many factors (the severity of the accident, the extent and nature of your injuries, your daily activities, etc.) affect your recovery, and we account for these factors in your care.
Safety
Your safety is always our first priority in any massage treatment, but we are particularly careful to create a safe environment for auto accident victims. You are likely to be in distress not only because of your injuries, but also because you may be unable to fulfill your normal work, family, and community obligations. "Normal life" has probably gone by the wayside as you deal non-stop with doctors and other health care providers, insurance companies, personal injury attorneys, auto body shops, and other people you never wanted to meet. The last thing you need is more stress, so we create a welcoming space, listen to you attentively, and communicate clearly throughout your massage treatments.
