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You are here: Home / Archives for advancement

Employee Misclassification in Massage Therapy: Must read for Independent Contractors

March 11, 2017 by Tania 5 Comments

[Written while listening to this.]

woman-406736_640The profession of massage therapy has changed dramatically since I got my license in 1994. After finishing school, you’d get your feet wet working at a spa or chiropractic office for a year or so to gain some experience. Eventually, you’d build up a clientele and go into practice for yourself or expand into another more lucrative scenario. Outside of large luxury hotel spas, it was mostly mom-and-pop style practices. The market was straight forward. Entry level work paid relatively well. The economy was solid. It was the Clinton years.

Having a thriving word-of-mouth business was an attainable goal for any MT worth their salt. It still is, but the playing field has changed dramatically with the momentum of technology and a widening market. The growing massage industry is an awesome thing. It’s creating more jobs with more variety and is a sure sign people are making massage therapy part of their lifestyle. It’s feel-good healthcare everyone deserves access to.

Booming demand, little supply

In a 2015 article (recent enough), MSN Money referenced massage therapy as #5 on a list of the 10 fastest growing jobs in the US. There is clearly more demand for massage than ever. If so, why does our profession continue shrinking at an alarming rate? Consumption of our scaleservices is on the rise, yet there is a smaller pool of talent to choose from. That may mean more opportunity for the rest of us, but we can’t possibly fulfill all the supply for the increasing demand. We need more hands on deck!

Before I continue, Alice Sanvito makes excellent statistical references to what I am addressing in her Facebook note: Massage Therapy: A Profession in Crisis? (It includes an insightful and thought provoking public discussion. I encourage you to check it out. It echoes all of the realities discussed in this blog post and is what prodded me to write it). Alice writes:

The statistics look grim: nationwide, 25% of massage schools have closed in the last 10 years and there has been a 50% drop in the number of students graduating from massage therapy programs during that same period of time. Spas and franchises say they are turning clients away because they are understaffed.”

 A veteran’s view

Though many of us dinosaurs still practice, we also like doing other things like evolving our practices, teaching, and/or developing continuing education websites cough-coughPinpointBodyworkcough. We still enjoy learning and building upon our work every chance we get. Personal improvement is an essential part of being a pro, no matter what you do.

backinmydayWith all of these cool new industry developments in place, we are still left with the problem of a shrinking workforce and I’m not exactly surprised. Massage therapy as a career choice is not like it was back in my day. But it should be and can be even better. There’s no excuse. A big part of this deficit has rampant worker and wage misclassification at its root.

Employer misclassification of their employees as independent contractors is a widespread phenomenon in the United States. The IRS estimates that employers have misclassified millions of workers nationally as independent contractors. While some employers misclassify their workers as independent contractors in error, often employers misclassify their employees intentionally in order to reduce labor costs and avoid paying state and federal taxes.” –Department for Professional Employees AFL-CIO 2016 Factsheet

Wake up call

Newer MTs are being taken advantage of because they don’t understand their rights. They’ve resigned them to a false status quo and borderline illegal practices disguised as normal right-30203_640business procedures. If you find yourself in any of the situations described this article, it is important to speak up bravely when you feel ready. You deserve to love your work.

It takes only a handful to start the ball rolling in the right direction. I understand we are kind and giving people by nature who generally prefer to avoid confrontation, but you can and should demand fairness. Sometimes a risky confrontation is necessary to underline your worth. I’m here to straighten up the facts and hopefully encourage the next generation to stand up for themselves. Knowledge is power and there is strength in numbers.

The crossroads of the future of massage

I want to highlight the positive aspects first. Running a business from the top-down-to-the-bottom is not all rainbows and puppies. The following 3 scenarios offer MTs the opportunity to be self-employed as independent contractors without having to worry about the headaches of actually running a business:

cellphone-309444_640

  • Outcall massages are no longer considered a luxury reserved for the wealthy. At almost anytime of day, a client can instantly have an affordable in-home massage. They just press a button on an app. No need to go back and forth about scheduling. No need for cash. All of their payment and location information is securely stored.
  • Mobile chair massage is huge. Corporations are making in-office massage therapy a major star in their employee perks packages.
  • teamAnd in case no one noticed, massage franchises keep popping up everywhere. More people have access to massage therapy through affordable rates and membership fees. Some business hire MTs as employees but fill in the gaps with independent contractors, especially if there isn’t a budget to consistently pay employees during slower times. 

These are winning set-ups for MTs, the business who hire them, and the clients. An IC has the freedom to work as they choose. A company contacts them on a client’s behalf to provide a service. The IC can decide whether they want to work with them. The IC performs the service and the company handles everything else. Everyone earns their cut.  It’s convenient and a very cool implementation of technology.

The big plusses

As an independent contractor, the responsibilities of meeting overhead costs, record keeping, billing, collections, laundry, marketing, client retention, all sit on someone else’s shoulders. MTs just agree to show up to any gig they choose for a pre-set amount of time. They get paid for a job well done and are free to do whatever else with their time. There is variety. They can see private clients, spend time withbusiness-strong family, pursue other interests, have another part-time job, or read a novel in the park until the next call for work comes through. Few fields offer this kind of flexibility.

This means MTs with entrepreneurial spirits who may not have the strongest business sense can still be independently successful by partnering with companies who hire massage therapists as independent contractors. On the other hand, business minded people who may not exactly have the background or desire to offer actual physical massages can contribute to the workforce by handling the hands-off details. Everyone does what they do best. Everyone wins.

The perks of being a W2 employee (not IC) are predictable schedules, salary, and paystub management. There is great freedom in not having to go out and hustle for your next buck. There is security in knowing you will be getting paid whether it’s busy or slow. As an employee you are compensated for fulfilling certain job requirements and representing a business brand. There are clear mutual expectations in this working relationship.

Here’s where it began to go wrong

In the first paragraph of this post, I made reference to how good things were for us circa 1990s-2000something. We had a minimum standard of wages and it was good. Enter the economic recession of 2007.

Once the recession hit, people no longer had the expendable income to budget for non-vital care like massage. There were job layoffs and other life uncertainties. Business were closing shop. Wages were cut while inflation soared. Priorities had to shift. There was a major temporary change in our overall economy. Up next is what happened with the massage profession as a result of the recession.

Tipping as wages 

payOne way massage establishments were able to stay in business was by doing something very clever: they kept wages low while encouraging a tipping culture similar to what is done in the restaurant industry. They could shell out less money for skilled labor and subsidize MT employment costs by encouraging customers to leave gratuity instead of paying full wages.

You started seeing franchise advertisements for $45 massages. This was a great for introducing more people to massage and getting a greater volume of clients through the door. But somewhere along the line someone started getting shafted.

Once upon a time, a therapist could earn a fair percentage for their services. After the recession, the market standard rate for massage services dropped out of survivalist necessity. However, many wages didn’t recalibrate when the US economy started to improve again. Therapists continue to make as low as $12-15/hr base wage in some places.

If a client tips $10, that comes out to $25/hr which isn’t bad. But if you consider inflation since the mid-90s and tuition fees it isn’t great either. Remember, this is if a client tips. That amount doesn’t stretch at all if you’re located where I am in New York City or anywhere with a high cost of living. MTs pay good money for education and accrue student loans to earn their credentials. More importantly, tips should not be appointed in place of fair wages.

The truth is clients do not always know to tip and should not have to. This is technically healthcare service. When was the last time you tipped your physical therapist, nurse, or dentist?money-307841_640 We’re lucky it isn’t considered a weird taboo for clients to tip sometimes, but we should never need to rely on them to pay the bills. Sadly, that’s not the case right now and MTs are growing more and more bitter about this situation. Less and less people are wanting to join the workforce as MTs because of these exact pay scale horror stories. Many have opted to drop out because it’s not a sustainable income model over time. Let’s not mince words: the wages in a tip-reliant scenario can feel like they suck in some set-ups. But as you will see, you indeed have choices.

The recession has been officially over since 2009

There may have been a recession but we are not in one anymore. graphYet many businesses did not resume paying employees a living wage since it was officially declared over. They already programmed MTs to jump through tipping hoops to round out their income. If therapists aren’t demanding better for their time and talents, why should an employer bother paying them accordingly? Let them misdirect the financial supplementation onto the customer. The tipping culture in MT has become a win-lose situation and employers are not the ones losing. They are cashing in on a good economy and the booming massage industry while employees keep settling for less. Why?

No wonder there’s a fleet of disgruntled MTs who lose passion within a couple years. Business models like these leave them short changed and deflated. Then they warn others against this profession because of their negative experience. No one enjoys feeling undervalued with a heap of loans to pay off. These types of business don’t care and will just replace any MT with the next new clueless graduate desperate for work and experience. Don’t be one of them. Realize there are many MTs doing well right now and benefitting from the current boom. Those are the ones who practice practice practice and stand up. Those are the ones who choose environments where they feel appreciated.

NEWSFLASH: this should not be the norm

Yes, we all have to start somewhere but wherever that somewhere is, make sure you are respected and paid a decent wage to start. I started off at $10/hr way back then, but I considered access to a gym and a lovely outdoor premises to be perks (they were at the time). A massage business is nothing without its massage therapists keeping clients happy and returning for more. Remember that. This is a people business and you are a major player. 

burden-1296754_640Tips are nice, but should never be expected in this line of work. They should especially not be used to subsidize wages that are part of employment. We are health service professionals. It’s not your client’s fault if they do not tip because they should not have to. Tips are not guaranteed wages, but somehow newer MTs are being duped into believing so. Demand better wages commensurate with your experience, just like every other job or welcome to the burnout mill.

For the record, not all establishments are like this. Most are wonderful and set great examples by creating healthy jobs. I’m not talking about those. You know who you are.

Independent contractors

We just spoke about being an employee, which greatly differs from being an independent contractor. The IRS clearly outlines the differences between the two here. These definitions aren’t just ideological verbal distinctions. Blurring the lines between the two is actually in violation of tax law and business can be penalized and ordered to pay back taxes for misclassifying their workers.

Would you believe it if I told you an overwhelming number of massage business blur these lines to keep their costs low and keep a tight lock on your independence as an IC? Most MTs don’t even realize how they are being undermined as self-employed professionals. The controls certain companies will attempt to place on you as an IC technically qualifies you as an employee in the eyes of the IRS, which means they better be covering your taxes! And if not, they may be liable to back pay them for you. This is important for you to know. You have choices and leverage.

This is what an employee is

Under common-law rules, anyone who performs services for you is your employee if you can control what will be done and how it will be done. This is so even when you give the employee freedom of action. What matters is that you have the right to control the details of how the services are performed.” –The IRS

For example, let’s say a company chooses to work with you as an IC for an onsite chair massage event. In this scenario:

  • You are likely expected to bring your own supplies which you have paid for as a self-employed MT, but they cannot tell you which brand you must use (unless they supply it and you are only providing your manual skill).
  • interview-2004339_640You are responsible for arriving prepared and on time and providing the service to the client, of course. However, it is technically the company’s client. They rightfully earn their cut for getting you work and arranging the whole thing, and you get yours for providing good service. Cool. But they cannot tell you how to do your job, rather they choose to hire you because they like and trust the work you already do. You are not required to change a thing and they are not required to hire you in particular again.
  • You are paid for each gig as it is completed. You represent the hiring company for a prearranged amount of time and respect boundaries, but you are still your own business entity because you are paying your own taxes and/or using your own supplies. That is where the business transaction ends. Win-win. You don’t have to deal with the hassle of scheduling, advertising, and paperwork and they have good faith in your representation and talent. Teamwork!

Real life scenario

Now, let’s say one of the individuals you are working on at the aforementioned event really loves your technique and wants your information to schedule a 1-hour massage. No matter what the hiring company says, you are 100% allowed to give them your card directly! I know many try to forbid this, but they can’t because you are not their employee. You are an IC and you are not directly competing with the service you were hired for.

An onsite chair massage is apples and oranges to 1-hour private massages. As long as you are paying your own taxes, you are allowed to reap the reward for being a talented self-employed professional. But you are not allowed to try to steal the corporate client or directly solicit individuals. That is bad tacky karma, so please respect the boundaries of your hiring company. Just be sure they understand your rights as a self-employed professional. You may need to remind them.

The art of misclassification

But my company said I need to go through them first before accepting a private client.

fist-162131_640No. No you don’t. And I assure you that will never happen. A potential client isn’t going to play the HR middleman game just so they can be granted your info. Life gets busy and people forget. Who is anyone kidding?! We are an instant gratification society. You earned that opportunity and have every right to it without needing a babysitter’s permission. There is nothing wrong here except for a company blocking your ability to thrive outside of that gig. You are self-employed. Remember that.

If your IC hiring company is trying to control whether you can give your business card to an individual who requests it for a different service, they have just blurred the tax line. This is only allowable if you are their employee. In that case, you must be payed a consistent salary and they need to be reporting your wages as such on the proper tax forms. The IRS does not take kindly to this and neither should you. Uber keeps getting sued and is in hot water for this exact type of misclassification.

Guess what else you don’t have to do? Show up to “mandatory” meetings. As an employee, your time must be paid for at mandatory meetings. As an IC, if you are required to show up for a meeting outside of any service you provide, you are entitled to a stipend for your time and should ask for one. Pass the information on.

But I already signed a contract!

contract-1332817_640Consider this a reminder to read contracts thoroughly before signing them. (An upcoming article will be about the bogus jurisdiction of non-compete agreements and how the stipulations have gotten ridiculously out of control. Spoiler alert: do not sign one.) You have the right to add an addendum to any contract. Even if you did sign a contract, however, the law might be above it according to what the New York State Department of Labor says here:

Even if your employer hired you to work as an independent contractor, the law may still consider you an employee. This means you may qualify for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits… Employees also may get certain fringe benefits. For example: an allowance or repayment for business or travel expenses.” -NYSDL

Obvious disclaimer: I’m not an attorney.

You better run all of the above by a lawyer in your area. I’m just a tiny dancer trying to stir up trouble for anyone taking advantage of MTs. Remember there is an MT shortage, not surplus so I suggest ya’ll get on top of the game. You have an upper hand, so stand up for yourself. This is my PSA for the next generation.

Beware the shady MT

I believe there are more symbiotic A+ employers than there are ones in the scenarios described above. However, there are enough to merit addressing this issue. There may be some shady businesses, but we all know there are shady therapists, too. You know who I’m talkin’ ’bout. Employers are not immune to getting burned.

villain-2103500_640The shady MT is the one who goes into a job attempting to steal clients from their employer. They’re the ones who ride the coattails of the employer doing all the hard work to get clients through the door. But this rarely works because successful businesses are about successful relationships. The shady MT ruins the party by making potential employers paranoid about every MT’s motives. It’s a small world and if shady MT thinks they are going to make it this way, they are wrong. Word travels fast and that’s the kind of ship that sinks.

Dear MT employers,

Look. I understand you try keeping tight controls on your independent contractors to deter shady MTs, but the shady MT is going to try and run a crooked game whether you have rules in place or not. That’s because they just rude and shady. The overwhelming majority of MTs are honorable and hard working and you should not let a bad apple spoil the bunch. There is no need to treat well-trained independent professionals like chattel.

mail-28691_640If an MT does a great job for you and someone wants to hire them for a different service, let them thrive! They are not your property and you ain’t paying their taxes or living expenses. Don’t worry, karma gets shady MT in the end. It’s about team trust.

There are risks we all take in business. But acknowledge the people who represent your company well. Or pay their taxes…. geez, sumthin… Really, how many clients do you think are actually going to be satisfied with the ethical low of a shady MT? Most will report the shadiness to you when there is a good professional relationship (I would assume there is, and if there isn’t perhaps that is something you may want to work on). Chill.

The truth is, you want to hire good therapists. Duh. A client may become loyal to them because they truly helped them in some way. Occasionally one of these therapists will want to expand. Almost always, they’ve been excellent employees and aren’t shady MTs. What are you gonna do? You can’t exactly prevent clients from wanting them (and umm, there’s Google).

Here’s what you can do without be an unrealistic curmudgeon or resorting to legal silliness that likely won’t hold up in court: offer them a raise, reward them with lunch on Fridays, movie passes, or a paid day off. Sponsor a CE class. Offer to rent them a room as an IC at your location. Maybe open another location and put them in charge. Pay for a gym membership or hold a weekly yoga class for employees. Happy employees tend to stay where they feel valued and respected. Wouldn’t you?

Eventually, they may decide to go elsewhere, but you can’t control that. It’s just life and you will continue to have great employees when you are a good employer. Most clients bird-46586_640will remain loyal to your business because they like your vibe and the personalities you attract there. But sometimes you must let your babies go 🙂

Dear employers, it would be a good idea to temper the control-freak practices. They are highly responsible for disillusioning some really good therapists and burning them out. Without therapists, your business wouldn’t be in business, so chill with placing bogus permissions on grown professionals. MTs are noticing when wages don’t feel right in accordance with expectations and as a result our population is thinning. No one wins in that scenario. Not even you.

Dear MTs,

You cannot fault a business owner for wanting to both save money and earn more profits (there is a difference between that and being stingy). If you are not happy in your work situation, it is your responsibility to grow a pair and speak up, and yes that involves risk or you can’t exactly complain. You can target-1784661_640succeed on your own in a variety of ways. That’s what is so great about this work. You have a win-zone. Not everyone knows the law, but now that you know you can pass the info along. There is strength in numbers.

And by large numbers everyone needs to be bringing their professional A-game to the table. MTs can’t be showing up misinformed and whiney with bad attitudes, and hope to motivate employers to invest in them. This is not that kind of work. If you expect everything on a platter, you will be disappointed. We earn our stripes. This is a unique manual art and you better enjoy it, otherwise it ain’t workin out. We must bring our personal best to expect equal renumeration for it.

It’s important to understand what employers put into running a business in order to provide steady work opportunities. They invest a lot of resources while dealing with the after-hours headaches. Appreciate this partnership and don’t burn bridges. Employers work every bit as hard as you do. It’s a two-way street.

Most of us love our work and do the right thing (preaching to the choir). That’s not who I’m talking about. You know who you are. 

The future is good

It is an exciting time to be a massage therapist. Those of you stepping into the workforce now have more opportunity and validity then ever. Massage therapists were and still are a valuable commodity. There is an explosion ofgreeting-1296493_640 variety and you can earn your living in many ways, or change up your approach at anytime.

We have user-friendly technology at our fingertips that makes it possible to run an entire business on a smartphone. There is an increasing demand for our services and we have an important role to fill in healthcare. Know your rights and know your worth. Please share this article with anyone you think may benefit from it… perhaps even your employer 😉

via GIPHY


 

References: 

“Facebook.” Letter. N.d. Massage Therapy: A Profession in Crisis? Alice Sanvito, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.

“Misclassification of Employees as Independent Contractors.” Department for Professional Employees AFL-CIO. N.p., 2016. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.

“Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee?” IRS.gov. Internal Revenue Service, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.

“UI and Independent Contractors.” New York State Department of Labor. New York State Department of Labor, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2017.

The Separation of Church and State in Massage Therapy

May 23, 2016 by Tania 1 Comment

[Written while listening to the Amelie soundtrack and then The Cinematic Orchestra. Comments are welcome below.]

Tom Hanks said it best when he played astronaut Jim Lovell in the movie Apollo 13: “Houston, we have a problem.”

Massage therapy, we have a problem.

rocketship-303591_1280Whether you’d like to admit it or not, we are on a critical mission: we must land our dysfunctional profession back down on earth safely (this will sound like wacky-babble unless you’ve seen Apollo 13. If you haven’t, Netflix it then come back and continue reading). Oh, where do I begin… let’s start with the pluses.

Our profession has a rich global history and an overall delightful personality. As MTs, we are a quirky, colorful bunch of folks of the loveliest manner imaginable. It takes a certain kind of being with a unique blend of compassion, artfulness, and curiosity to be able to offer this service consistently well. This is the common ground we stand on as MTs. It is the fabric of who we are. Our work lifts burdens, even if only temporarily. These are qualities we can be proud of.

Becoming a professional MT involves a great deal of introspection. Due to our curious natures, we enjoy exploring different cultures, philosophies and methodologies (this is a beautiful thing). The common ground of naturally wanting to help others is always there, but things can quickly derail as we individually explore our work, ourselves, and the dynamic interplay between the two. It is in this interplay where some lose sight of the Prime Directive (Star Trek fans, you know what I’m talkin’bout!).

A big problem occurs when the paths of our work and the path of the work we like to do on ourselves cross in a healthcare setting. Most of these things do not belong in the world of MT because they are not doing our profession any favors whatsoever. These things are holding our profession back.

No more abracadabra.

I’m just gonna go ahead and say it. Reiki and all of its similar energetic friends have gotta go from our general modalities list. It’s just not working out between us. Now, before you get your oil holster in a twist, take a breath and let me finish.

beautiful-69993_1280We signed up to be manual therapists and bodyworkers. This clearly entails working with our hands upon the physical bodies of others. The goal wasn’t/isn’t to use MT as a cover to work with our *not* hands upon non-physical bodies. When people make a massage appointment, it does not mean they want their aura’s fluffed- it simply means they want their physical needs attended to. *That* is what is expected. That is what we need to focus on delivering, first and foremost.

silhouette-1321398_1280I’ve heard too many complaints about too many therapists pushing their philosophies upon others. Reiki-like modalities are akin to faith-based religions because they are not supported by rigorous research (“well, it works for me” is not an acceptable scientific explanation). It is a form of prayer, which is wonderful for those who pray, but you cannot force others to want to pray in the exact same way as you (if at all), whether you are Christian, Muslim, Pagan, atheist, Buddhist, Jewish, or a Greek mythologist. Not everyone believes in the same thing, but everyone can stand firmly on the science backing touch therapy. That’s our common ground. Like in politics, religious beliefs are best kept out of the neutral, equal-opportunity, safe space of manual therapy.

In order for massage therapy to thrive as a respected healthcare profession, we’ve got to step up our game and stick to the facts without the foo-foo. We need separation of church and state, otherwise fuggedaboudit. We’ll remain in limbo with no uniform regulation or credibility; doctors will consider us nothing more than tie-die wearing crystal slingers, instead of professionals that can be of value to their patients. There is a lot of potential for us in healthcare, but this is not how we will realize it. So let’s cut it out with the unsolicited Reiki-isms. It freaks the general public out, as it should… who knows where that crystal’s been?!

I understand the allure.

No one is saying you must completely stop doing Reiki-like things. Just stop trying to cram it down the throat chakras of people who do not want or believe in Reiki, crystals, prana, chi, whatever-you-like-to-call-it. Especially when they are in your treatment room. It’s a borderline and, at times, egregious violation of ethics. Separation of church and state is essential for our modern professional community to thrive in the realm of healthcare.

Frolicking through the ethers is activity best done on personal time along with knitting, book-clubbing, and glass blowing. I know the feeling: when I first heard of chakras, the notion I was balanced by invisible-rainbow, glowing-orbs of energy had me thrilled to no end (I mean, how cool is that). However, I also realized a line must be drawn. This thinking was to remain in the land of unicorns and wizards no matter how much I liked to visualize it. We simply cannot ethically tell someone their headaches are caused by energetic blockages due to repressed past-life emotions, because:

A) it is in no way plausibly true
B) it is not within our scope of practice to say such things
C) it sounds mega cray-cray bonkers

Believe it or not, massage therapists spout things like this all the time to clients who do not care to hear it. There is a sacred line that shouldn’t be crossed.

Be you, just don’t force you on others.

wizard-waving-wearing-a-cape-and-holding-a-magic-wand-coloring-pageDon’t get me wrong. I like aligning my chakras as much as the next guy. I think it’s relaxing to meditate upon because I enjoy practicing visualization and it gives me a pleasant focal point with a priceless sense of well-being. But what I don’t do is tell others their chakras need alignment or anything of the sort. Because they don’t. They most likely don’t even have chakras. So let’s leave the energy orbs alone and do the work massage therapists are intended to do. I do not go to a dentist expecting to be healed from childhood trauma and that is not the general objective of a massage therapist either.

Now if someone comes to you and says “Hey, my aura has been really sore lately and I would like a past life regression. Can you help with that?”, and those are services you clearly offer, go for it! Otherwise, keep it in the personal sphere or we’ll never join the ranks of legitimate healthcare professionals. Knowhatimean?

Apollo 13

Happy ending spoiler alert: the spacecraft in the movie and in real life was safely returned to earth without any casualties. If we all get on the same page with our core identity as manual therapists, I have faith we can do the same and resume our intended mission. Over and out.

P.S. Please enjoy this episode of Holistic E.R. (it’s a funny 🙂 )

The Awkward Shift in Manual Therapy

April 24, 2016 by Tania 11 Comments

[Written while listening to this and then this. Comments are welcome below.]

This week I had the opportunity to take an awesome continuing education class (led by Rolfers® Rey Allen and Michael Polon). It is based on the groundbreaking work of Diane Jacobs, PT. It was one I’ve had my eye on for a couple of years, then the timing was finally PERFECT. A great CE class is food for the soul of a MT 🙂 And after 20+ years of doing this, I’ve become VERY picky.

In last week’s post, we “chatted” about one reason this site was born and this week we’ll piggy-back on that topic a little more. Let’s begin with the great divide that is happening in our profession and then *spoiler alert* we will close with the inevitable shift that is on the horizon. And by horizon, I mean it’s still 10-20 years away from being accepted as an undeniable truth, but we’ve gotta start somewhere.

Two words. Pain Science.

I won’t begin to open that can of dendritic worms here- at least not in ONE blog post, because it is a giant can with waaay too many worms. But Google has a lot to say about it, so you can start there and we’ll continue to whittle away at different angles of the topic for as long as this site is up and running. Which will be a long time.

As a teaser, let’s just say that discoveries in pain science over the last (I’ll generalize) 10-15 years are about to shake the foundation of everything we thought we knew about the body, particularly from a structural perspective. Massage therapists, I hope you’re all sitting down. Surgeons, chiropractors, orthopedists… I suggest ya’ll hold on to each other tightly and don’t let go. Let’s take each other by the hand because this may be uncomfortable until everyone gets used to it. The same denial and awkwardness awaits us as did when people began to realize the sun did not revolve around the earth. And that the earth was round and not flat. And that simple hand washing could save lives. Rest assured, things get REALLY exciting after the fledgling awkwardness. Just like your first 8th grade slow-dance.

The Great Divide

On one side we have science. And we all like to high-5 science when it goes along with exactly what we assume, think, or thought we thunk. On the other side we have what we were taught and/or what we believe is true. Remember: beliefs are not facts a.k.a. unicorns are not horses.

unicorn-Pinpoint BodyworkBut who doesn’t love unicorns?! Unicorns are awesome! Yes, they are but we all know they don’t exist. Put it this way: the unicorns of manual therapy are being outed. However, where the horses will lead us is in an even more magical and wondrous direction. You can believe that. (This effects other disciplines too, like surgery, orthopedics, etc., but we’re a MT site so that’s what we relate it to.)

So, guess what happened when science told stubborn-me so much of what I thought I knew for 15+ years had been proven wrong? That’s right, I threw an internal hissy fit.  It looked something like me scrambling online like a mad woman for nearly a year to try and reverse-prove the science wrong. (Yeah, that didn’t go so well.) The good news is the hissy fit subsided after I realized how cool the facts were because they solidify what we as MTs have known all along about the inseparable body-brain-mind connection. (Don’t worry, we’ll discuss this more in the future). It is almost EVERYTHING. Almost.

The great divide boils down to basic stubbornness and I’m admitting to have been very guilty of it. I mention this to let you know, in advance, I understand any initial backlash. Been there, done that. And so, I trust any hissy fits will subside as mine did.  We all now know and accept the earth revolves around the sun.

Where will you stand in the divide?

mountains-Pinpoint BodyworkEasy answer. One of three things will happen.

  1. Maybe it’s a little uncomfortable at first, but you accept the facts and refine your work to produce better results based upon the most current information we have available. You accept the earth is round and are not afraid to travel across the ocean to new and exiting places.
  2. You insist on holding on to past theories, even though they’ve been squashed. But as more and more people start to realize there is more (or less) to it, you slowly start to let out-dated thinking go and then gleefully join the gospel choir in singing “it is the earth that revolves around the sun, and not the other way around”.
  3. In spite of all the evidence and shifts in understanding, you outright refuse to let those beliefs be replaced by actual facts. The world will have to pry those beliefs out of your cold dead hands. You, like, seriously, really believe in unicorns. Hell, you’d saw 14 inches off the end of a broom and duct-tape it to a horse’s forehead to prove to everyone unicorns DO exist! Then you’ll point to a rhino and say “Oh yeah! Well, that has a horn so that’s a unicorn!”

Wherever you stand, it’s cool. I get it. Just don’t be the guy in #3 because that’s just mega-cray-cray bonkers. I’ll leave you with that. See you next week!

Hasta la pasta, rasta.

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