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What I know about THIS subject... I could write a book.
Wed, 04/08/2009 - 3:33pm
Many of you know me through my work with Dr. Chris Young, a psychologist and pain management specialist. Before I founded Lumigrate, I was the OT in the building whre his practice is located, and we started a "Fibromyalgia Forum" because of the success he and I (and PT, MT (massage)) were having with patients coming our way. He's currently rewriting his pain management resource guide and we plan to have it available at Lumigrate by summer. We also have done the preliminary recording of a seminar he has put together on pain and how it literally affects the brain and then what YOU can do about it. Having had fibromyalgia for a decade or two, I know quite a bit about pain management. Right now, I'd highly recommend looking at the free video snippet for Dr. Paula King's 'Strategies for Lasting Change' video.
I'm looking forward to seeing people contribute to this section of the website. It's intended to be a positive place for people to come and share -- both patients and providers. Here's to making pain go away! And if we can't do that, manage it as best we can. Mardy
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Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
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e-mailThis forum is provided to allow members of Lumigrate to share information and ideas. Any recommendations made by forum members regarding medical treatments, medications, or procedures are not endorsed by Lumigrate or practitioners who serve as Lumigrate's medical experts.
I was wondering if there is anyway around Medicare/Medicaid to be able to recieve the holisitic approach? Yeah PT is great but my nerves are on fire. I feel acupuncture and massage would also help along with the PT.
Oh yeah, I'm in the US...LOL
Izzy -
1) For everyone -- write or call your congressman. There is a bill that the D-Iowa Senator has put before congress that would mandate that alternative providers that are licensed with a state have to be reimbursed for their services. And just chime in about what you want with health care. Let them know what your diagnosis is, what services you want and why. And I am currently asking local experts to bring me their expertise on these topics here at Lumigrate.com .... and I think I have someone really GOOD on the line, so we can hope!
2) As of last year, when I was a clinician in a large outpatient therapy practice: if a massage therapist was working as a 'tech' under a PT, they could do massage and it would be part of your PT benefits. But you'd need to seek out a PT clinic that had massage therapists on staff AND who wanted to take the time to 'do the supervision' on that piece. Which means 'collaboration' and that isn't the model many clinics run on because time is money and their profit margins are so low anymore due to all the overhead.... to bill Medicare and Medicaid and all other gzillion insurances! Collections sometimes lag 10 months!
3) Please read the blogs in the website -- and stay tuned to Lumigrate as we will be getting more from GOOD PTs on what to do with people with FMS. There are blogs from late July about PTs and pain, and about how to interact with your providers -- I found many times that people were coming to me as an OTR for chronic pain and when I suggested PT services, they were like 'NO WAY' because they had been hurt by them before but instead of calling up and saying 'I want PT, and I like you, but I came away worse off than when I went, so is there some resource I can help you with to help you understand what you can do for me'. You'll see IN THE BLOGs, that I guide people to some books about FMS, one of which is the 'bible' for anyone with FMS to give/loan to a PT or massage therapist or OT who isn't knowing what to do... "Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain, a Survival Manual" by Devin Starlanyl and Mary Ellen Copeland.
And you know how to easily find it? Go 'back' to the 'products' tab on this website and it'll take you right to Amazon.com!
I'm really trying to set people up to make this easy on them....... so hopefully that helps! Truly folks, spend a little time perusing the blogs I've posted on Lumigrate this summer.... their is a very big 'complement' of chronic pain blogs, all of which are intended to give enough info to be good, not overwhelm and then IF you want more info on that, link you to where you can get more information ......
Truly hoping we're "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for YOU ~~ Thanks for writing and reading!
Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
Another option for massage is some chiropractors have in house massage therapists. For my insurance, the massage was billed as physical therapy (all quite legal, I checked!). However, my benefits are very limited on this aspect, I can have 10 chiro adjustments in a year.... ummm.. I can go through that in less than a month!
The other shameful thing Ohio did not too long ago was start a tax on massage as they now consider it a "leisure service". It doesn't matter that the massage therapists are highly trained, tested and licensed. It's still considered a leisure.... yeah right!
~~Aimee
Aimee Shannon is a licensed social worker who has fibromyalgia along with a collection of other illnesses. Aimee is passionate that those dealing with chronic illnesses need education and support to best manage their illnesses. Along with writing for Lumigrate, Aimee can be found leading a support group on Facebook, as well as two in person support groups in the Dayton Ohio region. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fibromyalgia-Support-Groups-by-Aimee/94975642116That's just wrong, Aimee. I can see the point, as where do you draw the line, as many of the people who go to spas are without any actual medical issue that MT is working on, it is for leisure. I would hope that when they're operating under the PT or DC, and you're right, it is all totally legitimate for MT to be charged as long as it's on the care plan and supervised by the professional PT/DC, they'd exclude that from taxes.
And apologies, I'd not seen this and commented at the time you made it, but I did now! Wow! Great comments, thank you!
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!