Auto Accident Massage
and Workplace Injury
Manual therapy for automobile accidents
and workplace injury
If you have been in a car crash, there is trauma in your body. Trauma is caused by energy in the accident being deposited and dissipated within your body’s tissues. Consider the equation “Force = Mass x Acceleration.” In layman’s terms, this means that impacts your body experiences in an accident are related to the weight of objects, multiplied by how fast objects change speed or decelerate. In the case of automobiles we are talking about a ton of steel decelerating from 50 MPH or more. That can be a lot of force and resulting energy and trauma delivered to your body!
Your car may protect you from some of that energy, which is dissipated in
folding the metal, crushing plastic, etc. However, enough energy is
transferred into your body through impacts with steering wheels,
seatbelts, and airbags to do significant damage. Some of that energy
causes trauma to your body. This may include organs moving out of
position or sticking together, muscles and ligaments tearing, muscles
shortening, and bones to becoming hard and inflexible.
Workplace injuries are often caused by similar trauma of impact with
objects, carrying heavy objects, as well as slips, trips, and falls, as well as
repetitive motion injuries. The body experiences trauma from such
events that needs to be addressed.
I use an osteopathic approach to trauma, meaning that all injuries will
limit the body from moving. This is a defense mechanism and is in place to
prevent further injury. The Osteopathic approach is designed release these
to lesions and adhesions by gently “waking up the tissues” effectively
removing trauma from the body, and allowing healing to occur.
Standard Medical Coverage
Check with your provider!! Over the years
Massage has fallen in and out of favor with health
insurance companies. Perhaps your provider will
work with you to keep your costs lower. It is always a
good idea to check first.
It is likely that your health insurance plan will
not cover these services. Most often, they say they
cover massage and manual therapy, but only if it is
performed by an MD.
However, there are steps we can take to make
your money spent have more value.
•
Massage is listed as an unpaid medical expense,
so, much like your co-pays, any payments should
be included in your taxes at years-end.
•
If you have a pre-paid medical savings plan, you
can use that to pay for these services.
•
Often your health plan will allow for the
services to go towards your deductible, which
can help with medical costs later in the year.
© 2022, Jim Stevens Manual Therapy
Master Manual Therapist & Physical Trauma Specialist
Relieving pain and injury since 1994
Auto
Accident
Massage
and
Workplace
Injury
Manual therapy
for automobile
accidents and
workplace injury
If you have been in a car crash, there is trauma in your body. Trauma is caused by energy in the accident being deposited and dissipated within your body’s tissues. Consider the equation “Force = Mass x Acceleration.” In layman’s terms, this means that impacts your body experiences in an accident are related to the weight of objects, multiplied by how fast objects change speed or decelerate. In the case of automobiles we are talking about a ton of steel decelerating from 50 MPH or more. That can be a lot of force and resulting energy and trauma delivered to your body!
Insurance coverage for auto
accident and workplace injuries
When we talk about treatment for automobile accidents and workplace injury, the issue of insurance will be something you’re considering. Auto insurance is required to pay for massage and manual therapy by NM State mandate. Workman’s compensation fund will pay for treatments for injuries sustained while working, if you have a referral from an MD and prior authorization from the state agency. With worker’s compensation, it is fairly straightforward. I do the billing, and the state pays me directly. Auto insurance is not so simple. There are two primary ways that I help address payment for treatments on injuries sustained during an auto accident. 1) Med-Pay: • I bill your insurance company directly and they seek repayment from the at-fault party’s insurance company. This works quite well, and is most common. 2) Self-Pay: • You pay me directly and submit your billing to the insurance company after treatment has been completed. I have a small fee of $10.00 per session for billing and recordkeeping when we use this method. You are then reimbursed by your insurance or after legal proceedings.
Standard Medical Coverage
Check with your provider!! Over
the years Massage has fallen in and out
of favor with health insurance
companies. Perhaps your provider will
work with you to keep your costs
lower. It is always a good idea to check
first.
It is likely that your health
insurance plan will not cover these
services. Most often, they say they
cover massage and manual therapy,
but only if it is performed by an MD.
However, there are steps we can
take to make your money spent have
more value.
•
Massage is listed as an unpaid
medical expense, so, much like
your co-pays, any payments
should be included in your taxes
at years-end.
•
If you have a pre-paid medical
savings plan, you can use that to
pay for these services.
•
Often your health plan will allow
for the services to go towards
your deductible, which can help
with medical costs later in the
year.
Your car may protect you from some of that energy, which is
dissipated in folding the metal, crushing plastic, etc. However,
enough energy is transferred into your body through impacts with
steering wheels, seatbelts, and airbags to do significant damage.
Some of that energy causes trauma to your body. This may include
organs moving out of position or sticking together, muscles and
ligaments tearing, muscles shortening, and bones to becoming
hard and inflexible.
Workplace injuries are often caused by similar trauma of impact
with objects, carrying heavy objects, as well as slips, trips, and falls,
as well as repetitive motion injuries. The body experiences trauma
from such events that needs to be addressed.
I use an osteopathic approach to trauma, meaning that all injuries
will limit the body from moving. This is a defense mechanism and
is in place to prevent further injury. The Osteopathic approach is
designed release these to lesions and adhesions by gently “waking
up the tissues” effectively removing trauma from the body, and
allowing healing to occur.
© 2022, Jim Stevens Manual Therapy
Master Manual
Therapist & Physical
Trauma Specialist
Relieving pain and
injury since 1994
