Real Life Stories: Clients Who Don’t Heal

February 11th, 2013

“One of the most challenging situations for me has been from repeat clients who hurt all the time. As a caregiver, this is disheartening.”

Real Life Stories: Clients Who Don't Heal

Submitted By Mary Lea McKennan, CMT

One of the most challenging situations for me has been from repeat clients who hurt all the time. When leaving after a session they feel much better, yet it doesn’t last long, maybe a day or two. As a caregiver, this is disheartening. Early in my career I took it personally, questioning what could I do differently to help them.

If you were confronted with the same situation again, how might you handle things differently?

Response from Mary Lea McKennan, CMT

Through personal research and continuing education, as well as experience, I’ve found that by empowering them to be personally involved in their own healthcare is the best medicine/modality, or whatever term you wish to put on it. I keep regular SOAP notes on all of my clients. For clients with these chronic ailments or pain, I encourage them logging or journaling changes in how they are feeling, focusing on the up times rather than the down. Identifying, if possible, what they are doing, eating, etc. prior to a good day or week.

This has been so overwhelmingly successful, that I have put together a Personal Wellness Plan eBook that I email to certain clients in this category. Along with suggestions on journaling are simple tennis ball therapy exercises that allow them to work on troubled areas between sessions. It has been very rewarding for me as a massage therapist, and caretaker, knowing that I’ve assisted them positively. But more so, to see these people light up when they feel better, because of what they are doing to help themselves.

Response from Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies

It can indeed be disheartening to have a client who appears to have unending or chronic pain. In some cases, this may be influenced by psychological factors but, in many, cases it can be due to a chronic pathology, such as fibromyalgia.

While massage therapy is good for many things, such as improvement of circulation, relaxation, enhanced toxin removal and so much more, it is not necessarily a cure. When a person leaves our office, he or she often returns to the same stresses, strains and activities that may have caused the pain and discomfort. This is just one of the reasons it is beneficial to have regularly scheduled massages, whether that be once a week, twice a month or even just once a month. Bob Hope was known to have a massage each and every morning!

You have met your challenge with some excellent ideas, especially the eBook. They are tools that give empowerment to your clients and offer them to fully participate in their own healing.

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About the Author

Linda Fehrs, LMT

Linda Fehrs, AAS, LMT is a freelance writer and massage therapy professional licensed by the New York State Department of Education. She is a professional member of the American Massage Therapy Association and the New York State Society of Medical Massage Therapists. Ms. Fehrs has actively practiced massage therapy in the Mid-Hudson Valley since 2002 with a focus on those with special needs, such as developmental and physical disabilities. She is a graduate of the Hudson Valley School of Massage Therapy as well as a former instructor at the school. Prior to becoming a massage therapist she was former managing editor of a weekly community newspaper and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Ms. Fehrs currently volunteers with the Red Cross, helping to educate others about emergency preparedness and disaster relief.

3 Responses to Real Life Stories: Clients Who Don’t Heal

Catriona St. George, NCMT says:

February 13, 2013 at 3:36 pm

I am an MT with a shoulder injury who( after x-rays, etc) went to a top-notch Stuctural Integrationist/MT. After a few months, the MT was discouraged at my lack of progress, but suggested no referrals. I went to a PT who assumed it was frozen shoulder because of my age and recommended cortisone shots. Instead, for 6 months I stretched daily. Finally I went to my chiro who realized my humeral head was out of place and popped it back in. Now we can start healing! So let’s not be quick to dismiss lack of healing with a psychological problem, quick supposition of fibromyalgia. Suggesting the patient is crazy only adds to their discouragement and could prevent them from seeking more physical help. As MTs, let’s keep an open mind that others in the health care field might succeed, and make those referrals when our patients do not heal.

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Ivory says:

February 14, 2013 at 4:20 am

I agree with Catriona St. George. We have to remember to keep ourselves educated about (and have an open mind towards using) other health care professionals. If we keep the mindset that they’re never going to get better or its all in their head then they’re only going to live up to our expectations and never get better.

I know this is kind of an extreme example, but I heard a coworker today tell one of her clients that its normal to only feel better for a day or two after a massage and that’s probably how it’s always going to be. This therapist is fairly new to the field, but I was still shocked to hear her say this because I know that client is now going away thinking that they’ll never get better, and the therapist isn’t going to go out of her way to find something to help the client heal because she’s already decided the outcome of the situation.

We have to remember that no matter how skilled of a massage therapist you might be, massage isn’t the only answer to a clients issues and they might get better results with a different form of health care

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Michele says:

February 18, 2013 at 3:16 pm

Is a copy of the Personal Wellness Plan eBook available for purchase?

Reply