Insurance companies that cover chiropractic treatment will often cover massage as well when treatment is rendered and billed through a chiropractic clinic. The same may be true for hospital-based massage therapy programs. If insurance coverage is essential for you, check with your insurance company before scheduling an appointment for massage to be sure that they will cover the type of massage treatment and the practitioner from whom you wish to seek it. For most people, massage therapy is very safe and beneficial. As with any treatment, however, certain precautions must be taken.
Massage therapy has a profound effect on many of the body's systems.
Some of those effects are documented by research while others are still only partially understood. For these reasons, well-trained massage therapists interview their clients prior to their first session to determine whether any existing health conditions or medications may challenge the safety of massage treatment. Often, even in the presence of such challenges, massage therapy may still be an option with modifications or in cooperation with other forms of health care. Massage therapy should never be a substitute for primary health care by a physician. Physicians should always be made aware when a patient is receiving massage therapy, especially when an injury or a health condition is present.