Mainstream massage will be connected to mainstream medicine.
And if you’re not moving in that direction, I think you’re going to miss out an opportunity.
I’m not talking about getting hired by an orthopedist or physical therapist to do medical massage.
I’m talking about aligning your massage business with mainstream medicine to serve your clients better and to develop a network of connections and potential referral sources.
Where Should You Start?
Not with MDs and DOs.
They have zero time and little motivation to respond to you. That’s not a slight against them. That’s just their reality.
The place to start is with PTs.
Why?
Because there’s a new, PT business model in town—finally.
This new business model accepts insurance patients but also accommodates cash patients.
It has after-care programs for patients who have finished PT and want more help, and it offers a monthly membership for patients who want to continue to use the facility to exercise.
The PTs here don’t use the word “discharge” when a patient completes a PT program because they want the patient to come back for other wellness needs, like customized exercise training programs and nutritional counseling.
The business philosophy of these PT wellness centers is 100% patient (customer) care.
They compete with conveyor-belt, PT businesses where the therapist walks away and lets you do the exercises by yourself.
Bye-bye conveyor-belt, PT businesses.
Win/Win for Mainstream Massage Businesses and Clients
This is obviously good for patients, but it’s good for us, MTs, too.
Why?
Picture a PT wellness business as a wheel with spokes.
At the center of the wheel is the actual business of doing physical therapy.
The spokes are all the things that PTs need to be connected with in order to be a concierge wellness service, like orthopedists, podiatrists, nutritionists…and, yes, massage therapists.
(Closest I could get to a wheel.)
Come on, Mark, mainstream medicine doesn’t want us!
Maybe not all mainstream medicine, but a wellness-based PT business does.
For one, some of the their patients request us.
Two, we’re in a position of “gate keeping”.
What I mean by this is that some of the people who come to see us need physical therapy and ask us for recommendations.
Mainstream Massage “Gate Keeping”
Let’s say Ira injuries his shoulder. And he doesn’t want to go to the orthopedist for host of reasons, including he doesn’t think his shoulder warrants an X-ray or MRI, he doesn’t want to shell out a $60 copay and he doesn’t take pain killers or muscle relaxers.
So who’s Ira going to call?
Not ghost busters.
He’s going to call the massage therapist that his best friend Trudy uses.
You.
Ira comes into your office. You do your eval, identify the pain area, follow your protocol and treat him.
He doesn’t show improvement so you tell him it’s time to get a diagnosis and more help.
By the way, Ira doesn’t need to go to an orthopedist for a diagnosis any longer.
Doctors of PT can diagnose, too.
Do you think PTs are starting to prick up their ears?
I do.
Soon it will become apparent to many PTs that we’re on the front-line of people who may need PT care.
Our PT Wellness Experience
Recently, my wife and I met with a wellness-based PT business.
It was a very productive meeting.
They wanted to understand what we do and how they could help us.
Who would have ever thought, right?
The most import thing about this meeting was that we’re all on the same page because we all believe that if we take care of the client/patient, business will take care of itself.
Right on!
This is the company we want to grow with.
Getting Your Mainstream Massage Business Connected
If you think like we do and want to connect with people in mainstream medicine who share your values, here’s what I would do:
- Initiate contact with PTs through your clients.
Here’s how you do that: How to Advertise Better than Massage Envy.
- Pick the PT business that matches your client care and business philosophies.
For us, a wellness-based PT business was the answer.
- Go above and beyond.
Figure out a way that you can add value to their business. An example would be to offer free self-massage demos to their patients.
As we forge ahead with this new PT relationship, I’ll let you know how it goes.
And don’t forget, if you need more help, sign up for my email group.
I’ll send you the latest information on making more money, building a massage business and staying out of pain.
And it’s free.
Sign up is below:-)
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