Are physical therapists trained to massage?

Someone advised me to get ';trigger point'; a type of massage therapy to help with arm pain but I can't afford massages. My insurance will cover physical therapy though...will they be trained in this type of thing?Are physical therapists trained to massage?
Yes, we get some training in massage...but it's very minimal...but that's really all we need.





Also, just because your insurance company pays for physical therapy doesn't mean that it will cover massage as part of your therapy. When massage is used in physical therapy, it cannot be the focus of the treatment. The scientific evidence behind the use of massage is very poor as far as physical therapy standards are concerned. Therefore, it's use is minimal.





Point to take home, massage CAN be a part of your physical therapy treatment, but it will be a very minimal part of it (usually 15 minutes at the most). Rather, your therapy session needs to be comprehensive in addressing all funcitonal limitations (ie, it usually involves some type of exericse). Finally, although PTs are trained in massage, not everyone does official ';trigger point therapy';...do I know how to ';release'; a tender knot? Yes...but do I know/do I think its useful to have an understanding of the theoretical component behind trigger therapy as described by Travel and Simmons? No.Are physical therapists trained to massage?
As you probably know, PTs are trained to help a patient with highly specific exercises for muscle and skeletal problems or injuries. In addition, they often use heat packs, ice packs, and ultrasound therapy.They are also trained in massage, but I don't know how extensive it is. They might give the injured areas a fairly brief massage, but not the hourlong sessions most people get from a massage therapist.





As far as I know, most PTs give Swedish-style massage. I am not sure about this, but I don't think they would do trigger point massage unless they trained for it separately. My guess is that some PTs will do trigger point work, while many will not. It is a legitimate question to ask a PT before seeing them.





When I saw a PT, they were very careful about only doing work that insurance would legally cover.
You've gotten a few answers that individually answer part of the question.





Unfortunately, Physical Therapists only receive minimal training in massage therapy. Some will get training in specific types of massage such as Swedish, Myofascial, and Neuromuscular/Trigger Point and some will not have any clue. A few will learn Lymphatic or Craniosacral.





Nurses also learn a little bit of massage as well, mostly Swedish though. I've noticed that Nurses also like Reiki.





I've known several Chiropractors to incorporate 5-10 minutes of Neuromuscular Therapy prior to adjustments. If the muscles are relaxed they get better adjustments that last longer.





Ultimately, we are all good at what we do. I would never get into directing people towards the specialized strength and coordination training that PTs do, the meds and long-term care that nurses do, or spinal adjustments that Chiropractors do. Seek an appropriate specialist - it will likely be better and cheaper in the long run.





You say arm pain, where and what kind? The 4 most common sources are scalenes (side of the neck), pectoralis minor (small %26amp; deep chest muscle), lateral and medial epicondyle for the flexor digitorum and extensor digitorum muscles (both sides of the elbow).





Think about how much is your co-pay for physical therapy. The last client that came to me for arm pain came for two 1-hour appointments in a month. The arm pain is gone. The average massage rate is $50-70/hour.





Good luck
you should , go to a therapist that cause not much .for your insurance that you can afford





I hope it helps u