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Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards: All Talk and No Action?
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A Change for the Better at the Massage Therapy Foundation and AMTA
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ABOUT MT AUTHOR GUIDELINES CLASSIFIEDS EDITORIAL CALENDAR MEDIA GUIDE MASSAGE MART SCHOOLS & EDUCATION FEEDBACK
Alternative Health News
Peer Points: Stories of Practice Success
When patients go see Arizona-based acupuncturist Jing Liu, it is to get top care from an practitioner well versed in all aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
A Freebie
Let's face it – patient evaluation takes time. Unless you are really into the diagnostic evaluation game, you probably have found the formal exam protocol tedious if not downright annoying.
Why You Should Get to Know the National Vaccine Information Center
Barbara Loe Fisher has been a diligent advocate for providing parents with the information necessary to make informed decisions regarding the usage of vaccinations for their children.
News in Brief
Controversial Florida PIP Law Under Review; D'Youville Chiro. Students Learning Art of Co-Managing; And the Award Goes To...; F4CP Recognizes Major Contribution by ChiroTouch.
The Spirits of the Points: The Gall Bladder Official
The Gall Bladder is known as The Official of Decision Making and Judgment. In any given day, this Official makes countless decisions – conscious and unconscious, which influence every aspect of our being.
Helping Infertility Patients with the Spirit Essence
As many of you know, when it comes to treating infertility, we are dealing with a patient population that is, generally speaking, in emotional turmoil. These patients often experience fear, anxiety, despair, hopelessness, grief and anger.
Chiropractic: The Right Choice for Relieving LBP
"Low back pain (LBP) is a common threat to medicine and a reasonable threat to all national health care systems. ... Reducing ineffective treatments is necessary to decrease the LBP associated costs."
Remembering Joe Weider (1920-2013)
With the death of Joe Weider, the world's most famous body-building visionary, crusader, fitness magazine publisher and icon, on March 23, 2013, chiropractic has lost one of its greatest friends and supporters.
Correcting Kid Logic in Health Care and Research Design
A recent broadcast on public radio described a fascinating phenomenon known as kid logic.
Healing Leaders

Energy is a hot commodity. Society pays dearly for it and for the expertise of those who know how to cultivate it.


Herbal Medicine: Go Mainstream
When it comes to practicing herbal medicine in a mainstream setting, there are a number of important points to understand when it comes to prescribing formulas. Some important questions to ask are - what method of prescribing and dispensing is most effective in this setting?
Medicine Presents: A Great Opportunity
The changing nature of health care presents both opportunities and challenges. While we tend to focus on our profession, we can sometimes forget the impact other health care professions can have on us.
There Are No Secrets: Treating Complicated Conditions with TCM
Including standardized extra points, there are just over 400 acupuncture points on the body. You get 400 and I get 400 - same. Yet, time and time again treatment protocols are coveted as if they were some secret formula only intended for the right and privileged.
Going Shoeless: The Pros & Cons of Barefoot Running
With the subculture of barefoot runners and the products catering to them growing daily, just about every chiropractor has been asked at one point or another about their opinion regarding barefoot running.
Economics of Complementary/Integrative Care
Although this column doesn't usually feature a book review, we're going outside of our usual public health format to discuss a new book written by Patricia Herman ND, PhD.
We Get Letters & E-Mail
Patient Perception and the Farce of "Fast Relief"; A Fly in the Ointment; Persecuted for Choosing to Practice Chiropractic.
Research Abstracts From the Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics
Effect of Pain Relief on Lumbar Muscle Function and Activation; Effects of Thrust Amplitude and Duration of HVLA Spinal Manipulation; Immediate Effects of Upper Thoracic Manipulation on Cardiovascular Response.
What the Science Says About Magnesium Stearate
It's often been said that scientific studies can be used to support just about anything. But discoveries are never made one study at a time.
What They Don't Say Could Hurt You
I have written previously regarding the difficulties of drawing information from patients who are poor historians, forgetful or just plain uncooperative. The thought to revisit the topic occurred recently during preparation for an upcoming seminar.
Helping Patients Through Pregnancy Loss
There is a lot of focus in the acupuncture world on fertility and helping women get pregnant. It's exhilarating to hear the news that a patient is expecting a baby. The other side of that is pregnancy loss. That includes abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth.
SOAP Notes: It's Time for a Cleaning
I have been planning for some time to write an article about how traditional SOAP notes do not fit chiropractic practice, and the unfairness of holding DCs to a model clearly created for and primarily applicable to medical physicians.
The Potter's Wheel: Reflections on Practicing in a Technology-Driven World
In my very early years of practice, an older patient named Cora would call me at home, usually late Sunday night after she had consumed an unknown quantity of beer.
Happenings in Our Evolving Profession
Good things seem to be happening for our profession and recent developments show we are all on board. Talking about being on board, this September The Veterans Express-Purple Heart Tour is expected to make its way out of the station.
You are What You Eat Part II: Integrative Protocols
In the previous installment of this article I discussed important ideas concerning gastrointestinal health and foundational ideas from TCM, which can provide key insights into creating effective protocols for healing the gut.
Have a Heart: Say No to Soda
It's not enough that soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages have been linked to cavities and weight gain, among other negative health consequences.
Some Thoughts on the TMJ
The temporomandibular joint is an interesting and dynamic articulation that can cause a lot of problems.

A Building Block of Healthy Aging
Coenzyme Q10 has gained enormous attention in recent years, and with good reason —it's the Energizer Bunny of the cellular world.
Side Effects From Big Pharma: Wellbutrin – Dangerous for You and Your Baby
Are some of your pregnant patients taking Wellbutrin? If so, it could be a danger to them and their baby. This drug is extremely popular, but it has a serious history.
Are They Finally Fixing Medicare Reimbursement?
Even with federal sequestration cuts taking effect in March, including a 2 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursement to health care providers, hope may be on the horizon in the form of a much-anticipated, perpetually suggested overhaul of Medicare's Sustainable Growth Rate formula, which serves as the basis for determining physician reimbursement.

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Massage Today
December, 2011, Vol. 11, Issue 12

Where to Begin

By Jenn Sommermann, LCMT

"I am ready to start my own business and don't know what to do. Where should I begin?" This is a huge, open-ended question but one I get asked quite a bit. Knowing what I know about massage education in the United States and practice management in particular, I am amazed when this question pops up.

Even in a 500 hour school, certain instruction is given regarding starting a business. Basic steps for startup are taught at most, if not all, institutions. Is it that the students don't listen or they don't think they'll need to retain this information? I'd like to think this is not the case. Often, it is that self employment is delayed several years after graduation and the information offered in school is long since forgotten. Employment is the often first stop out of school, offering security while skills and confidence are lacking. As self-assurance grows, dreams of being the boss are rekindled. But then what?

There is so much help out there that it is yours for the asking. No one should stumble at starting a business. The real challenge is making it thrive, but that's a topic for another article. Let me offer several suggestions for resources into this topic:

  • Go find your class notes and see if you can jog your memory. Chances are your instructor had a pulse on the local environment and some good insight into starting your business. I bet you might even find a checklist of things to do to start a business.
  • Find a mentor. Befriend a local, successful therapist that is willing and able to share some insight into your new venture. Maybe even ask your massage therapist what he or she did to get started.
  • Join a local business group and ask some generic business questions about starting a business. The local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club or chapter of the Small Business Administration are good resources for this.
  • Join a massage specific organization and utilize their business services. The American Massage Therapy Association and the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals are the two most popular and have the tools needed for new entrepreneurs.
  • Contact a consultant in the field. this is going to cost money. While there are so many cost effective, even free resources at your disposal, I would suggest exhausting them first.
  • Visit the Internal Revenue Service website. No, really! Our country and the future of its financial security are based on small businesses and, believe it or not, the IRS is here to help and wants you to succeed. Their user-friendly (no, really!) site will offer many tips on how to get started.

Around the same time as massage therapists ask how to start a business, I get asked when is the right time to make the jump to private practice. That is such a personal question and decision and something I help with in my consulting practice. It differs from person to person, and is dependent on many factors. That being said, one of the (strong) recommendations I make for starting a business is having three months of financial reserves built up for both the business and personal expenses. The old rule of thumb used to be six months but I advocate for at least three. You have to expect the worst case scenario and that is no income for a while. If you can't sustain your life and your business during this draught, you have no business starting a business. Hard core, I know, but it's the reality.

Lastly, I want to make a suggestion for any therapist whose really big dream is self employment. Whether you are a student, a new graduate or a veteran in the field who aspires to owning your own business, start to build your business/private practice right away. After all, a private practice can mean one client. While you are employed someplace else, start your little baby private practice with that one client. One will turn into two and into four and on and on. This way when you decide to make the business leap, you are not starting from square one.

Starting a business begins with you and some simple steps. Use the resources that are available to you and make the leap. Self-employment isn't for everyone, but if you dream of being your own boss and you think you have the qualities to succeed, use the tools that are at your disposal and ask for help. Being smart isn't having all the answers; it is knowing where to find them.

Stay focused.

Click here for more information about Jenn Sommermann, LCMT.

 

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