Alice Savito
To all those readers out there who have complained to us about the lack New Age “energy-free” massage therapy these days, this e-mail is meant for you!
Alice Savito writes: “On June 6, 2012, you printed a question from a massage therapist in Colorado who was distressed about the number of massage therapists engaged in New Age practices. It is a shame that we cannot find the massage therapist in question because there are a small but growing number of us who are reality-based and eschew energy work and related practices not grounded in science and what we know about how the body works. Besides our objections to energy work and related practices not being supported by evidence, we object on the grounds that it violates the religious beliefs of many individuals and insist it should never be done without the client’s express permission. According to the American Telemedicine Association, telehealth technologies give a clinician the ability to monitor and measure patient health data and information over geographical, social, and cultural distances. Additionally, these video and non-video technologies are utilized to collect and transmit patient health information. Telehealth technologies can track the vital signs of patients with diseases, such as congestive heart failure, diabetes, and other various chronic and acute illnesses. Telehealth systems are supported in hospitals and homes across the country, particularly for their preventive medicine applications. The faster information can be gathered and transferred to the appropriate professional, the better it is for the patient. Studies have shown a reduction in emergency room visits and rescue calls, resulting in improved health outcomes for patients receiving continuous care via telehealth monitoring. These outcomes include an increase in medication compliance, a decrease in patient isolation, and improved access to immediate care and services. You can check this website for Telehealth.
“This therapist is not alone. Through the internet, we have developed a network of massage therapists and related professionals who prefer to keep our practice evidence and science based. This does not in any way detract from the art of the way we practice and, in fact, many of us feel it deepens and enhances our practice . . . . We are a diverse group and do not always agree, but we are trying to be a safe place for and a voice for reality-based massage therapists.
“I hope that by now that therapist has found other like-minded practitioners. She is not alone. We welcome her. Sincerely, Alice Sanvito, Licensed Massage Therapist.”
What a breath of fresh air! Sanity is returning to the massage industry!
Anyone who wants more information on this subject can visit Alice’s website.
She also participate in two interesting Facebook forums: The Skeptical Massage Therapists forum and the Advanced Practice Professional Massage Therapy Community of Practice.
A few years ago, I had a long conversation with Amanda L. Cihak, Legislative and External Affairs Coordinator for the American Medical Massage Association (a legitimate massage organization), who said these energy workers are damaging the overall image of the profession and confusing the public about what real massage is all about. They’re also causing call kinds of problems in the insurance industry which has been forced to distinguish between energy healers and real clinical massage therapists when handling claims.
Even worse is when these unscientific practices invade Catholic healthcare facilities where Christians are not told about the non-Christian roots of these methods. Some practitioners add to the confusion by shrouding their New Age methods in Christian language.
The only way this industry is going to clean up its act is for practitioners like Alice to band together and create a network for people who are searching for authentic massage rather than the hokey New Age version that seems to have taken over this practice.
We applaud her work and pray that it will grow and prosper!
