Prevention Matters

Americans are working harder than ever to be healthy. We have been obsessed with fitness, diet and health for many years, yet our obesity and diabetes rates are skyrocketing. Obesity related diseases include gall bladder disease, strokes, neurodegeneration, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, and osteoarthritis just to name a few.Take a look at these alarming statistics, and you’ll understand why prevention matters.· The American Heart Association reports that the estimated prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults is 68.2% in the U.S. Men and women of all race/ethnic groups in the population are affected by the epidemic. 31.8% of children are overweight and obese.· The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing dramatically over time, in parallel with the increases in prevalence of overweight and obesity.· Seven out of 10 Americans will experience a heart attack, stroke or cancer by the age of 65. The average age of a heart attack, stroke or cancer is 43. Most will survive and many will go bankrupt.· The Social Security Administration reports that over 6.8 million Americans are receiving Social Security disability benefits.  Almost half are under the age of 50.Research from the Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSi) shows that from 1960 – 2010, U.S. healthcare spending grew a whopping 818% while the GDP grew 168% during the same time period. It is not clear how long our economy can continue to support the disproportionate growth in health care spending.Results from the 2012 Survey on Employer Health Benefit Plans conducted by Oliver Wyman Health & Life Sciences Practice shows that American companies know that if current trends continue, they can’t. Of more than 1300 employers that participated in the survey, nearly two-thirds believe that the cost of providing health coverage is unsustainable in the long term at current rates of medical inflation. On October 12, 2012, the Wall Street Journal reported that Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and Sears will be giving vouchers to employees to shop for health insurance.With our health care system as broken as it is, the best way to get premium health care is to accept responsibility for your health. The cost benefit of preventive health care has never been so critical. Prevention is the most effective and common-sense way to improve health and reduce health care costs.
Would you rather fix a broken glass or prevent it from breaking?

Massage Therapy and the Affordable Care Act.

If I were searching for a controversial topic, unfortunately it wouldn’t be too difficult. So this brings me to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a.k.a. Obamacare, oooh bad word! If I can manage to side step the controversy, it’s my gateway to continue the focus on prevention and wellness.

The ACA, in part, shifts the focus of health care from sickness and disease to prevention and wellness. Further, it ensures Americans have access to quality, affordable health insurance by requiring that health plans offer a comprehensive package of items and services, known as the essential health benefits (EHBs). There are 10 categories that fall under the EHBs, and I will only focus on #9 which is preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management.

Licensed massage practitioner, Diana L. Thompson, was enlisted to help prepare a list of research citations that support the inclusion of massage therapy in the EHBs. Obviously as a massage practitioner, this is of great interest to me so this component of the ACA really caught my attention. In Massage & Bodywork magazine, Ms. Thompson says that “inclusion as a wellness intervention is only possible because a cadre of research already exists providing evidence that somatic therapies are critical components of health care. The ACA, in section 3502, demands that health care delivery include integrative approaches: ‘Insurers must establish community health teams that include complementary and alternative providers.’”

Not only is it exciting to see that health care reform places emphasis on preventive and wellness services, but specifically I know the benefits of massage therapy as a client and practitioner.

Research is beginning to reflect common applications of massage therapy such as pre- and post-surgical massage, massage for acute inflammation due to trauma, and massage for labor and delivery. An evidence-based clinical guideline that reviewed 10 studies concluded that “therapeutic massage can decrease pain, tenderness, and improve range of motion for sub-acute and chronic neck pain.” Ms. Thompson says that “research suggests that massage therapy may interrupt inflammatory processes contributing to neck and shoulder pain. ‘The best available evidence for treatment of neck pain includes…massage therapy.’”

Sick Care vs Health Care

Shifting our focus to prevention and wellness is critical to the sustainability of our health care system. As we face a crumbling “sick care” system in America, maybe we should reflect on the old saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”