How are Mainers Open to Massage Therapy? (Portland, Waldoboro: obgyn, insuring)

[Danmac]

Originally Posted by Acadianlion

Massage therapists abound in Maine. There are many people who claim to be "professional" massage therapists, but do other things to make a living.

During the 1990's after retiring, I became very much involved in getting myself into decent physical condition, and fell madly in love with "the black iron disease". I lifted weights three days a week under the supervision of a professional trainer, and ran and swam. I was in the gym at least five days each week and sometimes seven, until the gym manager and my trainer told me to cool it. I had a GREAT time, and over five or six years got myself into terrific condition.

A byproduct of this training, plus the normal construction work that I was doing in my new business/hobby, left me very, very sore many times. I saw a massage therapist once per week, and over the five or six years that I was training intensely, I saw quite a few of them. Of the dozen or so that I saw, two were truly professional, and really, REALLY good. One was a young man who had large powerful hands. He was the best. But one woman whom I saw only once had the hand strength needed to do the job properly.

Both of those were full time, highly trained professionals. Today, my circumstances are entirely different, and I no longer seek the services of a massage therapist. Would I under some circumstances? Unlikely, I think, due to othe priorities for the rather high cost per session that real therapists charge.

You are making a dangerous assumption and that is that your Florida practice can translate to Maine. You need to do a LOT more research, beginning with studying, visiting and learning about the nature of the state of Maine and its population. Right after that, you need to study information about the average income level of Maine people. Finally, you will need to carefully examine your bank account to determine whether or not you can afford to live in Maine for two or three years on the strength of your savings while you gain the connections well enough to sell your massage services.

Maine is quite a lot like Florida in terms of physical size. But there are one fifth as many people in Maine as there are in Florida. Imagine how far you will have to be able to travel to meet the potential market for your services in Maine that you have right where you now live in Florida. And the general services economy in Maine is as much smaller than Florida, too.

You will need to come to Maine and travel around a lot. But I doubt that you will be encouraged by what you find in terms of opportunity and competition for your services. Maine also has a horrendous issue with the cost of health insurance, made even worse by the current economic recession. It may get better at some point, but for now, you could look forward to competing with individuals and families that must make a choice between medical services and everything else.

By all means, come to Maine and travel around. I highly recommend that you do so in February, and cover as much of the varied areas in the state as possible. But do so after you have learned as much as possible about the people who live here, WHERE they live her, and how much "opportunity" exists here for optional health services such as you offer.

Well I have always planned to do just what you mentioned, I'm fortunate to where I will never need to depend on what I make at work to pay my bills, this will afford me to undercut as well as out perform most local thereapists.

As for visiting Maine I plan on doing that in a few months in the Portland area primarily, and I have no intention to offer travel services as it wouldn't be prudent, nor affordable. My primary market w/ be the medical community and I will be accepting medical insurance as there are some that cover Massage. Plus my rates won't be anywhere near $100 per hour that's just insane, now in Florida when I lived there I could get that easily, as you said we have more people and more w/ money there as well.

But I think that's what has killed the profession is Massage Therapist thinking that they are deserving of that type of income when their educational background when compared to other Health Care Professionals doesn't justify it. So my rates will reflect the local economy as well as the going rate in the area.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Danmac

Well I have always planned to do just what you mentioned, I'm fortunate to where I will never need to depend on what I make at work to pay my bills, this will afford me to undercut as well as out perform most local thereapists.

As for visiting Maine I plan on doing that in a few months in the Portland area primarily, and I have no intention to offer travel services as it wouldn't be prudent, nor affordable. My primary market w/ be the medical community and I will be accepting medical insurance as there are some that cover Massage. Plus my rates won't be anywhere near $100 per hour that's just insane, now in Florida when I lived there I could get that easily, as you said we have more people and more w/ money there as well.

But I think that's what has killed the profession is Massage Therapist thinking that they are deserving of that type of income when their educational background when compared to other Health Care Professionals doesn't justify it. So my rates will reflect the local economy as well as the going rate in the area.

What has killed massage therapy for most in Maine is lack of disposable income. For most massage is a luxury. Luxuries are the first to go when you have to struggle to pay for food, heat, clothing and other basic necessities. A lot of insurance companies do not cover massage therapy and people will put up with pain in order to eat.

[Acadianlion]

Originally Posted by Danmac

Well I have always planned to do just what you mentioned, I'm fortunate to where I will never need to depend on what I make at work to pay my bills, this will afford me to undercut as well as out perform most local thereapists.

As for visiting Maine I plan on doing that in a few months in the Portland area primarily, and I have no intention to offer travel services as it wouldn't be prudent, nor affordable. My primary market w/ be the medical community and I will be accepting medical insurance as there are some that cover Massage. Plus my rates won't be anywhere near $100 per hour that's just insane, now in Florida when I lived there I could get that easily, as you said we have more people and more w/ money there as well.

But I think that's what has killed the profession is Massage Therapist thinking that they are deserving of that type of income when their educational background when compared to other Health Care Professionals doesn't justify it. So my rates will reflect the local economy as well as the going rate in the area.

Well and good enough.

I wasn't suggesting that you provide travel services. What I was suggesting was that YOU might have to travel to see your clients, since they would likely be spread out over a large territory.

If you can afford to move to Maine and set up shop in the greater Portland area, you might have a fighting chance of establishing a practice. However, don't even think about making a sustaining link with health insurance providers nor necessarily with physicians. Maine has basically ONE independent insurance carrier....Anthem Blue Cross....and the other group plans that exist are largely not in Maine, but are insuring groups with an employer group in Maine that is part of that larger, out of state group.

As I said before, if you can afford to support yourself here for two or three years with little to no income, you might survive. I am not a betting man, but if I were, I would bet that in two years or less you will return to Florida, or perhaps be tending bar someplace in Portland's Old Port.

[dubthang]

My gf is a lmt in Portland. It isn't easy for her around here. There are a lot of lmt's in the area. Business is highly dependent on tourists and business travellers. One can make a living here, but they aren't going to get rich. There just isn't enough money in the area right now.

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by dubthang

My gf is a lmt in Portland. It isn't easy for her around here. There are a lot of lmt's in the area. Business is highly dependent on tourists and business travellers. One can make a living here, but they aren't going to get rich. There just isn't enough money in the area right now.

there was one massage therapist, in lewiston that would come right to your home,,,i thought this was a great idea, she was very busy.

i travel alot and stay over in hotels around the state of maine,,,,ive yet to see a hotel with a massage therapist, id think that would be a lucrative market. (a massage room , not going to the rooms themselves)
maybe im staying in the cheaper hotels and missing out on this service in the higher priced hotels)

id pay decent money for a good massage (from a woman)

yes the economy is tight,, but i still see waiting lines for the restaurants in augusta, thats disposable income, being thrown out
and in times of doom and gloom, an oasis of a decent massage would be wonderful, again, id much rather have a good massage than go out to eat

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

there was one massage therapist, in lewiston that would come right to your home,,,i thought this was a great idea, she was very busy.

i travel alot and stay over in hotels around the state of maine,,,,ive yet to see a hotel with a massage therapist, id think that would be a lucrative market. (a massage room , not going to the rooms themselves)
maybe im staying in the cheaper hotels and missing out on this service in the higher priced hotels)

id pay decent money for a good massage (from a woman)

yes the economy is tight,, but i still see waiting lines for the restaurants in augusta, thats disposable income, being thrown out
and in times of doom and gloom, an oasis of a decent massage would be wonderful, again, id much rather have a good massage than go out to eat

Not Me!

[shadowfax1997]

Originally Posted by Danmac

Yeah I have found that alot here in the Mtns of NC that women tend to be afraid of Male Therapists for some unknown reason, usually ignorance! If you could set your bias and predjudice aside you'd find that those Male Massage Therapists are very good. Betcha 9 out of 10 women's Gyno's are Male Doc's right but there never seems to be a problem w/ that is there, just a tidbit from a male Nurse whose had to fight his way thru biggotry in both my careers now!

as a man, I like the idea of a young woman touching my body. It creeps me out to imagine the male friends I have massaging me. Maybe I am prejudiced, whatever.

As for gynos, my wife and her friends all have female docs. My wife has had a male doc a couple times, and each time a female nurse was assigned to the room as well. Makes one wonder why.

[CoastalMaine]

I've always had female MT's. It creeps me out to think about a man doing it too Shadow! lol I'd be worried about what they were thinking!!!

Gyno... well... I've had only one female do that and I know she's straight... but what makes me uncomfortable... wondering which way their preferences go... I don't care what they do, but I don't want them messing with me if they go the other way. It's just too infringing to me in my mind. So I've always had a man. In Mass., it's just become law a nurse must always be present duing an examination. About time imo! Whacky people in the world!

[BrokenTap]

Funny story regarding massage therapy...

I once had a shoulder injury that was so bad that I could not work and so I went to my emergency room and was fortunate to get a great Dr. She sat down beside me and shook her head.

"BT...I can give you a pill that will help take away the pain, or I can give you a pill that will relax the muscles, but to be honest with you...you don't need either. You need to see a massage therapist." She then said this, "Now I know as a farmer you think this is weird, but you need to see a guy massage therapist who has the strength to work the muscles loose. Don't think its odd or anything, but that is what you need."

So I saw they guy she recommended, and in a months time I was a lot better. I later saw her for another reason and we talked about massage therapy and she told me out of the hundreds of patients she recommended massage therapy too, I was the only one that had called her own massage therapist and had work on them. The problem is everyone today wants a pill.

Not me. That was 5 years ago and since then I see a massage therapist every 3 weeks. I will admit that my insurance does cover it so that helps a lot...but the amount of money they spend on massage therapy is a trickle to what meds and dr visits would cost. I know because I never take meds (there are better ways to cure most ailments in my opinion) and I never seem to get sick.

For what it is worth, I am the last person in the world that you would expect to see a massage therapist...for starters I'm a farmer, 35 years old who is a workaholic and despises leaving the farm...and yet since these are not foo-foo massages, but deep tissue massages, they really work. I will say that first Dr was wrong...it does not matter if massage therapists or women or men, if they are aggressive, they get into the tight spots and do wonders. And no it does not bother me if it is a guy or a girl doing the work...its NOT a sexual thing...just as a Dr can be either sex because its what they do and know that counts...a medical necessity. It should also be noted that in the 5 years I have been getting massage therapy, I have seen a lot of massage therapists come and go, and I think I have been to 15 different massage therapists, so I know each one has their own unique styles. Where I go though, the other patients seem to stick with 1 particular massage therapist so there is a pretty dedicated clientele.

I have also tried other alternative derivatives of massage therapy, such as acupuncture and reflexology. I did not respond to acupuncture all that well, but reflexology I really liked. You have to consider, I can spend up to 10 hours on a wet, concrete floor in really uncomfortable rubber boots when milking cows, which plays havoc with you feet and back, so reflexology really helps with that. Unfortunately insurance does not cover that so I don't go as often as I should, or as often as I like.

But to answer the question...I think massage therapy is accepted in Maine (deep tissue), but keep in mind, the massage therapy school in Waldoboro kicks out a lot of massage therapists so you do have quite a bit of competition.

[starwalker]

Honestly I prefer a male LMT. I still miss my LMT that I went to in Oregon... As someone earlier mentioned, guys tend to be stronger and be able to give a heavier massage, which is what I need/prefer.

One of my daughters, out in UT, is a massage therapist and even though she KNOWS her mom, and is not a weakling by any means, she had to work really hard to give me the massage I needed. Even the fellow in OR worked up to it over several sessions... his comment was along the lines of not usually having women who "could stand" -- let alone needed -- the heaviness of touch that worked best on me.