Therapist fights pain, opioid epidemic with massage - Fresno Bee

[massage]

Donnie Straight wanted to get into the field of massage therapy to give people an alternative method of pain relief.

He wanted to help fight the opioid epidemic currently taking lives throughout West Virginia.

"I wanted to do it to help fight the opiate situation we have, because doctors are supposed to start prescribing massage as opposed to opiates,"?Straight, a massage therapist and owner of Appalachian Massage Therapy, said.

"I know people who go to the emergency room and say they have a toothache, and get a prescription for pills. Granted, massage wouldn't help with a toothache, but the same goes for things like back problems and herniated disks."

Straight said the health benefits of a good massage can be greater than the benefits of prescribed opiates, which is why some other states already prescribe this method of treatment rather than pills.

Right now, doctors may prescribe patients with a massage to treat certain physical ailments, but this is not covered under most insurance plans in West Virginia. Straight wants to help advocate for a change in this, as it could help those who need the treatment.

"I'm having an issue with the State of West Virginia because they don't see a massage as medical,"?Straight said.

But according to Straight, the types of massages he performs are less of a risk than pain-relieving pills.

"Coming for a massage once a week and having that as opposed to popping three pills a day is going to have the same pain-relieving benefits," Straight said.

As of now, Straight uses the techniques he picked up at Clarksburg Beauty Academy to relax the muscles of his clients and alleviate their pain.

While there are different types of massage parlors that may focus on either therapy or relaxation, Straight does stick more to the medical side and is trying to become certified in medical massage.

"I lean more towards the therapeutic, medical side of stuff as opposed to the relaxing spa side, but I do do that too,"?Straight said.

The difference with Straight's business is that he utilizes several techniques sometimes in one session which serve different purposes, rather than having clients choose a method of massage beforehand.

"Most places you go to charge you different amounts for different techniques that you do, where I just charge for the time on the table,"?Straight said. "Like I said, I'm more into the medical side of things, so if I'm doing a massage on you and feel that you have muscle tension, I'm gonna get the knots out."

Straight explained that the simple act of contact can help alleviate feelings of stress and depression in an individual, and a full-on massage can provide relief to stress, depression, anxiety and pain and can also assist with sleep and daily energy, the immune system and muscle tone. One of his clients gets a weekly massage to alleviate headaches.

"I had a car wreck a while back and ever since then I've been getting bad headaches. My chiropractor did recommend it, but it's not prescribed," Kayla Durst, one of Straight's clients from Bridgeport, said. "I thought it was stupid at first. I thought, 'Why would anybody pay money for that?' Then I started coming and it completely took away my headaches."

Once Straight gets more regular clients like Durst, he hopes to begin selling products like lotion and therapy candles.

While giving Durst a back massage, Straight first applies lotion, then slowly presses on the joints and muscles in her back to create a relaxing sensation that takes away pain. A full-body massage would include him repeating this on each of her joints. He utilizes a few techniques to complete this massage.

"This is like a mix, because I don't pick the muscles up like in a deep massage, but it's a little deeper than a Swedish,"?Straight said.

The clients Straight takes now can come from walk-ins or appointments who request the amount of time they would like. He said he can probably get a massage done in 30 minutes, but recommends at least an hour to get the correct treatment.

Right now, Straight is planning on getting certified to give medical massages, though he said the way he performs the action is already beneficial.

"Massage in general, it's the oldest form of medicine. It's been around for 3,000 documented years,"?Straight said.

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