Whiplash in Citrus County, and who pays for the massage

What the sessions are like

Slow, and lighter than people expect at the start. A neck that has been hit is no place to be clever in the first few weeks, so a first visit is a light one on purpose.

Most of it is the neck and the upper back and the shoulders, and often the jaw and the base of the skull. If you're guarding one side, the other side has been doing all the work, and that side usually needs as much attention as the side that hurts.

Once you're an established client I can come to you, anywhere in Citrus County, which after a collision matters more than usual, because driving is often the thing that hurts most.

Your doctor clears you first

Neck and back pain after a collision needs looking at properly before anybody works on it. When soft-tissue work becomes appropriate is a medical decision, and your doctor is the one who makes it.

Once you are cleared, bring me whatever they told you. If they want a written note after each session, they get one.

Florida PIP doesn't pay for massage

This surprises almost everybody. Florida took massage therapy out of PIP medical benefits in January 2013, under section 627.736(1)(a)5 of the state statutes, so it makes no difference who provides the massage. The same section says a licensed massage therapist cannot be paid under PIP at all. That is still the law today.

So if somebody offers to bill your PIP for massage, ask them to show you where it says they can.

What people do instead

Most pay out of pocket. If you have an attorney, they can send me a letter of protection, and then the bill goes to the settlement. It is a normal arrangement in Florida and your attorney will know exactly what it means.

Either way you'll know the cost before you book. Sessions at the Inverness studio start at $79 for an hour and $109 for ninety minutes.

Questions