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I need to ask someone's advice on something that happened. I am a male who has fibromyalgia. I have had probably 300 massages, all different types, and never had one complaint from any therapist about my behavior. All I try to do during massage is zone out and sleep, something I do little of unfortunately with my pain and fatigue.
I had been going to a chiropractic/pain center where I would get a massage once or twice a month, covered under insurance. I probably had gone there 3 years, or at least 2.5. Anyway, I had a sciatic nerve problem, and unfortunately, the therapist I used to go to left and they replaced her with another therapist, not of my choosing. On the first massage, I said no deep pressure due to my fibro, but she proceeded to use deep elbow work on my legs, back, and glutes and it was terribly painful and uncomfortable. I was going to switch to another therapist, but decided to give her once more chance. On the second massage,it was fine but then the last 10 minutes were bizarre. She starts shaking my hips from side to side, which killed my sciatic nerve and I was in great pain. Then she starts pressing on my back, almost like a chiropractor, and pushing me hard into the table...it was actually causing great discomfort and pressure on my bladder. When the massage was over, I got out of there fast and scheduled with someone else.
9 days later I get a call from the call from the chirpractor saying I no longer can be a patient there and he will refer me to someone else. Says the therapist complained that there were wet spots on the sheet and she no longer was comfortable working with me. She also told her friend who is a massage therapist there, and now she won't work with me even though she had before with no complaints. I was stunned and caught way, way off-guard by this...as I've never had any type of ethical complaint about me ever. And I am dependent on massage. The truth is, I think it was urine...I think I was in so much pain, and she press and thrusted me back and forth into the table so much that some urine must have spilled out of my bladder. It definitely wasn't whatever she thought it was. But to me, it was 100% a problem with her technique, which was bizarre. It was so bizarre that I went home and told 3 people about it that same day...before I got this phone call. The whole thing is quite embarrassing, but I don't really think this happened if the therapist hadn't used techniques she shouldn't really use on anyone...Anyhow, just wondered your thoughts on this...
I'd suggest you call them back, and ask to speak to the manager, explaining exactly what you've explained here. See what they have to say.
Or talk to the insurance company who are funding the treatments. Describe the treatment you received and query the training the therapist has taken.
Perhaps, in hindsight, you should have told the management about the first treatment you received from this therapist - it is obviously totally inappropriate and contraindicated for your underlying symptoms - and not given her the benefit of the doubt and gone back.
Also, fluids on couch linen could be anything - it would take lab analysis to confirm the source! When I change linen after each client, there is usually evidence of oil/lotion/perspiration - but ejaculate??? Not sure a chap could provide a sample of this if they are in severe pain during treatment from an inadequately trained therapist.
Thanks for the replies. I emailed the chiropractor and told him my viewpoint of what happened during the situation. Since therapist A and B won't work with me, he said he would ask therapist C, and she agreed to see me. I had been seen three times before by her with no incidents. I went back for the first time a week ago and it was fine. I now feel a little like I am on probation...I started wearing underwear during massages where I didn't before just because now what if there is one drop of anything on a sheet one time? It's not really best for my lower back and hip problems, but I don't want to risk anything again. At least not until I feel comfortable with the therapist.
I'm pretty sure when the therapist after hurting my back badly by shaking my hips left and right, and then pushed me into the table up and down for long periods of time - I think she actually might have forced some urine out. I was in horrible pain and wasn't really focused on controlling my bladder, which was being pushed into the table so hard I couldn't feel anything. At any rate, it was her technique that was the problem, not me.