The therapists at Hands On approach healing from a whole-body perspective.  We are not just interested in helping the client alleviate pain, but also in finding the underlying cause of the pain.  Pain reduction is a primary objective.  However, many pain patterns will eventually recur if you don't look to change the underlying factors that are contributing to either the origination of the pain or in maintaining the pain pattern.   Client education is an on going part of the therapy process.  The manual therapy techniques are important for restoring balance and correcting musculoskeletal mis alignments.  They also help bring and restore awareness into compromised areas.  Muscle re-education through stretching, strengthening, posture and body mechanics correction are also essential components in a good long term prognosis.

The Physical Therapy Practice Act in Texas requires all patients to have a doctors prescription in order to receive services from a Physical Therapist.  Patients can have a Physical Therapy Evaluation without a doctors prescription but a prescription is required in order to receive on going treatment.

An insurance referral is an authorization specifically required by an insurance carrier and is for a specific insurance plan.  Insurance Referral and a doctors prescription are often confused.

If you are wanting to have your treatment paid for by your health insurance, you must have a doctor’s prescription.

Services through the Massage Therapy Practice do not require a doctor’s prescription and are not reimbursable through your health insurance.

Myofascial Release is a manual therapy technique.  It can be performed by a properly trained therapist (PT/OT/MT).  Your health insurance will pay for Myofascial Release if it is done under Physical or Occupational Therapy but not Massage Therapy.

Internal pelvic floor treatment is not allowable under the Massage Practice.  It requires a doctor’s prescription and must be done under the PT or OT license.

Physical Therapy - A scope of practice primarily concerned with the remediation of impairments and disabilities while promoting mobility, functional  ability, quality of life and movement potential through the use of examination, diagnosis, physical intervention techniques and passive modality agents carried out by physical therapists.

Occupational Therapy - A scope of practice providing holistic health care techniques that aim to promote health by enabling individuals to perform meaningful and purposeful activities across the lifespan using therapeutic techniques to develop, recover or maintain the daily living and work skills of the individual carried out by occupational therapists.

Massage Therapy - The manipulating of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue using various techniques to enhance function, aid in the healing process, decrease pain and promote relaxation and well-being carried out by a licensed massage therapist.

Each type of therapy listed above requires a license to perform and is governed by a state regulated practice act.  All above therapies allow for the therapeutic touching of the human body.  To maintain a current active license every therapist must attend yearly continuing education classes. Many continuing education classes offer advanced level therapeutic interventions and techniques for remediation of musculo-skeletal dysfunction.

At HOPT all our therapists have had advanced training in remediation of musculo-skeletal dysfunction and perform as a team in the care and treatment of our clients.

Our individual practice acts allow for differing levels of care:

Physical Therapists in the state of Texas are required to receive a doctors’ order, regardless if an individual wants to pay cash for services or utilize insurance benefits.

Occupational therapists in the state of Texas are allowed to treat clients without a doctors’ order under general wellness if a client wants non-specific treatment for routine maintenance and is not usually billable to insurance. For specific conditions a doctors’ order is required and may be billed to your insurance.

Massage therapists typically provide general maintenance care without a doctors’ prescription and is typically non-reimbursed by insurance.

Physical Therapy rate for one hour is $150.00. Please contact us for more information about rates and accepted insurance plans.

A typical massage therapy session is between 60 and 90 minutes and can be longer depending your personal preference. Your massage will begin with a brief consultation and review of symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle. 

Please undress (or feel free to keep your underwear on) while the massage therapist is out of the room, and lie under the sheet on the massage table. 

When you are ready, the massage therapist will re-enter the room and the therapist will make the proper adjustments to your body to alleviate the stress. 

Please communicate to the therapist any issues of soreness, tenderness, pain or areas of tension. This will allow the therapist to apply the proper techniques in order to heal the area. 

After the massage, the therapist leaves the room so you can get changed. 

Take your time getting up. If you sit or stand too quickly you may feel lightheaded or dizzy. Please all drink a lot of water in order to flush out the toxins released during the massage.

One hour of any Massage Therapy service from any of our Licensed Massage Therapists is $100.00. Please contact us to learn more about our rates.

We are skilled in many techniques, specializing in Myofascial Release.

We also offer:

• Deep Tissue: Targets the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. It is used to relieve chronically tight or painful muscles, repetitive strain, postural problems, or to aid in recovery from injury.
• Sportsmassage: Specifically designed for those involved in physical activity, and aimed at treating injury, stretching, and enhancing athletic performance.
• Swedish: Smooth strokes, kneading, and circular movements on superficial layers of muscle to reduce stress and promote relaxation.
• Pregnancy: Reduces swelling, increases circulation, and promotes relaxation. Special pregnancy pad or pillow is used for optimal comfort.
• Chair: Chair massage focuses on the neck, back, and arms.
• Hot Stone: This ancient healing massage using acupressure points and hot stones to relax, revitalize, and detoxify sore muscles.
• Acupressure/Trigger Point: Involves gradual application of varying pressure to painful tissue until symptoms decrease or the muscle relaxes.
• Cross-fiber: Disrupts and breaks down existing and forming adhesions in muscles, tendons and ligaments using compression and motion.
• Craniosacral Therapy- see FAQ
• Lymphatic Drainage- see FAQ
• Reiki- see FAQ

• Relieves neck and back pain, headache pain
• Relieves discomfort and low back pain during pregnancy
• Reduces stress, athletic Injury and recovery time, spasms and cramping, and post surgery scar tissue and edema
• Stimulates flow of lymph (the body's natural defense system) and endorphins
• Increases circulation, joint flexibility and range of motion
• Relaxes injured or overused muscles, mind and body

Targeted toward specific problems, a therapeutic massage addresses the needs of the patient's unique circumstances. Our licensed massage therapists perform therapeutic massages customized for the problem, combining a variety of techniques in order to heal the area. Myofascial Release is one of our primary tools used in therapeutic massage.

Some other techniques applied include trigger point therapy,craniosacral therapy, neuromuscular or movement re-education and rehabilitative stretches. Stress is a significant cause of a lot of tension and problems. Relaxation techniques are also utilized including proper breathing techniques.

• Decreases Pain and Inflammation
• 
Reduces stress and improves circulation
• Allows for increased flexibility and range of motion
• 
Helps Digestion

Massage therapists, with their knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathology, are some of the best trained people to deal with myofascial and musculoskeletal pain syndromes. They spend many hours physically palpating and manipulating the muscles and soft tissue of the body. Whether it is lower back pain, arthritis, repetitive stress from computer use, or fibromyalgia, massage may be able to relieve the associated pain. In some cases, massage is the most effective tool to relieve symptoms.

Our therapists are certified and licensed in the state of Texas and are continually learning new skills in the ever-growing field of massage and bodywork.

Massage therapy is not recommended for:

• People with infectious skin disease, rash, or open wounds
• Immediately after surgery
• Immediately after chemotherapy or radiation, unless recommended by your doctor
• People prone to blood clots. There is a risk of blood clots being dislodged. If you have heart disease, check with your doctor before having a massage
• Massage will not be done directly over bruises, inflamed skin, unhealed wounds, tumors, abdominal hernia, or areas of recent fractures.

Massage therapy shouldn't hurt. Occasionally there is mild aching when the massage therapist applies pressure over "knots" and other areas of muscle tension. If the pressure is too strong for you, let the massage therapist know.

Most people feel calm and relaxed after a treatment. Occasionally, people experience mild temporary aching for a day.

At Hands On, we use a whole body treatment approach called Myofascial Release.  For this to work effectively we need to be able to have skin to skin contact as much as is possible and appropriate.  This is a whole body approach and so even if your pain seems to be located in a very specific location we may be looking at other parts of your body and fascial system to see if other restrictions are contributing to your pain.

For men, we ask that you wear loose fitting shorts without a shirt.

For women we ask that you wear something that you would feel comfortable moving in, but that exposes the skin.  Examples may be: shorts and a bra or sports bra, a two piece swim suit, or your bra and underwear.

We respect any special considerations that may arise and encourage you to speak to your therapists if you have any more specific questions or concerns about what to wear to therapy.

Craniosacral therapy is an alternative or complementary healing modality that uses gentle touch to manipulate the bones of the skull and the lower spine and pelvis. The technique was developed by an osteopathic physician and professor of biomechanics, John E. Upledger. Craniosacral therapy is intended to increase and normalize the flow of cerebrospinal fluid through the bones of the head, the spine and the pelvis, thereby restoring health to sufferers of a range of health conditions. Like traditional Chinese medicine, the healing method aims to remove blockages in healthy flow, which result in the manifestation of disease. However, instead of working energetically, craniosacral therapy works with the tissues and fluids surrounding the central nervous system.

According to craniosacral therapists, the treatment may relieve pain, joint problems, chronic fatigue, depression, hyperactivity and various diseases affecting the nervous, immune or endocrine systems. However, given the dramatic difference between a craniosacral framework and the scientific medical model, these results are not necessarily borne out by scientific trials. According to the American Cancer Society, the therapy has not been proven to treat cancer or any other disease, but may relieve stress and tension.

Manual lymph drainage massage (also called lymphatic drainage and lymph massage) is a form of very light massage that encourages lymph flow in the body. It is particularly good for detoxification, edema, pre- and post-plastic surgery and post-liposuction. It can also help with cellulite treatments, scar tissue, spider veins, redness and acne.

The lymph system is a slow-moving system of vessels and lymph nodes that is supplementary to the body's system of blood circulation. The lymph systen both delivers nutrients to the cells and carries away excess water, cellular waste, bacteria, viruses and toxins.

A therapist trained in lymph drainage massage stimulates the lymph system with extremely light, circular pumping movements. By stimulating the lymphatic system, the therapist helps drain puffy, swollen tissues, supports the body's immune system, helps the body heal from surgery, and aids in the body's natural waste removal or detoxification.

Reiki is a very specific form of energy healing, in which hands are placed just off the body or lightly touching the body, as in “laying on of hands.”  According to many versions of its origin, Dr Mikao Usui, a Japanese seeker of spiritual truths, brought the Reiki method of healing into human awareness in 1922 after a deep spiritual experience. He is said to have begun teaching others after a serious earthquake hit Japan and he felt urged to spread his knowledge.

In a Reiki session, the practitioner is seeking to transmit Universal Life Energy to the client. The intention is to create deep relaxation, to help speed healing, reduce pain, and decrease other symptoms you may be experiencing.

Patricia Saathoff, LMT,  is our certified Reiki practitioner.

This refers to the concept that seemingly unrelated impairments in a remote anatomical region may contribute to or be associated with the client's primary complaint. For example, a headache may be caused by or contributing to neck, hip or pelvic pain just as back muscle tightness or spasms can cause leg or neck pain.