Review: Massage Therapy (not chiropractic) at Healing Chiropractic
This review concerns massage therapy services only, not chiropractic care, at Healing Chiropractic. The massage treatment I received here significantly aggravated an existing injury I am recovering from. In my view, this outcome could likely have been avoided had the precautions I clearly communicated beforehand been followed.
I sought care at this clinic as part of a long-term injury recovery. The massage therapist, Leonard Pinkowski, performed a session that resulted in a substantial setback in my progress.
Before the massage, we spent several minutes discussing specific limitations and contraindications related to my injury. I explained that my neck is highly vulnerable and that certain movements must be avoided. Despite this discussion, without prior warning, my neck was placed into a position that immediately aggravated my symptoms.
On the drive home, I felt very disoriented, experiencing head pressure, and pain radiating toward my eyes. After about one week, pressure ache symptoms persisted, and redistributed into my sinuses. Two days after the massage, I informed my physical therapist of what occurred. She expressed concern and stated that the maneuver described should not be performed in someone with my injury presentation. She also noted increased cervical tightness compared to my previous visit.
Prior to the massage, I specifically communicated that: 1. No stretching or twisting of my neck should occur. 2. Rocking my body, even while working on other areas, should be avoided. 3. My cervical range of motion is very limited and should not be forced.
When asked about home activities, I explained that even a mild cervical pillow was too aggressive for me. I was also asked about hanging my head off the edge of the bed while lying on my back (a traction-like position), and I stated that this would be far too aggressive. A chiropractor at another clinic later advised me that such edge-of-bed positioning should never be suggested during recovery from this type of injury.
The original injury months earlier resulted from a traction-based mechanism, which had previously been disclosed to the LMT. Given this context, it was especially concerning that my neck was placed into a traction-like position during the massage. I asked for reduced pressure once this occurred, but it appears to have been too late.
It has now been 28 days since this aggravation occurred, and the symptoms introduced during that session have not fully resolved. This timeline can be verified by multiple providers on my recovery team. Progress I had made was disrupted, and this setback caused me to miss a planned therapeutic window over the holidays, altering my recovery timeline.
I have received therapeutic or medical massage from eight licensed massage therapists in my recovery. This one was the only instance in which a massage session resulted in a significant and persistent setback, which I believe may have resulted from precautions not being followed. My wife has previously received massage at Healing Chiropractic just once. Her impression of the LMT was also that communication felt more directive than collaborative.
I contacted Healing Chiropractic the next day to report what occurred. To their credit, they did initially apologize and stated that they take feedback very seriously. However, I am unsure how this translated into any meaningful follow-up. A message I later sent was not returned. In the weeks following, I required several additional therapies specifically to address the aggravation.
Recommendation: Individuals recovering from significant or sensitive injuries may wish to exercise caution when considering massage therapy at this clinic. read more
