working with chiro..what arrangements do you guys have?

[Pompal 09.]

I am an LMT with 5 years overall experience (mostly home based work) and over a year in an upscale spa doing swedish, neuro and deep work.

we have good friends and the husband is a chiropractor. they have a small, very new business about 40 minutes away from my home. in their office is a very small room that they will be turning into a massage space and acquiring the permits for.

they are doing this to generate more $$ for them from the massages, and to bring in new clients to their business.

they want s/o there as much as possible to make as much $$ as possible but it will be very slow in the begining. I am 7 months pregnant and will not be able to work there on a daily basis now or even after when I have a newborn.
they have offered me to come in for a chunk of time one day a week and have s/o else for the other days. This is their first foray into the massage world, and my first time working with a DC.

they will provide the space, and most prob. the supplies as well. i think they are planing to offer smaller increments of time than a standard 1 hour massage.

how much seems reasonable in terms of a split for my work?
i currently make 50% at the spa and they charge btwn 70-90 for 50 min. plus tips.

please e/o tell me your chiro. splits, and situations. it will be most helpful

Chani

 

[hesitant_smile]

still waiting...any ideas guys??

anyone have any ideas? thanks

 

[Pompal 09.]

When I worked for the DC I was on a 50/50 split. I supplied my own music, sheets, cream, additional supplies (stool, topicals, etc.) They booked the appointments, provided the space and table, did everything with the insurance billing and paid me as an IC. I set my schedule as I wanted within their hours of business.

After 4.5 years there and a 30 min. commute (one way)~among other issues~ 50/50 just didn't do it for me anymore. I was busy and it had more to do with me and my work than them.
They would only raise the rates for the cash paying clients - which I wasn't about to do - but I knew they were charging more for the insurance clients (often getting paid 100% of a higher rate and not paying me anymore).

Your situation really depends on what they are providing and what they are expecting of you. You might want to work out more of the specifics before deciding on a pay. Nighttime was busiest for me at the office, so you might want to keep that in mind when choosing when to work.

Congrats on your pregnancy. I have 9 days left till my due date. Hope all goes well for you.

 

[The Other One]

hey Masthera-thanx for the reply.
first of all, congratulations on almost being there. the home stretch is the longest few weeks of your life. (this is my second

my only experience working for s/o else is at the spa where i make about $40 plus tips.
i'm sure ppl. don't tip at a chiro. office. I also often do "spa" type massage which is relatively easy on my body, and i'm assuming at a DC office it would be more like 'you only have 20 minutes to try and "fix" someone's whiplash'. that seems alot more stressful in terms of the work. also, since i'll only be paid for the time i'm working, and they are just starting out, to be paid for only 20 min. increments it would seem that even at a 50-50 split i'll be making pretty little per customer.

and it's 40 minutes away. hmmm.....considering that i'll have a nursing baby and a toddler to pay babysitting for at the time, mabey i should stick with spa's that are more solidly booked, easier work mostly and generous tips, etc...

as another mom-to-be what is your opinion? thanks mathera. it's hard to find pregnant massage therapists to talk to out there

Chani

 

[Jazmyne]

hey Masthera-thanx for the reply.
first of all, congratulations on almost being there. the home stretch is the longest few weeks of your life. (this is my second

Thanks - it hasn't been feeling too long, but couldn't come fast enough either. :

my only experience working for s/o else is at the spa where i make about $40 plus tips.
i'm sure ppl. don't tip at a chiro. office. I also often do "spa" type massage which is relatively easy on my body, and i'm assuming at a DC office it would be more like 'you only have 20 minutes to try and "fix" someone's whiplash'. that seems alot more stressful in terms of the work. also, since i'll only be paid for the time i'm working, and they are just starting out, to be paid for only 20 min. increments it would seem that even at a 50-50 split i'll be making pretty little per customer.

I often did get tips at the DC. Not as large as what I had gotten at spas, but it was nice. Not expected at all though.
I would work either 30 mins, 60 mins, or 90 mins on clients - something I had control over. I am not a fan of "spot work" so I prefer having plenty of time to work all areas needed.
Total was $30 per hour ($60 hour charge -set by the DC). Most clients were hour long appointments.
I was only paid during my time doing massage.

and it's 40 minutes away. hmmm.....considering that i'll have a nursing baby and a toddler to pay babysitting for at the time, mabey i should stick with spa's that are more solidly booked, easier work mostly and generous tips, etc...

Can you wait till after the baby is here to decide? One day a week may not be bad and you would probably get a different experience at the DC. But, with the baby and babysitting, you might not be busy enough to get your time/money's worth. Sounds like the spa is a good place, if you like it there.

as another mom-to-be what is your opinion? thanks mathera. it's hard to find pregnant massage therapists to talk to out there

Feel free to PM me and we can chit chat more.

 

[Imo]

i'm with masthera,

sounds like the spa is the place to stay if you like it. i don't AT ALL see the benefit of you working for this chiro. and i'm ALWAYS leary of someone who puts massage in their office as a way to make more money. that just says to me, we don't care what happens as long as we're making money. that will never be a good thing for anyone involved.

look at the pros and cons of it.... to me, i can find way more cons than pros. but if it's something you really want to do...

just be sure to think through the possibilities if you start there.

good luck over the next few weeks and have fun with your new bundle of joy when he/she arrives!

 

[redhead]

hey guys. thanks for the help.
its funny, i was in costco and i saw another chiro (his office is much closer to my house) and we got to talking and he said he needs someone part time.
i asked how much he pays and he said $20 an hour regardless of work. but that he expects to be busy during any hours i'm there. (i.e. don't count on a break)
and on top of that he didn't seem clear on the massage estab. license issue. he said as long as he's in the office, i can do massage under his license and he bills it as manual therapy, not massage. plus he doesn't even have a real massage table, just chiro tables.

hmmm... i never really liked the whole "chiro" way of things and now i remember why.

only problem is that the spa i work at is night hours and sundays and i definitely can't do nights with the new baby and my DH in night school. so if they have any daytime hours after the baby is born i will be happy to go back, but if not i'm trying to peice together some part time steady work in addition to my private clients.

guess i'll just keep my eyes and ears open and see what comes up.
Chani

 

[Danika]

i asked how much he pays and he said $20 an hour regardless of work. but that he expects to be busy during any hours i'm there. (i.e. don't count on a break)
and on top of that he didn't seem clear on the massage estab. license issue. he said as long as he's in the office, i can do massage under his license and he bills it as manual therapy, not massage. plus he doesn't even have a real massage table, just chiro tables.

Many strikes against this one - IMO.
$20 hour to work you to the bone - fast road to burnout
Chiro tables are low and usually not adjustable - bad.
Don't know about the massage establishment license either - my DC and my MT work in the same office - she has to be there for my MT to work and they bill insurance - not sure if it is a manual therapy code or not.

I would keep looking - can you continue to work at home?
I am working from home and will implement a half day schedule once the baby is here.

 

[Rach]

Hi all

My random mental pretzel is as follows....

I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing if the chiro looks to massage therapy as a way to make some extra money; many chiropractors are struggling with public perception, Seforum.xxxGERING student loan debt that takes many years to pay off, and in many markets, a saturation of chiropractors all in competition with each other. That said, I don't mind if they want to make a little extra income on massage IF (AND ONLY IF) they pay a fair salary. I personally think that $20 per hour for an MT is an absolute SCAM toward the MT, and a slap in the face. It also shows that they don't value your work or you as a person, and there's no way in hell I'd work for, or with, someone like that.

Personally, I'm rather client-centered and I see the merit in nearly ALL forms of natural therapy--whether it's chiropractic, massage, homeopathy, nutrition, acupuncture, herbs, cleansing, etc etc. So, I would personally LIKE to see more massage therapy in chiropractic (and other medical) settings. It gets us away from the "massage is a luxury for the rich" and "massage is just another word for [an other illicit market]" perceptions/misconceptions. The more we are seen as another cog in the wheel of overall health, the more elevated OUR status becomes. (I'm always leery of a chiro who does NOT see the value in massage! Knowing what they know about the body, having gone through the amount and kind of school they went through, they should be our biggest champions!) Massage and chiropractic go very well together; they augment one another and allow the client to derive the greatest benefit from each other, and I'd like to foster that relationship.

I think that a chiro office is a great training ground for an MT. It's also a great environment in which an MT can do corrective work, if that's their calling. I know that MTs in private practice are going to generate more income than one who works at a chiro office. Everyone knows how the MT is helping the chiro and their business. But I also look at how the chiro is helping the MT. The chiro is supplying the storefront, which is something many private practice therapists do not have. Many local ordinances prohibit MTs from practicing out of their homes; this means that if they choose to do so to save on overhead, they must do so quietly and this limits their ability to advertise. Some ppl (still) feel squeamish about going to a therapist's house--it's too personal, or it may look unprofessional to some, or whatever. Being able to practice out of a client's office alleviates all that by giving the MT that storefront and that public presence and allowing them to advertise their services. The MT also gets referrals from the DC, which is less likely to be true for an MT in private practice. (Now, even with all that, I still don't condone $20 per hour, especially for deeper or medical-type work! To me, the absolute bottom starting hourly amount should be $30, and go up from there based on a few factors such as experience, availability, training, etc etc.)

Another unrelated point: I have done massage using a chiropractic table! I've been there and done that, and it IS BAD!! Do NOT do that. You will hurt yourself and expedite burnout if you do.

BTW, for those that don't yet know, I'm currently a massage therapist, and I am also about to start chiropractic school. Both modalities have helped me immensely and I want to share. I may do massage even as a chiropractor. I will probably end up contracting with another MT. I do plan to help pay off some of these massive student loans (about $230k between the 2 of us!!!) with IC MTs. There will be benefits on both sides, and there will be costs on both sides. It's a compromise. Hopefully we will find some like-minded individuals with whom we can share a common ground, common goals, and a common mindset. No matter how much (or eventually, how little) massage I personally do, I will NEVER forget the fact that I'm an MT too, and I do NOT plan to be guilty of "eating my young"!

Just my randomness...

Hugs,
~Jyoti

 

[firewomen]

Just Starting Out With a Local Chiro

Hello,

I am just starting out with a local chiro. She is going to pay me $37 to start, plus tips and she says most clients tip. I'm just out of school so I think this is a good job for me.

It sounds like you'll have a long drive. Think of the cost of transportation. $20.00 is too low.

I will do both full body massages on a real massage table as well as warming up clients on a chiro table. The chiro table seems to be a bit of a challenge but I'm up for it.

Will you be comfortable massaging being pregnant? How does that affect proper body alignment? Don't strain yourself. It's only a few months away, maybe you could wait until afterwards.

Just a thought.

Best wishes to you! :