Massage therapy for chronic pain relief found reasonable and necessary to facilitate active rehabilitation exercises.
The applicant was injured in a motor vehicle accident and sought payment for two treatment plans for massage therapy to treat chronic pain.
The insurer denied the claims, relying on various medical and DAC reports.
The arbitrator found the applicant's testimony credible that massage therapy provided temporary pain relief, which in turn allowed her to engage in active exercise to improve her strength and endurance.
The arbitrator gave little weight to the insurer's medical reports, noting they either did not address massage therapy or lacked sufficient reasoning.
The arbitrator concluded that the massage therapy was a reasonable and necessary medical benefit under section 14 of the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule and ordered the insurer to pay the claimed amount of $5,190 plus interest.
OFSCDRSOntario Financial Services Commission - Dispute Resolution ServicesMar 19, 2004
