A massage is always a good idea. Any excuse will do.

One of my boot campers forwarded this message to me about using you flexible spending dollars for massage therapy. It sounds like a perfect way to put those use it or lose it dollars to work.

Now this is from a specific massage chain but the rules apply no matter where you choose to get our rub down.

check it out and enjoy!

Sarai Jones

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The end of summer always signals a switch in schedules. It seems as if things suddenly go from slow-and-lazy summer to full-speed-ahead fall. As your me-time gets more scarce, it’s more important than ever to pay attention to your health. That includes eating right, exercising, getting plenty of sleep and getting regular massages to help keep your stress at a healthy level.
While we can’t help cross many of the tasks off your to-do list, we do have good news. This is likely the time of year when your flexible spending account (FSA) is soon approaching the closing date. If you still have money to spend, don’t forget that massage therapy is an eligible expense. And since FSAs have a "use it or lose it" policy, you have a great reason to move massage a priority in your schedule.

While the health and wellness benefits of regular massage are many, not all massages qualify for your pre-tax FSA dollars. Based on federal tax code, a qualified expense "must be to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental defect or illness." Massage is a frequently endorsed component in the treatment and prevention of a number of conditions. For starters, by lowering your heart rate and blood pressure, relaxing muscles and increasing endorphins, massage can aid in releasing stress, which is a leading contributor to a number of health conditions. It also can help naturally boost your immune system leading to fewer illnesses.

The news about massage is also good for migraine sufferers because massage has been shown to decrease headache frequency and reduce sleep disturbances, as well as reduce the chances of stress-induced headaches.

Additionally, recent research shows that massage therapy can help those who have insomnia, chronic pain, depression and anxiety, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and fibromyalgia, and is beneficial for people recovering from surgery.

Ready to use up your FSA dollars on a massage? Here’s what you need to do:

1. Talk to your medical practitioner (any healthcare provider who can write a prescription). A prescription for massage is required for your therapy to count as a qualified medical expense.
2. Double-check the prescription. It should contain three pieces of information: Length of treatment, duration, reason for prescribing massage therapy.
3. Schedule an appointment at Massage Envy. Although you will not have to bring your prescription to the clinic for your appointment, be sure to hang on to it.
4. Keep all receipts for your records. Even though an expense is approved, you could still get audited by the Internal Revenue Service. To avoid problems, keep your written prescription and your FSA debit or credit card statement or other type of receipt that shows what you spent on the massage therapy.

If you don’t have an FSA, ask your Human Resources contact about your options and consider signing up for this benefit during your company’s next open-enrollment period.