    |
Knowing massage contraindications could mean the difference between life and deathSurprised? There are conditions that can be aggrivated or fatal when massaged.Do Not Massage the Client if...• He or she is on heart medication or has blood flow issues like clotting or hemorrhaging.Massage has a lot of impact on blood flow and if, for instance, the client unknowingly has a clot somewhere in the circulatory system, the massage might dislodge the clot and it could potentially flow to the brain. This is bad news. It’s much better to just ask before you start. • The client has cancer. This is a controversial one. The belief is that someone with cancer should not receive massage because the massage will increase blood flow to the cancerous area, which increases the rate with which the cancerous tumor grows. Others say that massage lifts the spirits and increases endorphin output (feel-good chemicals the brain releases), improving the cancer patient’s outlook which is vital to healing and recovery. I am split between the two arguments. I believe that massaging cancer patients but not the cancerous area. SIDEBAR: My father had pancreatic cancer and when he was in the hospital I would gently massage his hands and feet. They kept the hospital really cold and this would warm his extremities. Also, he had a bit of edema in his legs and I would gently encourage the fluids toward his torso (and there was already a machine hooked up to his legs doing this anyway). What I didn’t do was massage his abdomen or back. I later discovered that what I was doing was a special massage called “compassionate touch” that is performed to bring comfort to terminally ill patients. • He or she just had surgery. Especially the area that has been operated on. Once the wound has fully healed, the scar can be massaged with castor oil, but right after surgery the body needs rest. A bit of “compassionate touch” might be good but nothing more. • He or she is on drugs or alcohol. Massage and a glass of wine seem to go together hand in hand as a way to relax, but, as mentioned earlier alcohol thins the blood and affects bloodflow and massage also increases blood flow. Alcohol and drugs also make people less aware and less sensitive to stimulation. There is greater potential to injure the receiver because he/she is numbed to realize the massage is too deep. And of course, the person giving the massage should be sober, too. • He or she has a fresh (or even not so fresh, but actively painful) injury and hasn’t seen the doctor yet. A massage therapist is not a substitute for a doctor. Check with the doctor first about the injury and be sure to ask if the massage would encourage healing.
|
