C h e c k o u t A B M P 's P o c k e t P a t h o l o g y a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / a b m p - p o c k e t - p a t h o l o g y - a p p . 53
and maximize benefits. To help us down that path, I
created a short list of screening questions with rationales
and decision points for these clients, available at
www.abmp.com/updates/blog-posts/questions-clients-
who-have-had-covid-19. This is just a starting place; we
all have to be ready to adapt as more information becomes
available. I also discuss these questions in the video that
accompanies this article (see QR code on page 57).
The repeating message in the "Implications for
Massage Therapy" sections of this article is that we
must proceed with great caution. This disease impacts
function in ways we are still discovering, and adding
any challenge to a person's already-limited capacity for
adaption will not do them any favors. But stress-relieving,
non-challenging massage may be a powerful addition
to our clients' coping strategies. Focus on easy, stress-
free breathing for those who have struggled with lung
function, anxiety, or post-intensive care syndrome. Bring
your best, undemanding, soothing touch to this difficult
situation, and you will be a great gift to our clients.
I recommend only incrementally adding intensity
to massage sessions as you and your clients explore how
they respond. Follow-up calls to check for how people
respond to their massage—and whether they have
any unexpected reactions or repercussions—will be
especially important. And finally, I want to emphasize
the importance of detailed documentation. People who
work with COVID-19 survivors are in a unique position
to explore the best roles for massage therapy. I hope to see
case reports on this topic soon: we need them to inform
future research and practice for massage therapy.
Ruth Werner is a former massage therapist, a writer, and an
NCBTMB-approved continuing education provider. She wrote
A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology (available at
www.booksofdiscovery.com), now in its seventh edition, which
is used in massage schools worldwide. Werner is available at
www.ruthwerner.com or wernerworkshops@ruthwerner.com.
Pathak, Neha. "Life after COVID-19: The Road to Recovery."
WebMD Health News, May 14, 2020. Accessed July
2020. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/930547.
Phend, Crystal. "The Case for Organized Post-COVID
Care." MedPage Today, June 15, 2020. Accessed July
2020. www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/
covid19/87061.
Ries, Julia. "COVID-19 Can Attack the Heart in
Addition to the Lungs." Healthline, May 20, 2020.
Accessed July 2020. www.healthline.com/health-
news/how-covid-19-triggers-heart-conditions.
Rogers, Jonathan P. et al. "Psychiatric and Neuropsychiatric
Presentations Associated with Severe Coronavirus
Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with
Comparison to the COVID-19 Pandemic." The Lancet
Psychiatry 7, no. 7 (July 2020): 611–27. Accessed July
2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30203-0.
Sheraton, Mack et al. "A Review of Neurological
Complications of COVID-19." Cureus 12, no.
5 (May 2020): e8192. Accessed July 2020.
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.8192.
Smith, Dana G. "Coronavirus May Be a Blood Vessel
Disease, Which Explains Everything." Medium, May
29, 2020. Accessed July 2020. https://elemental.
medium.com/coronavirus-may-be-a-blood-vessel-
disease-which-explains-everything-2c4032481ab2.
Sperati, C. John. "Coronavirus: Kidney Damage
Caused by COVID-19." May 13, 2020. Accessed
July 2020. www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/
conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-
kidney-damage-caused-by-covid19.
Stam, Henk J., Gerold Stucki, and Jerome Bickenbach.
"Covid-19 and Post Intensive Care Syndrome: A
Call for Action." Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
52, no. 4 (April 2020). Accessed July 2020.
https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-2677.
Vastag, Brian, and Beth Mazur. "Researchers Warn
Covid-19 Could Cause Debilitating Long-Term Illness
in Some Patients." The Washington Post, May 29,
2020. Accessed July 2020. www.washingtonpost.
com/health/could-covid-19-cause-long-term-chronic-
fatigue-and-illness-in-some-patients/2020/05/29/
bcd5edb2-a02c-11ea-b5c9-570a91917d8d_story.html.
Zhang, Chao, Lei Shi, and Fu-Sheng Wang. "Liver
Injury in COVID-19: Management and Challenges."
The Lancet: Gastroenterology and Hepatology 5,
no. 5 (May 2020): 428–30. Accessed July 2020.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(20)30057-1.
Listen to Ruth Werner's new podcast I
Have a Client Who
. . . on The ABMP
Podcast network at www.abmp.com/
podcasts.
THE ABMP PODCAST
SPEAKING WITH
THE MASSAGE
& BODYWORK
PROFESSION
