Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1488451
L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 55 A s a pathology educator and podcaster, I field a lot of massage therapists' questions about working with clients with complex diseases or conditions. I do what I can to answer them, although I'm not always able to respond in a timely manner. But I also see massage therapists reaching out to their peers in public social media settings with similar questions. And I want to offer the opinion that social media might not be the best place to get advice about tricky pathology situations in practice. Here are some lightly edited examples of why: Post: I have a client who is recovering from a heart attack and wants to receive massage. Any ideas on what I should do? Comment: Get a doctor's note. Post: My client is recovering from a bad infection, and they had to use IV antibiotics. Now they want massage. I'm a little nervous about this. Your thoughts? Comment: Check with the doc! Post: My client had breast cancer and now has lymphedema in her right arm. She wants massage but I haven't been trained in manual lymphatic drainage. Can I work on her? Comment: ABSOLUTELY NO MASSAGE without a doc's permission. KEY POINTS • A client with a complex health challenge can benefit from a conversation between their massage therapist and their health-care team. • Conversation is not the same as permission; MTs do not need a doctor's permission to massage a client whose health is challenged. • Ultimately, it is up to the massage therapist and their client to decide the safest and most effective course of bodywork. By Ruth Werner Post: My client has occasional numbness in his right foot following his knee surgery. He is training for a bike race and wants to receive massage. I'm not sure what to do for him. Comment: Has he been cleared for massage by his doc? Are we sensing a theme? Most massage therapists who don't work in medical or clinical settings don't expect to see clients with complex health situations very often. But this happens all the time: Someone coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C may visit a practitioner who specializes in helping clients with high-risk pregnancies. A person with diagnosed blood clots in her legs may show up at a student clinic because her doctor said massage would "help her circulation." A patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may want to receive massage from the therapist at her hairdresser's shop. A person disabled by a major stroke may love the hand, arm, and shoulder massages she gets at her nail salon. Each of these scenarios comes from real- life communications I have had with massage therapists or clients, and each one presents some significant challenges for practitioners who want to work both safely and effectively. For a lot of people, that means checking with the doctor first. I appreciate this impulse. It's a good instinct: It means massage therapists are aware that some situations are more complicated than others, and it would be smart to get a medical authority to give us a green light to move forward.