Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1488451
76 m a s s a g e & b o d y wo r k j a n u a r y/ fe b r u a r y 2 0 2 3 • Make any tendency toward itchiness or hives worse with overstimulation of the skin in those areas. • Ignore or miss signals that our client needs to consult a primary health- care provider—dizziness, faintness, or tachycardia, for instance. • Try to diagnose, label, or offer out-of- scope medical or nutritional advice to a client who lives with MCAS or one of its many associated conditions. • Assume the client's unpredictable symptoms are simply the product of their emotional instability. What are the risks if a massage therapist is uninformed about MCAS and not conscientious about meeting clients' needs? We could: • Create an uncomfortable environment with the use of fragrances (candles, incense, perfume or scented deodorant, air fresheners, detergents, fabric softeners, surface cleaners, etc.) or other irritating chemicals. • Risk triggering an allergic or even anaphylactic reaction from our lubricant. Sometimes these are delayed by several hours, so clients may not know the source of their hives, shortness of breath, or other symptoms. What possible benefits could we offer to a person who has the symptoms of MCAS? We could: • Create an environment where they can be confi dent of not having an allergic reaction, and they can experience their body in a positive way. • Focus our work on their most troublesome symptoms that are likely to respond to massage: stress, fatigue, anxiety, depression, congested sinuses, digestive upset—if we can do so without exacerbating itching or other skin symptoms. • Be supportive and compassionate about their struggles to manage their very challenging condition.