Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/230373
➺ They are more likely to occur in circumstances that cause blood to be diverted from core circulation. In these situations, there is simply less blood for the heart to pump to the brain, so the effect is easier to elicit. In my experience, these symptoms do not go away if the massage continues. It is best to end the massage as soon as the client reports feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or nauseous. Assist the client slowly out of the chair and let them sit with their head between their knees, or better yet, lie down in a side-lying position until the sensation subsides. Here are some contributing factors you should be particularly aware of: 1. Food: If someone has just eaten a meal, there will be a diversion of blood to the stomach and intestines to digest the food. There is less blood circulating to the muscles and other organs. That's why you often feel tired after a big meal. 2. Recent exercise: If someone has just exercised without cooling down, the blood will be diverted to the muscles. In exercise classes, they typically have you do cool-down exercises at the end of your exercise session. In the cool-down exercises, the instructor has you do light muscle contractions to force the blood out of the muscles and into circulation again. Don't massage anyone who has been exercising if they are actively perspiring, breathing heavily, flushed, or hot. If the client sits in the massage chair without cooling down sufficiently first, blood pools in the muscles, especially in the legs, which are in a flexed position. Ask her to wait, perhaps until after she has taken a shower, which should give ample time for blood flow to normalize. 3. Heat: When someone is too hot, blood flow is diverted to the skin, where the air can take the heat away from the body. Exercise caution in situations where your client: • Is in a hot environment (outside on a hot day, or in a room with little air circulation, for example). • Has just exercised. PROTOCOL 101 No matter what the situation, don't panic! The fainting spell will pass. Stay calm. The client will most likely regain consciousness within seconds. In my experience, a fainting client almost always regains consciousness in less than 30 seconds. If it takes longer than 2 minutes, then something more serious may have occurred. Call for emergency care. Call 911 if the person is recovered, but shows any of the following: • Signs of heart attack: chest pain, chest pressure, chest discomfort, or a pounding or irregular heartbeat. • Signs of stroke: can't speak, has vision problems, or can't move a limb. • Signs of seizure: convulsions, tongue trauma, or loss of bowel control. Otherwise, keep the client lying down for at least 10–15 minutes or until she is fully lucid. Once she is conscious, you may have her roll onto her back and either bend the hips and knees or elevate the feet. Stay with the client until she is fully recovered. Do not leave her for any reason. Simply talk to her in a relaxed voice as she regains consciousness. Comfort her. Let her know that everything is OK; she just fainted. Tell her to lie still and assure her she'll feel fine in just a few minutes. Don't slap or shake anyone who has just fainted and don't splash water in their face. That only works in the movies. In addition, don't try to give the person anything to eat or drink, not even water, until they are fully conscious. There are really no lasting effects from fainting. The person may feel a little queasy, but once blood pressure normalizes, she should feel fine. Some people feel quite normal within 5–10 minutes. Others have reported feeling a little off or unsettled for hours afterward. Be sure to explain what has happened so that they understand it was not something that happened as a result of the massage, but rather a simple reflex that was likely caused by some pressure to the front of their neck. Let them know that about 10 percent of the population has a hypersensitive reflex and they could possibly be one of those people. If you don't help them understand what has happened, they will likely overreact and you could find yourself with a liability claim on your hands. It pays to be ABMP Certified: www.abmp.com/go/certifiedcentral 65