Sports Massage and Insulin Users: Contraindications & Considerations

Question
Im a massage therapy student im doing a presentation on insulin in sports are there any contraindications for sports massage on athletes who are insulin users?

Answer
Hi Reyna,

Excellent question!  I think the best person to answer that question would be the doctor of the athlete.  And I am assuming that the athlete is a diabetic and not using insulin for other reasons such as muscle building.

My gut feeling is that there would not be a problem with sports massage.  The contraindication that comes to mind would be not to massage the injection site.

I don't recall ever reading about sports massage being contraindicated for diabetic athletes and it is beneficial for diabetics.

I hope this helps with your presentation.  And whenever you are in doubt about the ability or condition of an individual to receive massage or give you good feedback, it's better to err on the side of working too light.

Kathryn