Question I have been asked to speak to members of a stroke club. My specialty isn't in medical massage but I believe a gentle Swedish massage would be beneficial to these patients. What contraindications should I look for?
AnswerOoooo, this can get really long, but I don't want to go there.
Generally, I'd OK a gentle Swedish massage for the placebo effect. There would be no CI's I can think of.
Emphasize the 'GENTLE'.
Recognize a few key points:
-Start general (sweeping strokes), then go more specific.
-Start superficial, then go deeper. This allows some red flags to be caught early.
-Pressure always go towards the heart, not away.
-avoid areas of varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, etc.
Really, this is a risk group and should be treated with kid gloves. Localized massage is much less risky than full-body stuff - clots are more common in the long veins of the legs, for instance, so a foot or hand or scalp massage is safer (and there are more nerves in these areas, so there's more payback!
I could use more info about your qualifications so that I can aim the answer at you more directly. Till then!
--Glenn
