QuestionI am at the moment studying IHM and although I have managed to reaserch 'why' for most of the contraindications I was hoping you may be able to give me a 'why' for the following.
Heamorrahage ( think I know this one just want to check)
Migrains
Spastic conditions
Disfunctions of the nervous system
Chronic ME
Thanks
Catherine
AnswerGreetings Catherine. I have had quite a few people write to me asking aobut Indian Head Massage, and one has yet to actually tell me what it exactly is. Is it Eastern Indian in origin? Is it Native American? What does it involve? How long are the sessions? What is done?
Since I do not know exactly what Indian Head Massage is, all I can tell you is why those conditions are contraindicated (CI) for regular massage.
* For heamorrahaging, there is the fear that, since you are stimulating the circulatory system, you will increase the bleeding or put more pressure on an area that is not healed enough.
* Migrains are not really CI in regular massage, so I cannot help you with this one. It might be something specific to the techniques of IHM.
* There is a remote chance that someone with a spastic condition, like cerebral palsy, could accidentally injure either themselves or you if they have problems controlling their bodies. This population can be worked on, but it is better if done so by someone specially trained in working with special medical conditions.
* Disfunctions of the nervous system is difficult to describe in terms of massage. If the problem is numbness or loss of sensation, there is the possibility that the massage could injure the client since they cannot give accurate feedback on pain and pressure. Please let me know if there are any specific nervous system disorders that you need, and I can describe if there is a reason for it.
* Chronic ME actually can indicate massage. The general rule here is that if the person has the energy to get out and come for the massage, they can get it. While massage is great for the body, it can also be very taxing on a weakened body. The immune and circulatory systems increase, the parasympathetic nervous system begins working, and all of this can take a lot of energy to deal with. If a person is already sick, recovering from an illness, or has something like ME and has low energy reserves, this can be too much on their systems, and could make them sicker.
I hope this helps, Catherine, and I appologize for the time it took to reply. Please feel free to write back with any other questions (and please email me at xopher425@aol.com and give me a better understanding of IHM). Also feel free to rate me onm AllExperts; both constructive and positive feedback help me learn to help others better.
Sincerely,
Christopher Hall
