QuestionHi Christopher
I am a student who has just started a course in Swedish Massage and a piece of my homework has me a little confused. The question is:
Describe the following contraindication in detail, explain why you should not treat and discuss if any condition could be worked upon with a doctors permission.
This question is for a) Spastic Conditions and b) Dysfunction of the nervous system.
I can not find anything in the book I have on these contraindications.
Please, please can you help me?
Regards, Denise
AnswerGreetings Denise. Those terms are difficult to define. Many of the conditions that are contraindicated (CI) for massage could fall under either or both of those catagories. Something like multiple sclerosis (MS) could be either, since it is a problem with the nerves, but is also a spastic muscle condition. MS could CI massage, since extreme care is needed to prevent overstretching or pulling overly spastic muscles. Things like seizures would CI massage, since they could accidentally hurt themselves or you during one. They also might need medical attention. Any severe numbness, like peripheral neuropathy (the loss of feeling in extremeties often associated with diabetes) or from an injury to the spinal cord, CIs massage since they cannot give accurate feedback about your touch.
A very experienced therapist might work with these conditions, gently and with a lot of care. There have been some reports of massage hepling a bit in cases of MS. Of course, a person is clear for massage if any of these conditinos are mild or not present at the time.
The key to understanding CIs is to have a firm grasp of pathology of disease and the effects that massage has on the body. It also helps to think of anything that can go wrong; we'd always rather be safe than sorry. With most CIs, if you do not feel comfortable with the condition, or have any questions, yoy should not hesitate to have them call their doctor.
I hope this helps, Denise. Please feel free to write back if you have any other questions. Also feel free to rate me on AllExperts; both constructive and positive feedback helps me learn to help others better.
Sincerely,
Christopher Hall
