Contraindications

The following conditions prevent me from performing a massage, due to ethical reasons, legal policies, and standards of practice. (Absolute Contraindications)

  • Acute conditions requiring immediate first aid or medical attention:

    • anaphylaxis

    • appendicitis

    • atelectasis (collapsed lung)

    • cerebrovascular accident (stoke)

    • diabetic coma or insulin shock

    • eclampsia

    • ectopic pregnancy

    • myocardial infarction (heart attack)

    • pneumonia

    • pneumothorax

    • sepsis

    • severe asthmatic attack, status asthmaticus

    • syncope (feinting)

    • transient Ischemic Attack

    • traumatic injury

  • After a stroke or heart attack where the condition has not stabilized

  • Advanced kidney failure, respiratory failure, liver failure (a heavily modified massage may be possible with medical consent)

  • Cancer: Highly metastatic cancers not judged terminal

  • Diabetes with complications

    • advanced heart or kidney disease

    • unstable or very high blood pressure

  • Hemophilia (moderate to severe)

  • Hemorrhage

  • Parasites

    • scabies

    • head lice

    • body lice

    • pubic lice

  • Severe atherosclerosis

  • Severe or unstable hypertension

  • Shock

  • Significant fever (101.5 F, 38 C)

  • Systemic flare-up of inflammatory conditions:

    • ankylosing spondylitis

    • rheumatoid arthritis

    • lupus

    • gout

  • Systemic contagious condition

    • COVID-19 uncleared of contagion

    • acute urinary tract infection

    • highly contagious skin conditions
      *impetigo
      *staph infection
      *strep infection

    • osteomyelitis

    • syphilis

    • tuberculosis

    • severe systemic infection or infection persisting for more than 2 weeks: bacterial, cold,
      bronchitis, sinusitis, influenza, lyme disease

  • Traumatic Head injury with concussion symptoms that have not been medically cleared

  • Drug Use: Visible mental impairment from pharmaceutical drugs

  • Drug Use: Visible intoxication from drugs use (alcohol, recreational substances, illegal substances)

  • Use of creams, lotions, or essential oils in which the client or therapist has a diagnosed allergy

Specific areas on the body I will not massage, due to medical conditions (Local Contraindications).
In the context of a full body massage, only the specific areas that are contraindicated will not be massaged.

  • Areas of Acute Flare-Up of Inflammatory Arthritis

    • ankylosing spondylitis

    • lupus

    • rheumatoid arthritis

    • gout

    • lyme disease

  • Acute neuritis (nerve pain)

  • Acute traumatic joint injuries (dislocation, subluxation)

  • Acute trigeminal neuralgia

  • Acute bone fracture

  • Acute state of moderate to severe contusion (muscle bruising)

  • Acute state of moderate to severe hematoma (soft tissue bruising)

  • Aneurisms deemed life threatening (for example abdominal aorta)

  • Cancer: unstable malignancy or undiagnosed lump

  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (formally Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and Causalgia) were there is intolerance to touch

  • Esophageal Varicosities

  • Frostbite

  • Gangrene

  • Hernia: Direct pressure on abdominal or inguinal hernia

  • Local Contagious Skin Infection

    • Fungal Infections

    • Herpes Simplex

    • Non-contagious Impetigo infections of the skin (doctors note is required for confirmation of contagious state)

    • Non-contagious Staphylococcus infections of the skin (doctors note is required for confirmation of contagious state)

    • Non-contagious Streptococcal infections of the skin (doctors note is required for confirmation of contagious state)

    • Warts

  • Area of an Irritable Skin Condition

    • Active acute acne vulgaris

    • Acute flare-up of eczema

    • Flare-up of dermatitis

    • Acute angioedema (allergic reaction, poison ivy)

    • Insect bites

  • Open wound, sore, lesion, or ulcer

  • Recent burn except for mild sunburn

  • Temporal arteritis

  • Thrombosis, phlebitis, or arteritis in a major circulatory channel: massage directly or further down
    from the area

  • Varicose Veins: massage directly on the varicose vein

  • Medical Treatment:

    • Anti-inflammatory injection site: 24 to 48 hours

    • Corticosteroid injection site: 14 to 21 days

    • Botox injection site: 24 to 48 hours

    • Short-duration medical injection site: (vaccines, saline, IV, antibiotics, local anesthetic, epidural, insulin, spinal tap, narcotics): 2 hours to 2 days, depending on presentation

    • Post-radiation treatment site: Up to 3 days

    • Acute and early subacute stage post-surgical scars

    • Direct pressure to a medicinal patch or medicinal implant (testosterone implant, etc.)

    • Direct pressure to a mechanical implant (pacemaker, etc.)