When Not to Receive Massage

As wonderful as massage is, sometimes you should not receive a
massage.
First, let’s look at the effects of massage on your body. I’m talking
here primarily about Swedish and Deep Tissue massage.

Massage changes the internal environment of your body, influencing
the diameter of blood vessels and direction of fluid flow. Massage also
changes the chemical balance of the body, reducing some types of
hormones and increasing others, shifting secretion of
neurotransmitters, and changing the protein levels in interstitial
tissues.

So, the question becomes, can your body handle these changes?
Many of the medical conditions for which massage is contraindicated
(meaning you should not receive a massage) involve the circulatory
system.

Do not get a massage if you have an embolism, thrombus, or anything
involving a blood clot. If you have a history of or risk factors for blood
clots, be sure your massage therapist knows. Each therapist will decide
whether to give you a massage; however, you should know that if you
have an undiagnosed blood clot, massage can theoretically cause the
clot to dislodge and land you in the hospital (or worse).

Any condition involving damaged blood vessels requires extreme
caution for massage. For example, some people consider aneurysms
an absolute contraindication for massage while others say it depends
on the location and type of aneurysm. Even so, get a massage only
with a doctor’s written OK, and no deep massage.

Other cautionary conditions include advanced atherosclerosis,
uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, and advanced
heart disease.

Aside from circulatory conditions, another major area of
contraindication for massage involves acute infection. Massage can
potentially cause any infection to spread.

What about colds and flu? Massage can potentially make you sicker by
helping the virus spread. Once you are past the acute stage, and just
have a few lingering symptoms, massage is OK, though you may feel a
little worse for a day or so afterward.

And I hope it’s obvious that if you have anything contagious, you
shouldn’t be getting a massage. Be considerate of your massage
therapist! We are particularly concerned about contagious skin
conditions.

Also be aware that research about the effects of massage on some
medical conditions is lacking, and sometimes massage therapists are
just being safe by not doing massage. Afterall, we don’t want to hurt
you.

Ten years ago, cancer was considered an absolute contraindication for
massage, but recent research has shown that carefully applied
massage can sometimes be beneficial. Many cancer treatment
programs now even include massage.

The important thing is to make sure you give your massage therapist
an accurate and complete health history so that he/she can make an
informed decision about whether massage is appropriate for you.