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October 26, 2007

Use Caution When Administering Deep Tissue Massage

According to a researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Scotsdale, AZ, deep tissue massage in the upper shoulder may result in a nerve compression injury.

For clients and therapists alike, good communication is key to preventing injury in areas where deep tissue massage has access to fragile structures such as the top of the shoulder and neck. Massage therapists should "be cautious about applying very hard focal pressure in the upper shoulder area and avoid such pressure if the subject complains of pain in the area," Ross said.

Also useful for clients to know is if they are experiencing pain or shoulder weakness, a massage may not be appropriate to treat what is going on. And, of course, if you experience pain or weakness in the shoulder after massage, a trip to your doctor is recommended. Applied correctly, massage therapy is usually a benign treatment, however good common sense should be a guide to whether massage would be appropriate treatment for a given condition.

This reminds me of a phone call I got at home one weekend from a client's daughter. "Mom has a cold. Could you work on her today?" Besides having my private life disturbed at home, and that I don't work weekends, this call struck me as absurd. First, if you have a cold or fever, massage is contraindicated. Second, as someone who is health conscious and works with the public, I don't want to expose myself to contagions that will make me and others potentially ill.

I would hate to think that anyone is being injured by incorrectly administered massage. But I would also hate to think that massage was being blamed for compression injury because a client did not use good sense by choosing a doctor first for shoulder pain with weakness.

tags: massage massagetherapy wellness massage therapy bodywork health

Posted by linda at October 26, 2007 7:36 AM