Common Pathologies & Complaints

Through this brief program you will learn how massage can affect specific pathologies and client complaints. This includes:

• Recognizing alopecia areata (hair loss) and identifying the autoimmune conditions associated with alopecia areata.
• Differentiating between common constipation and severe symptoms that require a physician’s evaluation, potential causes of constipation, learning examples of serious complications that can result from severe constipation as well as appropriate massage techniques to help alleviate constipation.
• Discovering TCM meridians associated with eye health.
• The association between deep vein thrombosis and peripheral arterial disease (PAD), PAD signs and symptoms, lifestyle modifications that can benefit clients with PAD as well as appropriate massage techniques for clients with PAD.
• Learning about popular theories of ganglion cysts and where they most commonly occur.
• Summarizing the effects of alcohol and bodywork on the body and determining legal and ethical responsibilities if clients are served alcohol in the massage setting.
• Vital steps you should know before beginning bodywork on a client who has cancer.
• Safety concerns and appropriate massage therapy techniques for use on diabetic clients.

In the Common Pathologies & Complaints program we've combined articles written especially for the Institute's Massage Professionals Update. These articles include:

• Aromatherapy Massage for Alopecia Areata - The purposeful application of human touch alone may lessen the psychological distress of alopecia areata. Discover how bodyworkers with training in aromatherapy can turn a massage for alopecia areata into an especially therapeutic session.
• A Massage Therapist's Guide to Constipation - When a healthy diet and exercise do not successfully relieve constipation for your clients, learn which massage techniques you can use to help relax their abdomen, reduce their discomfort and encourage regular defecation.
• Massage and Eye Health - From the time we open them in the morning, until the time we close them at night, our eyes are always on call. Our feet get a break when we sit, our hands work intermittently throughout the day but, aside from our ears which never seem to get a break, our eyes are just about the busiest part of our body. Learn how massage can reduce the symptoms experienced with eye fatigue and how bodywork can help keep them healthy.
• Peripheral Artery Disease for Bodyworkers - Affecting 8 to 12 million Americans, peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a vascular disease most healthcare professionals are likely to encounter. A circulation disorder where narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs, PAD typically affects the lower limbs causing leg pain when walking. Find out the signs and symptoms, risk factors, suggested lifestyle modifications, as well as how massage therapy can significantly reduce a sufferer’s symptoms.
• When Massage Therapists Should Know About Ganglion Cysts - Extremely common on the wrist and hand, ganglion cysts are still somewhat of a mystery.
• Alcohol and Massage: A Dangerous Combination - Is it okay to offer clients wine or champagne before a massage to help them relax? To some it may seem a good marketing ploy…but it could lead to some unpleasant circumstances. Learn about why serving alcohol to clients is a BAD idea.
• Massage Therapy and Cancer - Is it Becoming More Accepted? - While massage therapy has gained greater acceptance in recent years with regard to its therapeutic value, one area still remains somewhat controversial. It is the field of massage for individuals with cancer. As time goes on though, the therapeutic value of oncology massage, or massage for those with cancer, is gaining recognition. Learn how the possible benefits of massage are currently being studied and used in oncology.
• Massage Therapy and Diabetes - Each year almost two million individuals over the age of 20 are diagnosed with the disease in the U.S. Since 1992, newly diagnosed cases of diabetes have almost tripled. If left untreated it can be fatal. It is the seventh highest cause of death in the United States. The World Health Organization estimates that there are 347 million individuals with diabetes worldwide. Learn some important facts about diabetes and if massage might be helpful.

You can either read the articles by clicking on any of the titles above or upon enrollment you'll be able to access these articles and your online test through your online course account.