Podcast

A client has PAH—and not just regular PAH, he has advanced PAH. No, he’s not spitting expletives—he has pulmonary arterial hypertension, a chronic, progressive, and ultimately terminal lung condition. He loves massage, but his therapist is concerned about the risk that blood clots might play in his disease. And—guess what—he has a history of multiple blood clots in his lungs.

Is there a way to work safely here? Maybe, with the right information and careful choices about bodywork.

What is PAH? And will we be seeing more of it soon? Listen in for more.

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-263-pah-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner

Oh boy, it’s another pandemic!

We’re not done with COVID, not by a long shot (public behavior notwithstanding), and now we have warning signals of another contagious viral infection that is behaving in ways we haven’t seen before—monkeypox.

Before you panic, let’s remember that information is the best defense. So, we’re giving you some background and answering some questions about monkeypox you can use to take appropriate action and to be a source of reliable information for your clients and others.

Monkeypox FAQs:

How many people have it?

How does it spread?

Is it life-threatening?

Is it preventable?

And most of all: how can I keep myself and my clients safe from this infection?

You’ve come to the right place: listen on for these answers and more.

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-260-monkeypox-faq-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner

I received two letters in one week asking about massage in the context of allergies, allergy shots, and insect stings. What are best practices for clients who are receiving allergy shots? What about for clients who were recently stung? Is it possible that massage might create new allergies, or create a dangerous situation for a client who has recently been stung?

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-258-thoughts-allergy-shots-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner

A person has chronic upper back pain and severe problems with her aorta, requiring surgery that she didn’t survive. Afterwards, her surgeon suggests that her back pain could be a referral from her aorta.

How often do internal organs refer pain to the skin and musculature? And how do we recognize it when it happens? What is the mechanism? And can it ever happen in reverse, e.g., can skeletal muscle refer pain to internal organs?

Join us for a short exploration of pain and referred pain—that will probably raise more questions than answers. It’s boggling!

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-255-referred-pain-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner

A client has a history of a triple A: an abdominal aortic aneurysm. If it ruptures, it has an 80% mortality rate. A few weeks ago, the client had surgery to correct another aneurysm, at her left subclavian artery—and this involved a 10 day hospital stay.

Is there any possible way that massage could be safe for this person?

Surprisingly, yes! Listen in for a great example of gathering the information we need to make good clinical decisions.

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-253-arterial-aneurysm-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner

A client with reduced heart function and a portable oxygen tank books a 90-minute massage. A doctor’s note has been obtained, but the massage therapist hasn’t seen it.

What is going on with this person’s heart? And can they tolerate 90 minutes on a massage table? As always, it depends. Listen in to find out what it depends on.

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-250-heart-failure-and-more-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner