Podcast

There’s a condition that is not well understood. It creates a lot of common signs and symptoms: headache, dizziness, tinnitus, and a few others. But it hides a lurking danger: weak blood vessels that may bulge in some places and become dangerously narrow in others. It can contribute to stroke and kidney damage. It is usually found only by accident, during testing for other issues. Fortunately, it is fairly rare.

What is it, and what are the cautions for massage therapy for people who have it?

Listen in for more on fibromuscular dysplasia.

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-193-fibromuscular-dysplasia-fmd-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner

A middle-aged, otherwise healthy woman woke up one day and found that her face had sort of collapsed on one side. Very alarming! Her doctor diagnosed her with Bell’s palsy, gave her some heavy-duty anti-inflammatories, and told her to protect her eye while she was recovering—which could take a couple of months or more.

The clerk at the health food store told her that she needed to get massage, and that would fix her right up. So here she is, in your office.

What’s going to happen next?

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-191-bell-s-palsy-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner

A client wakes up with a limp arm and wrist. He’s a carpenter, so this is a problem! What is going on, and can massage therapy help?

Join us for a closeup look at nerve damage and radial nerve palsy.

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-188-radial-nerve-palsy-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner

Sixty minutes into the session, a massage therapist discovers the client has a fentanyl patch—that they did not report on their intake form. Is the therapist at risk for exposure? What are some good practices regarding medicated patches for massage therapy clients? Listen on for more.

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-186-fentanyl-patches-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner.

A client with a history of heart failure, lymphedema, and diabetes contracted COVID. At first, she seemed to get through with only mild symptoms, but many months later she is hospitalized for three days with blood clots and lung scarring. 

Is there a role for massage therapy for this client?

What questions do we need to ask to be safe?

Exercise your critical thinking muscles—listen on for more!

Stay tuned for the article in the January/February 2022 issue of Massage & Bodywork magazine.

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-183-long-covid-and-so-much-more-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner

A client was involved in a motor vehicle accident three years ago. Since then, she’s had numbness and weakness in her legs, and she struggles with incontinence, balance, and fatigue. Oh, and she had a baby, and hopes to have another.

What is going on, and what are the safety parameters for massage therapy?

Full show notes available at https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-180-cauda-equina-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner