CE INSTITUTE LLC BLOG

Bone Spurs aka Osteophytes:

• Are Usually Smooth in Texture

• May Not be Painful

• Commonly Caused by Osteoarthritis

• Ligaments in an aging spine can thicken and calcify, resulting in bone “spur” formation

Arthritis or Any Swelling is Usually Considered a Massage Therapy Contraindication

- HOWEVER-

WebMD Lists “Massage Therapy” as the #1 Alternative Therapy to Treat Spinal Osteoarthritis in 2017

Spinal Osteoarthritis

• Regularly occurs in spinal facet joints.
• A degenerative joint disease.
• Protective cartilage surrounding bones (providing cushioning) degenerates.
• Can cause swelling and/or pain.
• Treatment is geared toward relieving the symptoms of pain and increasing a person's ability to function.

There are several “non-pharmacological” treatments available for osteoarthritis:

• Massage
• Acupuncture
• Heat or cold compresses, which refers to placing ice or heated compresses onto the affected joint (check with a physician about which option, or which combination of heat and cold options, is best for you.)
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) onto the affected area
• Nutritional supplements

Always consult with client’s treating physician for significant medical conditions.

To learn more, please register for training at https://ceinstitute.com/

#massage #massagetherapy #massageprecautions #massagecontraindications

Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that can be seen just under the skin’s surface. These veins usually occur in the legs, but they also can form in other parts of the body.

Varicose veins are a common condition. They usually cause few signs and symptoms, so most clients do nothing about them. Sometimes varicose veins cause mild to moderate pain, blood clots, skin ulcers (sores), or other problems.

It’s important to never work directly on varicose veins or apply any pressure that could further disrupt blood flow.  This includes massage or body wraps over the affected area.  It is always best to seek approval and/or direction for services from a medical physician regarding medical conditions.

Sometimes, varicose veins can cause blood clots, pain, skin ulcers, dermatitis or other problems. Dermatitis (an often-itchy rash) can lead to bleeding or skin sores/ulcers when the skin is scratched or irritated.  Varicose veins also can lead to thrombophlebitis.

There are many treatments available for varicose veins which are quick and easy and do not require a long recovery.

To learn more, please register for training at https://ceinstitute.com/

#massage #massagetherapy #massageprecautions #massagecontraindications

As an instructor here at CE Institute LLC, I recently had a poor massage experience that felt like an appropriate teaching moment.  Without naming names, and while recognizing that massage is like ice cream flavors, some people may have different tastes, I felt it was important to document the experience here at so that practitioners could learn from it.

I went to a massage establishment where I have had reliably great massage appointments over the past year between two different therapists.  Both therapists were not available for my next appointment during my rigid schedule, so the receptionist recommended that I try their lead therapist as a substitute.  I agreed, and scheduled a 90 minute massage appointment which is what I standardly book.

The following is a brief video massage therapy instructor demonstration of how to apply an aromatherapy essential oil patch test. This would similarly be used for Alohatherapy™ practices as well.

Do not practice aromatherapy or massage without formal licensed training.

For professional aromatherapy training, please visit and register for class at: https://ceinstitute.com/collections/aromatherapy

There are three key factors in addressing massage therapy treatment room air quality to reduce the risks of airborne contaminants:

1. Increase the amount of air ventilation or air exchange around your massage service;
2. Increase the amount of air filtration to purify the air in your massage workspace; and
3. Alter your massage therapy service to avoid prolonged exposure to a client’s airway, through socially distant services (suggestions can be found here on our school blog)

To learn more, please register for training at https://ceinstitute.com/

Step Up Your Massage Business with Socially Distant Appointments

COVID-19 is an illness that is primarily spread through respiratory droplets.  The greatest risk of contracting this virus is through close contact with an infected individual, which is why social distancing has been recommended during the COVID-19 pandemic.  As such, efforts should be made whenever possible during a massage or bodywork appointment to create as much distance as possible between a client's airway and a practitioner.

Some massage and bodywork services offer a greater amount of distance from a client’s airway than others.  Here are two appointment examples that can incorporate a COVID-19 social distancing theme at work: 

Foot Reflexology

This ancient healing art is a service that can provide full body relaxation while producing the greatest amount of distance from a client’s airway.  Foot reflexology can be provided in a supine or prone position, although prone position is preferred during the COVID-19 pandemic.   

This appointment can also start with a tranquil foot soak to cleanse the feet and set a relaxing mood of utopia during these stressful times.  Best practices are to provide the foot soak outside, on a rooftop or balcony for best air quality.  A soak also allows for an easy and enjoyable socially distant appointment as most do not require a practitioner to be present.

The Foot Makeover

aka Happy Feet or Renew You or Pleasure Paws or Service of the Month

This appointment can be renamed and produced as an add-on or independent appointment.  It is generally provided as a 30-minute session with 10 simple steps:

1. Sit the client in a relaxing sudsy aromatic foot soak. Leave magazines for the client to entertain themselves during this relaxation time.  The foot soak will help cleanse the client’s feet of physical debris and odor. 
2. It is usually recommended within the industry to provide water with lemon, an assortment of teas and spa snacks such as individually wrapped nuts or fruit during a relaxing foot soak. However, due to the pandemic, everyone at the establishment should wear a face covering.  As such, it is not recommended to serve refreshments so that the client will retain their face covering for their entire appointment.
3. After an appropriate amount of foot soak time, lay towels or a clean bath matt between the foot soak and massage table, or provide spa slippers for the client to wear to the massage table. Dry off the client’s feet with a clean towel and lead them to the table where they will lie face down in the prone position.
4. Place an ankle bolster underneath the client’s ankles to bolster their feet in the air and a large clean dry towel in between. 
5. Apply a foot scrub to the client’s feet. Salt or sugar scrubs are the best choice in a dry massage treatment room. Focus the scrub on the bottoms of the feet and around the heels.  Use less vigor on the tops of the feet and around the toes. 
6. After a thorough foot scrub, rinse hands with water and do not dry. After rinsing the hands, use wet hands to rescrub the client’s feet. This wet moisture on a practitioner’s hands will start to dissolve a salt or sugar scrub for easier removal.  Repeat rinsing hands and using wet hands to rescrub the feet until the scrub abrasives are dissolved.
7. Apply wet hot towels to the client’s feet with gentle compressions. Begin to pull and rub away any remaining debris or stickiness of the foot scrub. Repeat the process with new fresh hot towels as needed until the feet are clean of all scrub material.
8. Place a new clean large dry towel underneath the client’s feet. Wrap one foot with the corner end of the dry towel and start foot massage on the other foot then switch.  Use massage cream or skincare moisturizer for the foot massage.  Oils or gels are not recommended.  The goal is to moisturize and soften the foot. 
9. Pat and rub the bottom of the client’s feet dry with corners of the clean dry towel that is underneath their feet. The goal is to remove any excess moisture from the bottom of the client’s feet so that they do not slip in their shoes or on any other surface. 
10. Help the client off the table.  The client’s blood pressure has likely decreased during this heavenly service, so allow them to sit-up for a moment before standing to reorient themselves.  This service is now complete.

Socially Distant Massage Service Summary

Both foot reflexology and foot makeover appointments can be provided in the prone position and allow a client to remain dressed for the appointment duration.  Reducing the time a client spends in an establishment plus providing service in the prone position could help reduce a practitioner’s exposure to infectious agents such as COVID-19.

The best way to prevent the acquisition or transmission of COVID-19 is to self-isolate, so if you do work with clients, it is critical to seek education on how to improve air quality, sanitation, and other work-related preventative measures.  This includes getting creative to create and promote services that generate the greatest amount of social distancing between a practitioner and client during our new normal of COVID-19.

To learn more, please register for training at https://ceinstitute.com/

#socialdistant #painrelief #medical #healthcare #generalmassage #massagetherapy #lmt #mt #massage #massagetherapist #bodywork #bodyworker

Massage clients in a chair is a little different than providing service on a massage therapy table.  A chair allows a practitioner to provide pressure in different directions than normally accessible on a table.  The boney landmarks of the client's posterior body also require appropriate navigation when adjusting your hands-on skills for this new seated client position as well.

To learn more, please register for training at: https://ceinstitute.com/

In this chair massage therapy instructor demonstration, we will provide a visual review of the different landmarks one should avoid while performing chair massage on the posterior body: 

#bodywork #bodyworker #massage #massagetherapist #mt #LMT #chairmassage #onsitemassage #corporatemassage #painrelief  #backmassage #massagetherapy #serviceprecautions #contraindications #massagecontraindications

Plastic surgeons often refers patients for post-surgical manual lymphatic drainage to relieve pain and swelling, or they may prescribe deep tissue massage for new muscular contracture over an implant or filler, or more.

Even with a doctor’s written prescription and direction, shifting or migration of fillers and implants could happen or be blamed on the therapist's manual therapy, and shifting could have already occurred, hence the referral.

It's important for massage therapists to remember that working over fillers or implants is contraindicated.  Shifting and migration could occur with the manual therapy, and it is not worth the risk to try to achieve the benefit, especially given the lack of certainty with both.  Therapists, clients and doctors cannot always control shifting and migration issues within the human body. This is one of many reasons why working over foreign materials implanted in the body is a massage and bodywork contraindication.

Migration and shifting are terms used to describe when a foreign material has moved away from its original placement site. This can also be called displacement.

Migration is the term commonly referenced when a foreign material has migrated to places such as the client’s bloodstream. Shifting is the term commonly referenced when a foreign material has shifted away from its original placement site, such as instances with physical force, capsular contraction or aging.

Migration and shifting issues of foreign materials within the body can cause physical disfigurement, swelling, pain, obstruction of circulation and even death in some cases.

Shifting of foreign materials can also occur over time and for other various reasons. Skin thickness, gravity, muscular contractures and more could all cause undesirable shifting issues.

While temporary fillers such as Juvéderm and Restylane are considered safer than a permanent filler, there is still concern that shifting or migration could occur with any foreign material, regardless if the foreign material is considered temporary, permanent, synthetic, or living tissue including fat.

MTs Cannot Reliably Control Foreign Material Shifting

Sometimes, massage or bodywork will be prescribed by a physician in an attempt to purposely influence foreign material shifting. The problem is, a practitioner cannot always control where the foreign material will shift to with their hands-on work, and sometimes shifting can result in an undesirable placement.

What is important to remember is the client’s wish to change their physical appearance is met by having a foreign material placed at a specific site in their body. That physical appearance can be drastically changed or undesirable when the foreign material shifts away from its intended placement site.

Permanent Silicone Injectables

Silicone injectables are an example of fillers used that are not approved by the FDA because they are permanent and remain within the body. The FDA warns, “It can move throughout the body and cause serious health consequences, including death. In fact, when injected into areas with many blood vessels, such as the buttocks (butt), silicone can travel through those vessels to other parts of the body and block blood vessels in the lungs, heart, or brain. This can cause a stroke or even death.”

The FDA’s warning of foreign material migration is a huge concern for massage practice. Massage should not be applied over foreign materials; it is simply ill-advised.

It should be noted that whole and intact silicone implants used for cosmetic procedures such as breast augmentation would not apply to this referenced FDA migration warning. While silicone implants have their own worrisome concerns such as they can shift away from their original placement site with incorrect placement or when they are too large for the area and more, this FDA warning is about silicone injectables.

To learn more, please register for quality affordable professional training at: https://ceinstitute.com/

Please click HERE if you would like to read our article on Massage Magazine's website.

#massage #lmt #mt #mld #manuallymphaticdrainage #bbl #brazilianbuttlift #bodywork #contraindicated #serviceprecaution #implant #filler #breastimplant #injection #cosmetic #plasticsurgery #cosmeticprocedure #surgery

Evidence-based massage practice applies a hands-on researched protocol to a client. The objective is to simulate hands-on applications with methods and protocols found to be beneficial in research or provide therapeutic outcomes, similar to what was achieved in the research study.

Sometimes a researched protocol which show what is not appropriate in massage therapy or bodywork practice.  Studies often exclude subjects with various disqualifications which create various parameters for the student.  Sometimes these exclusions are born from massage contraindications which are important to follow.  from participating due to various constraints or contraindications. This is why the entire study must be read and considered prior to real-time application or practice for evidence-based massage therapy practice.

To learn more, please register for quality, affordable, professional training at: https://ceinstitute.com/

To view our evidence-based massage article in full, published @MassageMag, please click HERE!

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