While therapeutic massage as a whole is an extremely powerful tool for rehabilitation and maintenance, there are certain conditions or situations where you should NOT be getting this type of bodywork done. This, among many other reasons, is why it is critical to fill out your health history / initial intake form in an thorough and accurate manner prior to your first treatment with a new therapist or clinic.

A condition that should not be getting therapeutic massage is called a contraindication. This means that it is inadvisable to proceed with treatment at that time. To do so is either one or both of morally irresponsible or legally prohibited.

There are two types of contraindications:

1. a local contraindication; or
2. a general (full-body) contraindication

A local contraindication means that no work will be done in that specific area or region. This includes things such as:

— frostbite

— recent burn (including sunburn)

— locally contagious or irritable skin condition*

— open sores or wounds

— recent surgery (situational; within the last ~3 months)

— broken bone(s)

— deep vein thrombosis

— aneurism*

— embolism*

— malignancy*

* Note: some therapists will treat these as a general (full-body) contraindication in an effort to cover their ass, but good work can still be done on these individuals!

A true full-body contraindication is a bit harder to classify. A lot of them are for specific types of therapy or to certain modalities and not to the act of massage as a whole. In an effort to keep things as simple as possible we will generalize below:

— systemic contagious or infectious states (including the common cold)

— haemophilia

— kidney malfunction

— severe hypertension

— significant fever (> 37.2 °C / 98.8 °F)

— acute conditions requiring immediate first-aid or medical attention (ie. asthma attack or gun shot)

There will invariably be someone reading this who wonders why pregnancy in general is not listed on this full-body contraindication list. To this we would suggest heading over to this post to read about why it is totally safe to get massage at any stage of the pregnancy (and to think otherwise is ridiculous).

As stated before, this is why properly filling out your health history (initial intake form) is of the utmost importance. Disclosing your current and past conditions will help your therapist to keep you (as well as themselves) safe and provide the best treatment that they can.

Have any additional questions regarding massage precautions or contraindications? Drop us a line via our Contact Us page and we will try to provide more guidance. Please note that if you suspect that you are dealing with any of the above (or are simply unsure) it is best to consult your primary physician or family doctor prior to booking your massage treatment.