Pathology

Massage for Vertigo

July 6, 2015 By Julie Onofrio Leave a Comment

Vertigo – The essence of being dizzy.

Also includes:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

Meniere’s

Acute Vestibular Neuropathy

Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency

Atlantoaxial instability

Migraines

Vertigo needs to be checked by a doctor to rule out what kind of Vertigo it is. It can often be a symptom of more serious nervous system problems.

Rule out Stroke and other serious conditions first.

Symptoms:

The room spins or the person may be spinning.

Can also feel like an earthquake.

Inability to stand up!

Vomiting may result.

Tinnitus (ringing of the ears) may accompany this.

Blurry Vision

Causes:

Viruses
Infection
Inflammation
Inner Ear Problems
Calcium Crystals in the Ear
Spinal misalignment particularly C1
Nerve Compression in neck, face
Injury to the neck or brain
Brain tumors

Massage Treatment:

Test first: vertebral artery test (see this article: The Risks of Vascular Compression in Soft-Tissue Therapy By Whitney Lowe, LMT Massage Today)

Caution advised! Massage can make vertigo worse and there is nothing worse than having your dizziness made worse!

Dizziness can be triggered by changing the position of the head and neck or getting up and down off the massage table or just getting up from sitting.

Epley maneuver. Caution! This maneuver can actually cause MORE dizziness and an extreme feeling of falling – not just falling to the ground but falling from a tall building.

Possible Muscles involved: Sternocleidoastoid (SCM), Anterior Neck

Resources:

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: It Will Make Your Head Spin! pathology perspectives By Ruth Werner Massage and Bodywork Magazine. July/Aug 2010

The Risks of Vascular Compression in Soft-Tissue Therapy By Whitney Lowe, LMT Massage Today)

Atlantoaxial instability or vertebrobasilar insufficiency article by Paul Ingram with great diagrams!

Personal Note: Vertigo is why I created this website and my many others. It has been such an incapacitating ordeal making it difficult to give massage at many times. I have tried just about everything under the sun and still it persists and comes and goes.

Massage for Strains and Sprains

March 31, 2015 By Julie Onofrio Leave a Comment

Definitions:
Sprain – tearing of a ligament

Strain – tearing of a muscle and/or tendon

Where are strains most likely to occur?

Predisposing factors that contribute to the occurrence of strains:

overuse, fatigue, muscular imbalances, muscle stiffness, inadequate warm-up before an activity

Signs/Symptoms:

Levels of severity: determined by passive range of motion assessment for sprains, resisted range of motion for strains very difficult to access because of inflammation assessment is best done by a physician. this information is provided so you know what is possible

Sprains: tears in ligaments
Level 1	1-50% tear of ligament fibers and minimal muscle tissue damage some swelling no loss of function joint is stable and painful
Level 2	50-99% tear of the ligament and joint capsule joint hypermobile and unstable decrease in tensile strength of ligament swelling, bruising, bleeding
Level 3	100% tear of ligament no joint end feel present usually no specific pain, but compensational pain needs physician attention

Strains: tears in muscles and tendons
Level 1a	1-10% partial tear of fibers little or no loss of function can hold against resistance with pain
Level 1b	10-50% fiber tear painful, but can hold against resistance as it approaches 50% less ability to hold against resistance swelling muscle guarding
Level 2	50-99% fiber tear can’t hold against resistance may hold against gravity pain, edema, swelling and muscle guarding
Level 3	100% fiber tear usually heard snap at time of injury no resistance possible pain may be present at site compensational pain present Needs physicians attention immediately

Causes: gradual or trauma: increased load on the muscle/ligament that is not strong enough to do hold the weight.
over use, overextended muscles/ligaments, improper warm up before activity,

Treatments: treat according to stage of inflammation treat according to severity of injury ice massage Triggerpoint Myofascial release begin massage treatment as soon as possible to reduce adhesion formation especially with muscular strains.
General guidelines:
Acute stage: lymph drainage, ice massage, passive range of motion,
Subacute stage: cross fiber friction, muscle energy or strain/counterstrain techniques, add strengthening as inflammation decreases, trigger point therapy, myofascial release
Chronic stage: cross fiber friction for ligaments, cross fiber friction of muscles,

Cautions: Traction may aggravate if it over-stretches muscles. Stretching may over-stretch and re-injure muscles. Repeated injury to ligaments can cause the ligament to become looser and more prone to re-injury. Be sure you are trained in treating acute injuries.
Other therapies: acupuncture, prolotherapy for ligaments, chiropractic, naturopathic (provides nutritional support needed for proper healing and functioning)

Resources:

Muscle Strains By Whitney Lowe, LMT, NCTMB

Buy 2 e-book bundle: Save Yourself from a Muscle Strain!

Includes more information on:

What is a muscle strain?

How do you know that you’ve got a muscle strain?

True muscle strain checklist

Could you have a muscle spasm instead of a strain?

Could you have muscle knots instead of a muscle strain?

What is a muscle knot? And how is different than spasm and strain?

Muscle strains that don’t heal have usually been hijacked by trigger points

Massage for Breast Cancer

October 11, 2014 By Julie Onofrio Leave a Comment

Massage for Breast Cancer to help prevent and support patients through breast cancer surgeries, reconstruction and recovery.

Breast massage continues to be a very controversial massage technique in the US while other countries have accepted it and use it to help with various conditions such as recovery from Breast Cancer. Public perception of massage still is challenging especially concerning breast massage.

Be sure to check the laws in your state regarding breast massage.

Contraindications

Cancer and Massage Therapy. Essential Contraindications (PDF). Tracy Walton. Massage Therapy Journal

Breast massage techniques

Bodymechanics school of massage – Step by step breast massage video

Self-Breast Massage Guidelines for Health By Dana Wyrick Massage and Bodywork Magazine

Breast massage articles

Breast Massage – On the Brink of Understanding Massage and Bodywork Magazine

Breast Wellness Breast Massage Deserves Attention By Debra Curties, R.M.T. Massage and Bodywork Magazine

Holistic Massage and One Breast Cancer Patient By Joseph Feldman, M.A., C.P.C., L.M.T Massage and Bodywork Magazine

Massage Therapists and Breast Care: Easing the Controversy By Bruno Chikly, MD, DO Massage Today

Breast Massage Research

Breast Cancer patients have improved immune and neuroendocrine functions following massage. PubMed

The efficacy of Classical massage on stress perception and cortisol following primary treatment of breast cancer. PubMed

PubMed Search Massage and Breast Cancer

Breast massage classes