Question for massage therapists?

Question

What health questions should I ask a prospective client before they get on my table or chair?Should I have a list that they check off?What, if any, is a reason to refuse to work on them?Thanks.

Answer 1

Did you not get this information in massage school?

You can't do this with just a list of things to ask clients - you have to understand the reasons for asking them questions.  A class on doing proper intakes could take a whole day.

There are many reasons not to work on someone if they have conditions that are outside of your scope of knowledge.

Answer 2

A thorough intake is the key to protecting your client and yourself.  Certain conditions pose a risk for your client and could harm more than it could help.  A Massage Therapists Guide to Pathology by Ruth Werner is a very valuable tool.  

Always be as in-depth as you can be.  When in doubt, refer to a physician.

Answer 3

You should invest in a health intake form for the different massages you provide.  Anything could be a possible contraindication from warts, to allergies, to pregnancy, seizures or even being on medication or recreational drugs.

I will include a site that has free forms for you to download and print.

Answer 4

Well that would depend heavily on the type of massage.

I would say that most health conditions are not at risk of being exacerbated by light massage.

When you get into deep tissue and heavier handed massage I would say possibly really high blood pressure might be an issue, but even that would seem to be a rare thing.

I once had a case where I was massaging a client with cerebral palsy, repeated shoulder dislocations, and many other severe issues. I was in fear at first, but did nothing but help.

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