Medical Conditions and Massage Therapy - 9780781769228

Massage therapist, researcher, and educator Walton (Cortiva Institute, Cambridge, MA) presents a text for massage students, therapists, and teachers, which prepares massage therapists for the range of real and hypothetical clients and for multiple disease presentations. The author outlines a framework for managing massage contraindications featuring the "decision tree," a simple flowchart for breaking down complex medical issues into smaller, easy-to-manage parts in order to determine the best massage therapy approach for clients with specific medical conditions. The bulk of the text, focusing on specific conditions, is organized by body system. For each system, sample medical conditions are given full discussion, with complete, "pre-made" decision trees, interview questions, and massage guidelines based on the client's possible answers. Also included are chapters focusing on cancer and the effects of medications and medical treatments on the body. Illustrated with b&w diagrams, photographs, tables, and charts. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)