Abstract
Objectives: To explore the extent to which professional sources agree on contraindications (CIs) and precautions for therapeutic massage. Methods: Textbook and peer-reviewed journal sources containing CIs on therapeutic massage in English within the past 10 years were searched (January 1992-July 2002). Descriptive statistics and stacked bar graphs were employed to illustrate agreement of categorical data. Results: Twenty-one sources listed anywhere from 3 to 86 CIs and precautions for therapeutic massage. Over half of the sources failed to indicate a CI or precaution for the majority of patient conditions. Seventy-six percent of the sources failed to cite references to support CI claims. Conclusion: Sources markedly varied regarding what conditions were considered contraindicated for massage. Advisory panels and greater reliance on evidence-based data may help to enhance consistency when documenting future CIs.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 48-57 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2004 |
Keywords
- Adverse reaction
- Contraindication
- Massage
- Precaution
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Complementary and Manual Therapy
- Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation
- Complementary and alternative medicine