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Attached tick on a client?

Hi all,

Now that summer is here, wondering what standard protocol is if you notice a tick attached to a client. I read an online article that advised to pull the tick off the client in the interests of time (the longer the tick is on, the more chance it could transmit a disease.) However, wouldn't this be considered practicing medicine without a license? There is a danger of squeezing gut contents of the tick into the human when doing a tick removal, so if the client were to develop a tick-borne disease, there is the liability aspect (prove you didn't squeeze gut contents of the tick into the person's body when you don't have a medical license saying you're qualified.) Anyway, my thought is that the massage needs to stop in order for the client to address the issue. If the client is able to reach the tick and chooses to remove it, then continue the massage after client has done so. If the client can't reach the tick, the client needs to leave to have it addressed. I believe this is what we discussed in school, but that was 10+ years ago and things do change. Thoughts?

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Permalink Reply by Laurie on June 26, 2017 at 9:52am

Removing ticks or any other objects from a clients skin is definitely out of a massage therapists' scope of practice. We do not keep sterilized instruments and equipment to perform the procedure. I am not sure if I would want a client removing a tick in my massage room, either. The tick can be filled with blood and the tick-body needs to be disposed of in a proper manner. What a client does before the session is their own business, but in good faith, they should let you know about the tick bite so you can avoid the area.

If a client can find time for a massage, they can find the time to visit a medical professional to remove the tick. If the bite site indicates infection, appropriate medical treatment can be started right away.