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Do you give a client a massage if they have Vertigo or a  stroke?

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People who have had a stroke can benefit greatly from massage. But I agree with Samantha, get clearance from the MD first. Usually by the time they are discharged from hospital, they are okay to have massage, but do check first.

As for the vertigo, depends - how long as the client had this condition and does he/she have a diagnosis for why this is happening? If it is a chronic condition and other serious conditions have been ruled out, then you can give massage. Sometimes the problem is to find a comfortable position for the client. Some people with vertigo are dizzy lying prone - you may have to experiment with positioning.
If the client has not been diagnosed, then I would not treat, but recommend that the client has testing to determine the cause of the vertigo.
Pressure points for stroke are most effective applied in the first 24 hours. Using Korean Martial Therapy I have had very good results with near full mobility recovery over a year after the stroke. Their doctor had canceled Physical Therapy at 1 year because there had been no improvement after the first 6 months. The right hand could not grasp anything. After three sessions she could hold a glass and feed herself.

Vertigo, I have found Craniosacral therapy very useful along with pressure points.

I wouldn't use massage for either condition unless your only objective is to relax them. I would and do use bodywork to improve the condition.
Depends on the case history. In many cases, it was safe to give massage/bodywork to people diagnosed with vertigo. Always best to get MD clearance for massage, though.

Today I saw a client who gets vertigo frequently, but only after she feels a portion of her upper back tensing up. If allowed to progress, the tension eventually moves into her neck and she gets vertigo shortly after. She has received massage many times before. We will work through a process that (hopefully) will eliminate more/all of the recurring tension patterns in her upper back, and thereby eliminate the vertigo she has been experiencing.

The methods I use will vary each session. I do not employ cranial-sacral or asian bodywork, and do not anticipate a need for either in this case.
One of the great things about our profession and the human body is that the body's complexity and interrelationships allows for a wide range of effective modalities. As the saying goes, "different strokes for different folks".

I fully agree that when a person is under a Physician's care it is best to get a release to perform any hands on therapy. ABMP has forms available to members on the website that I find very useful.

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