A contributor writes, "I said no to massage to a patient after fresh dialysis. When would it be OK to work on this person?"

Seems like a simple question. But it's not. We know a fair amount about kidney disease and about dialysis. And here's a surprise: The interface between massage therapy and people using dialysis has sparked a lot of conversation in research and medical circles.

What are people saying—and learning—about massage therapy for dialysis users? Better listen to this episode of I Have a Client Who . . .

 

Sponsors:  

 

Books of Discovery: www.booksofdiscovery.com

 

 

Host Bio:

 

Ruth Werner is a former massage therapist, a writer, and an NCBTMB-approved continuing education provider. She wrote A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology, now in its seventh edition, which is used in massage schools worldwide. Werner is also a long-time Massage & Bodywork columnist, most notably of the Pathology Perspectives column. Werner is also ABMP's partner on Pocket Pathology, a web-based app and quick reference program that puts key information for nearly 200 common pathologies at your fingertips. Werner's books are available at www.booksofdiscovery.com. And more information about her is available at www.ruthwerner.com.

 

 

Recent Articles by Ruth:

 

"Working with Invisible Pain," Massage & Bodywork magazine, November/December 2022, page 36, http://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1481961-november-december-2022/38

 

"Unpacking the Long Haul," Massage & Bodywork magazine, January/February 2022, page 35, www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1439667-january-february-2022/36.

"Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Massage Therapy," Massage & Bodywork magazine, September/October 2021, page 33, http://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1402696-september-october-2021/34.

 

"Pharmacology Basics for Massage Therapists," Massage & Bodywork magazine, July/August 2021, page 32, www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1384577-july-august-2021/34.  

 

 

 

Resources:

 

Pocket Pathology: https://www.abmp.com/abmp-pocket-pathology-app

 

Çeçen, S. and Lafcı, D. (2021) 'The effect of hand and foot massage on fatigue in hemodialysis patients: A randomized controlled trial', Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 43, p. 101344. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101344.

 

Dialysis: Types, How It Works, Procedure & Side Effects (no date). Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/14618-dialysis (Accessed: 6 September 2023).

 

Diane Mastnardo, B.S. et al. (2016) 'Intradialytic Massage for Leg Cramps Among Hemodialysis Patients: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial', International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork: Research, Education, & Practice, 9(2), pp. 3–8. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3822/ijtmb.v9i2.305.

 

Habibzadeh, H. et al. (2020) 'Effects of Foot Massage on Severity of Fatigue and Quality of Life in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial', International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery, 8(2), pp. 92–102. Available at: https://doi.org/10.30476/IJCBNM.2020.81662.0.

 

Hemodialysis - NIDDK (no date) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidney-failure/hemodialysis (Accessed: 6 September 2023).

 

I have a person who is on dialysis 3 times per week requesting massage therapy. We are taught that it is contraindicated in school. Is it safe for a person receiving dialysis to receive massage? (2014) National Kidney Foundation. Available at: https://www.kidney.org/blog/ask-doctor/i-have-person-who-dialysis-3-times-week-requesting-massage-therapy-we-are-taught-it (Accessed: 6 September 2023).

 

Kidney disease and massage - Ask Our Experts / Dr. John Agar, Nephrologist (2012a) Home Dialysis Central. Available at: https://forums.homedialysis.org/t/kidney-disease-and-massage/2745 (Accessed: 6 September 2023).

 

Kidney disease and massage - Ask Our Experts / Dr. John Agar, Nephrologist (2012b) Home Dialysis Central. Available at: https://forums.homedialysis.org/t/kidney-disease-and-massage/2745 (Accessed: 6 September 2023).

 

Kidney Disease Statistics for the United States - NIDDK (no date) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/kidney-disease (Accessed: 6 September 2023).

 

Lai, M.-Y. et al. (2006) 'Fever with acute renal failure due to body massage-induced rhabdomyolysis', Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 21(1), pp. 233–234. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfi158.

 

Lazarus, E.R. et al. (2020) 'The effects of an olive-oil massage on hemodialysis patients suffering from fatigue at a hemodialysis unit in southern India - a randomized controlled trial', Journal of Complementary & Integrative Medicine, 18(2), pp. 397–403. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2019-0338.