A contraindication is any condition that renders a particular treatment improper or undesirable. 

GENERAL

1. ACUTE STAGE OF PNEUMONIA
2. ADVANCED KIDNEY FAILURE
3. ADVANCED RESPIRATORY FAILURE
4. DIABETES WITH COMPLICATIONS (I.E., GANGRENE, ADVANCED HEART OR KIDNEY DISEASE, VERY HIGH OR UNSTABLE BLOOD PRESSURE)  
5. ECLAMPSIA-TOXEMIA IN PREGNANCY.  
6. HEMOPHILIA  
7. HEMORRHAGE  
8. LIVER FAILURE  
9. POST CEREBRAL VASCULAR ACCIDENT (CVA, STROKE), CONDITION NOT YET STABILIZED.  
10. POST MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (MI, HEART ATTACK), CONDITION NOT YET STABILIZED  
11. SEVERE ATHEROSCLEROSIS  
12. SEVERE HYPERTENSION (IF UNSTABLE)  
13. SHOCK  
14. SIGNIFICANT FEVER (HIGHER THAN 1O1 F)  
15. SOME ACUTE CONDTIONS THAT REQUIRE FIRST AID OR MEDICAL ATTENTION:

ANAPHYLAXIS
APPENDICITIS
CVA
DIABETIC COMA, INSULIN SHOCK
EPILEPTIC SEIZURE
MI
PNEUMOTHORAX, ATELECTASIS
SEVERE ASTHMA ATTACK, STATUS ASTHMATICUS
SYNCOPE

16. SOME HIGHLY METASTATIC CANCERS NOT JUDGED TO BE TERMINAL  
17. SYSTEMIC CONTAGIOUS/INFECTIOUS CONDITION  

LOCAL/REGIONAL

LOCAL/REGIONAL CONTRA-INDICATIONS ARE THOSE THAT RELATE TO A SPECIFIC AREA OF THE BODY. MASSAGE MAY BE PROVIDED BUT NOT TO THE PROBLEMATIC AREA. 

1. ACUTE FLARE-UP OF INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS (E.G., RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS, ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS, REITER’S SYSNDROM)  MAY BE GENERAL CI, DEPENDING ON CASE.  
2. ACUTE NEURITIS  
3. ANEURYSMS DEEMED LIFE-THREATENING (E.G., OF THE ABDOMINAL AORTA); MAY GENERAL CI, DEPENDING ON LOCATION  
4. ECTOPIC PREGNANCY  
5. ESOPHAGEAL VARICOSITIES (VARICES)  
6. FROSTBITE  
7. LOCAL CONTAGIOUS CONDITION  
8. LOCAL IRRITABLE SKIN CONDITION  
9. MALIGNANCY (ESPECIALLY IF JUDGED UNSTABLE)  
10. OPEN WOUND OR SORE  
11. PHLEBITIS, PHLEBOTHROMBOSIS, ARTHRITIS; MAY BE GENERAL BI IF LOCATED IN A MAJOR CIRCULATORY CHANNEL  
12. RECENT BURN  
13. SEPSIS  
14. TEMPORAL ARTHRITIS  
15. TWENTY-FOUR TO 48 HOURS AFTER ANTI-INFLAMMATORY TREATMENT (TARGET TISSUE AND IMMEDIATE VICINITY)  
16. UNDIAGNOSED LUMP

THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS REQUIRE AN AWARENESS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ADVERSE EFFECTS FROM MASSAGE THERAPY.  SUBSTANTIAL TREATMENT ADAPTATION MAY BE APPROPRIATE.  MEDICAL CONSULTATION OFTEN IS NEEDED.

1. CLIENT TAKING ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS, MUSCLE RELAXANTS, ANTI-COAGULANTS, ANALGESICS, OR ANY OTHER MEDICATIONS THAT ALTER SENSATION, MUSCLE TONE, STANDARD REFLEX REACTIONS, CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION, KIDNEY OR LIVER FUNCTION, OR PERSONALITY  
2. DRUG WITHDRAWAL  
3. EMPHYSEMA  
4. IMMUNO-SUPPRESSED CLIENT  
5. MAJOR OR ABDOMINAL SURGERY  
6. MODERATELY SEVERE OR JUVENILE-ONSET DIABETES  
7. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS  
8. OSTEOPOROSIS, OSTEOMALACIA  
9. PREGNANCY AND LABOR  
10. POST-MI  
11. POST-CVA  
12. RECENT HEAD INJURY

LOCAL/REGIONAL (continued)

1. ACUTE DISK HERNIATION  
2. ANEURYSM  
3. ANY ACUTE INFLAMMATORY CONDITION  
4. ANY ANTI-INFLAMMATORY TREATMENT SITE  
5. ANY CHRONIC OR LONG-STANDING SUPERFICIAL THROMBOSIS  
6. BUERGER’S DISEASE  
7. CHRONIC ARTHRITIC CONDITIONS  
8. CHRONIC ABDOMINAL OR DIGESTIVE DISEASE  
9. CHRONIC DIARRHEA  
10. CONTUSION  
11. ENDOMETRIOSIS  
12. FLACCID PARALYSIS OR PARESIS  
13. FRACTURE (WHILE CASTED AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER CAST REMOVAL)  
14. HERNIA  
15. JOINT INSTABILITY OR HYPER-MOBILITY  
16. KIDNEY INFECTION, STONES  
17. MASTITIS  
18. MINOR SURGERY
19. PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE  
20. PITTING EDEMA  
21. PORTAL HYPERTENSION  
22. PROLONGED CONSTIPATION  
23. RECENT ABORTION/VAGINAL BIRTH  
24. TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA