Massage Therapy & Blood Thinners/Anti-Inflammatories: Safety Guidelines

General considerations:

- Check with the patient's healthcare provider before providing massage. The combination of blood thinners and anti-inflammatories can increase the risk of bleeding, so it's important to get clearance from their doctor first.

- Use light pressure. Too much pressure can cause bruising and bleeding.

- **Avoid areas of the body where there are blood vessels close to the surface, such as the:

- Temples

- Neck

- Inner arms

- Inner thighs

- Knees

- Ankles

- Do not perform deep tissue massage. This type of massage can also cause bruising and bleeding.

- Be cautious when using massage techniques that involve stretching. Stretching can cause small blood vessels to tear, leading to bleeding.

- Educate the patient about the risks of massage and advise them to stop massage and report any adverse effects to their doctor.

- Some examples of massage techniques you may want to consider using with a patient on both blood thinners and anti-inflammatories include:

- Swedish massage: This technique uses light to medium pressure and long, gliding strokes.

- Trigger point therapy: This technique focuses on releasing tension in specific muscle knots.

- Myofascial release: This technique uses sustained pressure to release tension in the connective tissue that surrounds muscles.

- Lymphatic drainage massage: This technique helps to improve circulation and reduce swelling.