Ethics: Contraindications to Massage

• Explain the ethical responsibilities of massage therapists related to client safety, autonomy, informed consent, privacy, professional boundaries, non-discrimination, and scope of practice.
• Differentiate between contraindications, precautions, local concerns, and systemic concerns and explain how the client's current circumstances can influence massage therapy decisions.
• Identify situations in which massage therapy may be appropriate to provide normally, modify, limit to specific areas or techniques, postpone, decline, or refer for additional evaluation.
• Recognize common client conditions, symptoms, injuries, and other circumstances that may require treatment modification, avoidance, postponement, or referral while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
• Identify red flags and other concerning changes that may require a massage therapist to stop or modify treatment, communicate with the client, recommend appropriate evaluation, and document the situation without attempting to diagnose.
• Identify anatomical endangerment sites and describe appropriate considerations for pressure, positioning, technique, client feedback, and treatment around vulnerable areas.
• Apply ethical principles to client intake, informed consent, communication, confidentiality, documentation, treatment modifications, and referral decisions.
• Apply an ethical decision-making framework to massage therapy situations by recognizing concerns, gathering relevant information, assessing safety and scope, deciding on an appropriate response, communicating with the client, and documenting the decision.

• Text: Ethics: Contraindications to Swedish Massage by Cindy Hummel, LMT, LPN and Corrine Mollet Rubida, BS, LMT, 106 pages
• Course instruction guide
• 15-question multiple-choice final exam
• Course evaluation
• Certificate of Achievement upon completion
• Unlimited phone support for course-related questions

The Center for Massage Therapy Continuing Education, LLC is an Approved Provider through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB); Approved Provider number 409296-00.

Our massage online continuing education courses are also accepted by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP), and most state boards.

For more information on individual state requirements and approvals, please visit our Approvals page and click on your state.

I especially liked the printable diagram reflecting the endangerment sites. - Marie Leone

The content was excellent. The format was easy to read and understand. I love the therapist forms provided. The best and most informative ethics course I have ever taken. - Melanie Castillo

I liked the course, it helped me understand and refresh what to look for in my client’s. Thank you. – R. Kublik, LMT

I liked everything about this course and found it easy to navigate through all the information. Thank you for assisting me with my continuing education. - R. Creson, LMT

I like all of the additional information I did not get in school. - Nancy Dudek, LMT

Thanks for providing quality education that is convenient, well organized and helpful. - Mary Batt, LMT

Which of the following describes the term over-treatment?
A. A condition that involves recent onset, sudden change, injury or active episode.
B. A condition that is longstanding or persistent.
C. Assuming that a client cannot receive massage at all when a safer modification or partial treatment may be appropriate.
D. Continuing with a treatment plan even though new information indicates that it should be changed.

Which combination is specifically identified in the course as a concerning headache presentation requiring particular attention?
A. A headache associated with trauma, fever, neck stiffness, or neurological symptoms.
B. A mild headache occurring after a normal workday with no other changes.
C. A familiar headache that follows the client's usual pattern and resolves with rest.
D. A headache that the client has experienced regularly for several years without changes.

A client develops dizziness and lightheadedness during a massage and asks the therapist to continue because the symptoms will "probably pass." What does the course instruct the therapist to do?
A. Stop or modify treatment as appropriate, communicate with the client, reassess the situation, and determine whether treatment can safely continue.
B. Continue treatment because the client has provided informed consent.
C. Diagnose the cause of the dizziness before deciding whether to stop treatment.
D. Ignore the symptom unless the client becomes unable to communicate.