Massage for the Hospitalized and Medically Frail

• Describe important considerations when providing massage therapy to hospitalized and medically frail clients.
• Identify benefits, contraindications, and precautions associated with massage for medically complex clients.
• Explain how medications, medical devices, and medical procedures may affect massage therapy considerations.
• Describe hospital culture and infection control practices relevant to massage therapists working in medical settings.
• Identify appropriate adjustments to massage pressure, positioning, and treatment sites based on individual client conditions.
• Describe the importance of client intake, referrals, medical orders, and professional communication.
• Explain appropriate methods for planning, providing, and documenting massage sessions in medical settings.
• Apply familiar massage techniques in ways that are appropriate for the needs and limitations of hospitalized and medically frail clients.

• Online Textbook: Massage for the Hospital Patient and Medically Frail Client by Galye MacDonald, 240 pages
• Course instruction guide
• 78-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.

It was informative and provided a lot of cautionary and helpful information. Great to take if interested at all in medical massage or working with frail patients or elderly patients. - Maya Greene

I like the book. It will be a great tool for me to look back on for techniques and other information. The pictures are very helpful for visual learning. - Amanda Kerth

This course gave me the tools and confidence to work in a hospital setting. I would recommend this to any massage therapist. - Melissa Smith

Taking this course was very easy and saved me so much time and money! - Zhang Zhu

In studies performed on oncology patients, which of the following are three common symptoms clearly improved by massage?
A.    Anxiety, tumor size, and nausea
B.    Anxiety, pain, and nausea
C.    Pain, tumor size, and length of stay
D.    Nausea, weight, and anxiety

All of the following are recommended when it comes to lotion and/or massage lubricant EXCEPT:
A.    Massage practitioners should not take the same lotion bottle from patient to patient
B.    Use only the hospital’s lotion for immunosuppressed patients
C.    Only set lotion bottles on the floor, never on tables or counters
D.    Do not use jars that require dipping the fingers into the container unless the container will be disposed of after each patient

Why should massage strokes administered to people receiving systemic pain relief not be forceful?
A.    Because the medication will not affect the ability of the patient to give accurate feedback about the pressure
B.    Because the medication will affect the ability of the patient to give accurate feedback about the pressure
C.    Adjustments to pressure will not be necessary because of systemic pain relief medications
D.    Because the risk of releasing the blood clot is greater with a more forceful massage stroke