Introduction to Massage Therapy
Mary Beth Braun and Stephanie Simonson
Chapter 5
Pathology and Pharmacology
Instructor’s Key
Chapter Exercises
1. Define the following terms and explain why it is important for a massage therapist
to know them:
a. Pathology—The study of disease processes or of any deviation from a
normal, healthy condition. Therapists need to know how to talk about and
treat clients who have health conditions.
b. Etiology—The study of the source or cause of disease. Understanding
where the client’s symptoms come from can help determine treatment.
c. Pharmacology—The study of the preparation, mechanisms, applications,
and effects of medications. Knowing how to research medications a client
is taking and how it might affect the massage is important.
2. Describe the following characteristics of pathological conditions:
a. Acute—a condition that has developed very quickly and severely or has a
short duration
b. Subacute—the period from about 3 days to 3 weeks after a condition
started
c. Chronic—a condition that has persisted for a long time, develops slowly,
or recurs
3. Identify at least five pathological conditions for which massage is indicated.
a. Soft tissue tension and pain of scoliosis
b. Trigger points
c. Fibromyalgia
d. Muscle strains
e. Sciatic nerve irritation caused by muscular tension
f. Tension headaches
g. Thoracic outlet syndrome caused by muscular tension
h. Stress reduction
i. Mild high blood pressure
j. Edema related to immobility, inactivity, or musculoskeletal injury
k. Uncomplicated pregnancy, given specific considerations for each trimester
4. Give five examples of local contraindications and two examples of systemic
contraindications.
Local Contraindications
Affected area of a wound
Acne
Acute stage of skin injury
Small and minimal lesions
Copyright © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Introduction to Massage Therapy
Mary Beth Braun and Stephanie Simonson
Acute stage of fractures
Acute stage of severe sprain
Muscle bellies in acute stage of muscle spasm
Acute stage of osteoarthritis
Splinting or protective guarding
Acute or sub-acute stage of muscle strain
Sciatica
Thoracic outlet syndrome (non-muscular problem)
Bruise
Varicose veins
Ulcers in abdominal region
Breast cancer and lymph nodes
Systemic Contraindications
Pathological headaches
Severe cases of high blood pressure
Diagnosed pathologies of edema
Fever
Acute stage of UTI
5. Describe the pain-spasm cycle.
a. Pain causes a person to tense up, resulting in hypertonicity
b. Hypertonicity causes ischemia
c. Ischemia causes pain
d. Pain causes hypertonicity, and the pattern repeats
6. Define “trigger points” and identify at least three contributing factors to their
formation.
a. Spasms that occur at the motor end unit, resulting in painful knots or taut
bands within the tissue—can be formed by decreased circulation to a
hypertonic muscle, insufficient hydration of the muscle tissue, mechanical
stress on a muscle, inadequate sleep, or increased stress
7. Explain the general adaptation syndrome (GAS) mechanism as it relates to
prolonged stress.
a. There are three phases: the alarm reaction (the immediate fight or flight
response to a stressor), adaptation and resistance (body defends itself
against the stressor), and exhaustion (after prolonged exposure to the
stressor, energy for adaptation is depleted, resulting in fatigue and other
symptoms of illness).
8. Describe the difference between sprain and strain.
a. A sprain is an injured ligament, whereas a strain involves torn muscle
tissue.
9. Explain why a fever is contraindicated for massage therapy.
a. The body is going through an acute healing process during a fever, and
that process should be allowed to progress on its own.
10. Describe the benefits of massage therapy in the subacute and chronic stages of a
muscle spasm.
a. Massage can decrease pain and hypertonicity as well as increase
circulation to help heal the injury
Copyright © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins