MM Chapter 24: Massage for Special Populations

End-of-life care is broadly defined as any care provided to a person nearing death due to natural causes or terminal illness. In medicine, end-of-life care refers to medical care provided in the final days or hours of a person’s life or to care provided in the final months of a terminal illness. For example, when

Governmental, political activist, aid, and international organizations use the terms disability and impairment in different ways. Disability theorists are still debating the proper use of these terms. In this lesson, the term disability is used in a medical sense to mean a functional impairment. It is a condition caused by an accident, trauma, genetics, or

Obesity is excessive body fat in relation to lean body mass. This is because extra calories not used to fuel body functions are stored as body fat. Lean body mass is the mass of the body without fat. Body composition, involving the ratio of fat to lean body mass, is calculated based on the weight

The word elderly generally refers to people in the later stages of life. The term geriatric” refers specifically to people who are 70 years old or older, and the phrase senior citizen is generally used for people who are 60 or 65 years of age or older. Most healthcare professionals now use the term older

In one study, 26 pregnant women were assigned to a massage therapy group or a relaxation therapy group for five weeks. Both groups reported feeling a reduction in anxiety and leg pain, but only the massage therapy group reported improved mood, better quality of sleep, and less back pain by the conclusion of the study.8

Athletes are people who are physically active and train to participate in sports. Sports require mental commitment, physical strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, coordination, or a combination of these abilities. Athletes include professionals who make their living in sports and amateurs who participate in sports for fitness and enjoyment. Massage for athletes is commonly called sports

Special populations are groups of people who may require specific considerations and adaptations during a massage session. While massage is often customized for the individual client, special populations require an in-depth understanding of the client’s particular circumstances, physical and psychological needs, and possible cautions or contraindications. When you work with special populations, you apply everything