Effective and safe bodywork therapies
Understanding contraindications and your existing health conditions helps us keep bodywork treatments safe. Our manual and physical therapies are medically proven and always consider your physical and emotional safety…
Although bodywork is generally considered safe for everyone there are some conditions that require extra attention. We assess and review yours to truly personalise your treatments, always with a view to keep these both effective and safe for you. This starts with only offering treatment designs that are medically proven, supported by leading clinical research, and carefully tested at our own practice.
Should any of the conditions mentioned on this page apply to you, please inform your therapist at your next session. The more we learn about you, the better we become able to help you accelerate your healing journey.
Understanding contraindications
In medicine, a contraindication is a condition that serves as a reason not to take a certain medical treatment due to the harm that it would cause you. Contraindication is the opposite of indication, which is a reason to use a certain treatment.
There are two types of contraindications: relative and absolute.
Relative contraindications
Relative contraindications are health-related conflicts that occur when you receive multiple types of non-complimentary treatments simultaneously. They also occur when one or multiple treatments interfere negatively with medication prescribed to you.
Because these contraindications are also relative to your unique condition they can only be assessed reliably on an individual basis. It is therefore important to inform your therapist of the services you receive from other therapists, healers, and health care specialists.
Please check the following list of conditions that have been medically proven to limit your suitability for our bodywork. If you are diagnosed with these conditions, or are treated for their effects, please consult your medical specialist before you book a treatment with us. Note that you will remain responsible for informing your therapist accordingly.
Ankle
- Achilles tendinitis
- Flexor tendinitis
- Plantar fascitis
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Pes cavus (claw foot)
- Inversion sprain
- Ligament sprain (Calcaneofibular, Anterior talofibular, Posterior talofibular, Talonavicular).
Knee
- Chondromalacia of patella
- Patellarfemoral dysfunction
- Patellar tendinitis
- Medial/lateral collateral ligament sprain
- Pes anserinus tendinitis—three insertions: sartorius, gracilis, semitendinosus
- Bursitis (There are nineteen bursae around the knee.)
- Total knee replacement.
Hip and Thigh
- Trochanteric bursitis
- Meralgia paresthetica (outer thigh)
- IT band syndrome
- Piriformis syndrome
- Psoas dysfunction
- Gluteal tendinitis
- Adductor tendinitis
- Chronic hip displacement
- Total hip replacement
- Ligament sprain: iliofemoral, pubofemoral, ischiofemoral.
Low Back and Hip
- Lumbar strain
- Lumbar dysfunction
- Lumbar spondylosis
- Sciatica
- Lumbosacral radiculitis
- Sacroiliac instability
- Sacral sprain
- Coccygodynia (pain)
- Vertebral fusion
- Laminectomy
- Spinal stenosis scoliosis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
Neck
- Traumatic cervical sprain
- Spasmodic torticollis
- Brachial radiculitis
- Cephalgia
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Cervical stenosis
Shoulder
- Adhesive shoulder capsulitis
- Rotator cuff syndrome
- Supraspinatus syndrome
- Biceps tendinitis
- Chronic dislocations
- Ligament sprain (acromioclavicular, coracoclavicular, coracoacromial, glenohumeral, transverse humeral, medial deltoid)
- Bursitis (subacromial, subcoracoid, subdeltoid)
Wrist and Hand
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Palmar fasciitis
- Tendinitis of hand or wrist
- Tunnel syndromes
Cranial Region (Head)
- TMJ dysfunction
- Tinnitus
- Sinusitis
- Tension headaches
Systemic Musculoskeletal
- Angina pectoris
- Palindromic rheumatism Arthritis (25 different types)
- Calcification of joints
- Fibromyositis
- Progressive myositis ossificans
- Neuralgia, neuritis
- Dysmenorrhea
Systemic Nervous
- Bells palsy
- Horner’s syndrome
- Neuropathy; entrapment
- Paresthesia
- Tic douloureux
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Spastic cerebral palsy
- Spasticity due to stroke
Absolute contraindication
Absolute Contraindication occur when it is medically proven that a treatment is expected to cause adverse reactions, which can be severe enough to be threaten your health, well-being, or even your life. We will NOT provide any type of therapy or treatment to conditions that fall under this category. Our primary concern is to keep you safe, unharmed, and uninjured.
Note that the following list may not include a particular contraindication that relates to your health history. We therefore take time to thoroughly assess you during our Intake Consultation. Should you be diagnosed with any of the following conditions, please state this specifically on your Concern Check Sheet.
- Acute circulatory conditions
- Acute rheumatoid arthritis
- Acute trauma/inflammation
- Advanced degenerative changes
- Advanced diabetes
- Aneurysm
- Anticoagulant therapies
- Extreme cellulitis
- Colds and flu
- Contagious skin conditions
- Decreased sensation/neuropathy
- Extreme pain
- Febrile state (Fever)
- Fibromyalgia
- Healing fractures
- Hypersensitivity of skin
- Malignancy
- Obstructive edema
- Open wounds
- Osteomyelitis
- Osteoporosis
- Structural issues
- Systemic or localised infections
- Sutures
Additional safety information
We aim to keep the lists of relative and absolute contraindications above aligned with latest medical research and global physical therapy practice standards. Neither should therefore be read as conclusive and exhaustive. The following information offers generic but medically proven advice on how to assess your suitability for our bodywork treatments.
Bruising & blood thinning medication
We may need to adjust your treatment plan if you bruise easily, take blood thinning medication or any medication that is known to have this effect. We may insist you arrange for advice from your medical specialist prior treatment.
Spinal issues
We will insist you consult your medical specialist if you are experiencing acute pain along the spine. We might not treat you if you have undergone surgery on the spine (such as a laminectomy) and will only progress on advice from your medical specialist.
Artificial joints
We will not immediately touch, treat, or manipulate regions on and around artificial joints, such as a hip or knee replacements. Depending on our own assessments and advice from your medical specialist we may adjust your treatment plan accordingly.
Pregnancy
Although we may make exceptions, we generally prefer not to treat you if you are pregnant. We will not treat you within eight weeks of your calculated start and due dates. If we decide to treat you, we will exclude from your treatment all abdominal work and pressured work on your lower back.
Heart, vascular problems, diabetes
We may need to adjust your treatment plan if you have a history of history of heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, and vascular problems. We may not immediately touch, treat, or manipulate areas with varicose veins.
Talk to us about therapy suitability
In as much as we are here to offer you the highest-quality bodywork treatments possible, your safety and well-being will always be our primary concern. Unlike other practices we maintain strict operating principles and continue to promote ethics-based standards.
We continue to work daily with other clinical and therapeutic specialists to offer true allied health care services. By ensuring that all our therapies comply with medically proven directives and guidelines we go deliberately through great lengths to protect both your emotional and physical safety.
Contact us if you are not sure if your condition excludes you from receiving our treatments.
Continue your healing bodywork journey
Like what you’re reading? Share to support us…
