When to skip self-massage

This is a short caution list for the hand and forearm practice, not a complete medical screen. If something about your health makes you unsure, skip the practice and ask a qualified clinician who knows your history. Self-massage does not replace professional care.

Skip it, and get personal advice, if

• You are pregnant. Do not massage the abdomen or low back from these pages. Ask your prenatal clinician before any massage.
• You have a bleeding disorder or take medicine that affects clotting, unless a clinician has already said gentle massage is acceptable for you.
• You have a known or suspected blood clot.
• The skin is broken, burned, infected, or covered in a rash.
• There is unexplained swelling, redness, or warmth.
• You have a recent sprain, fracture, surgery, or injection in that area.
• You have numbness, tingling, or weakness that has not been assessed.
• Pain is severe, or it is new and you do not know why.
• You are in active cancer treatment in that area. Ask the team caring for you.
• You feel feverish, dizzy, or generally unwell.

Places and methods these pages never use

• The throat, the eyes, and the front of the neck.
• The spine and the bony knobs of the neck.
• Tools, cups, scraping, or any device.
• Rubbing in order to move a clot or to break up a lump.
• Continuing through pain to get a result.

Stop during the practice if

• You feel pain, bruising, tingling, or dizziness.
• The pressure only feels right when you hold your breath.
• You are tempted to go deeper because a spot “should” be worked.