Allergies

[Nicole J]

I have a friend of mine that got a massage and had Lavender Oil used on her, which I guess she's allergic to. My question is this, how often do people have allergies to the oils and lotions being used? I don't know if my friend forgot to mention it, or if it wasn't asked...I didn't get too deep into the subject. The way the story was told to me, it sounded like she had previous knowledge of the allergy to Lavender. She got a free massage out of it, and it seems like it's more of a rash rather than something too serious, so everyone walked away happy enough.

I haven't started school yet (starting in a month), so we'll go over the various legal issues that need to be covered as a MT and/or business owner. I guess I'm more concerned about those people that are allergic and react to something they weren't aware of. How do we as an MT make sure we're using quality products with only good ingredients? I can relate this to vitamins or other items at health food stores...they can sell 100 different types of Vitamins, all claiming to be natural and healthy, but you never really know how well it's produced and the quality of ingredients. Is there some kind of regulations on how products are made, or can anyone sell you anything and call it whatever they want?

As I said, I'm sure this will be talked about in depth at school...just wondering out loud .

 

[President Pelosi]

Allergies

Make sure to purchase your products from a reputable company that you REALLY TRUST. One of the best ways to do this is to find an experienced massage therapist with a ton of allergies or sensitivities himself. She'll almost certainly have suggestions. Also, be aware of the most common allergens (like nuts). Creams are generally more likely to have chemical stabilizers and preservatives than oils, which aren't as likely to go bad without them. Good luck!

Kat

 

[JANE W]

Allergies

I've found that it's pretty common for people to have sensitivities to different chemicals, natural or artificial. It's not a rare thing at all. This happens for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the nervous system has a few functional imbalances in which extra afferentation (incoming sensory info) can be overwhelming, even if it seems minor to you and me.
I've also found errors in Phase II liver detoxification mechanisms in which folks can't process substances well once they've crossed either the skin barrier (topically) or the lung barrier (inhaled) - or even the blood-brain barrier (also inhaled). Barrier tissues (brain, lung, digestive, and skin) become weakened through stress (cortisol--stress hormone--breaks down gastrointestinal lining). So stress will contribute to the mix as well. *sigh*

The liver detox problems could either be genetic errors of Phase II detox OR they could be deficiencies of certain minerals. Good lab testing is available for both; a good Functional Med doctor (of any type, whether an MD, DC, or DO - all will practice similar if they're doing it right ).

In the meantime, though, a chiropractic doctor skilled in applied kinesiology (AK) could probably "test" different scents and oils on this client so that they might have a better idea of what they might be sensitive to before attempting to use it - that way it's trial-and-error with not as much "error" LOL

Hope that helps!
Hugs,
~Jyoti

 

[Heaven Cant Wait]

Allergies

I have a friend of mine that got a massage and had Lavender Oil used on her, which I guess she's allergic to. My question is this, how often do people have allergies to the oils and lotions being used? I don't know if my friend forgot to mention it, or if it wasn't asked...I didn't get too deep into the subject. The way the story was told to me, it sounded like she had previous knowledge of the allergy to Lavender. She got a free massage out of it, and it seems like it's more of a rash rather than something too serious, so everyone walked away happy enough.

Many people react to scents, preservatives, and essential oils. There is no way to know about an allergy unless the MT asks in advance and/or the client writes it down. Our health history intake form asks about allergies or sensitivities to oils, etc. Some MTs have a variety of lubricants to pick from and use different ones for different clients and/or different types of work... some even permit clients to choose a custom blend. We have too many MTs and clients for that, so we have found an excellent cream that works well for all types of modalities and (so far) ALL of our clients. We have had only one MT who became sensitive to it after using it for months. She is now doing fine with an alternative cream of equivalent quality that she doesn't react to. Because our clients do NOT break out, we don't end up giving away free massages for that.

I haven't started school yet (starting in a month), so we'll go over the various legal issues that need to be covered as a MT and/or business owner. I guess I'm more concerned about those people that are allergic and react to something they weren't aware of. How do we as an MT make sure we're using quality products with only good ingredients? I can relate this to vitamins or other items at health food stores...they can sell 100 different types of Vitamins, all claiming to be natural and healthy, but you never really know how well it's produced and the quality of ingredients. Is there some kind of regulations on how products are made, or can anyone sell you anything and call it whatever they want?

As I said, I'm sure this will be talked about in depth at school...just wondering out loud .

To my knowledge, there are no particular regulations on what may/may not be put into massage lubricants. Every brand name claims to be good. My best advice is to try a variety of brands while you are going through school, and ask professionals what they prefer to use, and WHY they have developed those preferences. Some people prefer oils, or creams, or gels, or water, or nothing at all... and you will learn a lot about how different MTs work just by asking about their lubricants.