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From your experiences, what modalities or techniques have you found that work best with these clients?

There are many techniques available to us as therapist, some work well with the average client, some are not as effective with the medically frail client. What experience can you share on this topic?

Tags: ALS, Arthritis, MS, Parkinson's, frail, medically, oncology

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Travis Alligood on September 1, 2009 at 6:48am

I have been working in the YMCA for 7 months and there are a lot of, people male and female that pass through, For me I have had the opportuinty to work with people in 3rd stage colon cancer, as well as just never having massage before.I mean gone through life without massage can you imagine? The clients that I`ve had sessions with love it and wonder why they have never recieved. Depending on each individual client as to what technique I use , for the most part was Swedish.

Permalink Reply by Anita Bakke on October 6, 2009 at 8:25pm

Hi Travis,

Thanks for you input. Sorry it took so long for a response, life events kept me away.
I can't imagine life without massage but there are many out there who still do not know the benefits.

As therapist we never know what we will face when a new client walks-in, our skills and knowledge have to be broad and most of all we need to have the support of excellent resources.

Once of my favorite resources is CURE magazine. Where do you go when you need info quick?

Permalink Reply by Susan G. Salvo on March 26, 2010 at 2:27pm

Be sure to ck out Comfort Touch (Mary Kathleen Rose's method).

It's ideal for frail clients.

Permalink Reply by Laurie Owen on July 9, 2010 at 2:24pm

I have been studying Trager Mentastics now for several months--actually, I started with Level I 20 years ago, and am finally ready to take it seriously. I've been using it, as part of my fieldwork which I need to do in order to proceed toward Practitioner status. I've now done 4 sessions for a member of my family who has Parkinson's. She is loving it, and I'm finding that her muscles seem to be learning that it's okay to relax. This process seems to happen despite whatever is going on with her conscious mind. For instance, she was not aware that her hamstrings would "lock" in position when I would bend her leg at the knee. Gradually, as I've called it to her attention, she has become aware. In the meantime, though, with gentle rocking and "taking up the slack" and compression, the hamstring is relaxing more and more with each session. A question she has raised--and one which is very interesting to me--is whether bodywork is more effective during the times when her medication is allowing her muscles to relax, or during the time when the muscles are rigid. I've done work both times, and oddly enough, my intuition is that the lighter freer phenomenon is more noticeable as the muscles involuntarily relax from the rigid state. Anyone else have some insights? I'm wanting to write an article, and would welcome input or even the chance to do some interviews. Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Laurie Owen on July 9, 2010 at 2:27pm

Oh, also--my relative with Parkinson's also has found cranial-sacral work to be very helpful. When my Mom was dealing with cancer, I would use QiGong, and she found it very relaxing.

Permalink Reply by Shannon Rieder on August 1, 2010 at 8:18pm

I have volunteered doing massage therapy with hospice patients, most of whom were elderly, and I just began working with a client with ALS. I do some Swedish to encourage circulation, ROM, and compression. I love Comfort Touch, and I incorporate Mary Kathleen Rose's techniques into most of my sessions. My client with ALS is non-mobile; the last session we had, he was seated in his motorized wheelchair. I have considered doing some myofascial release on his arms and neck if he's seated next time. Has anyone done MFR with a client with ALS?