A person with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus develops new back pain in her mid-upper left side. It feels like “it’s coming from under my ribs,” she says.

First, it’s diagnosed as arthritis, but interventions don’t seem to make a difference.

Finally, a year into this unremitting pain, a rheumatologist asks about her breathing and discovers she has developed a complication called pulmonary thrombosis, probably related to her autoimmune diseases. They start treatment and voilà, her back pain is gone.

This is a good example of a case in which massage therapy was definitely NOT the best choice.

Resources:

Dsouza, K.G. et al. (2023) ‘Management of interstitial lung disease in patients with autoimmune disease-related interstitial lung disease’, Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine, 18(1), p. 890. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4081/mrm.2023.890.

Fibrosis as an autoimmune disease (no date) CPC - M. Available at: https://www.cpc-munich.de/en/research-projects/fibrosis-as-an-autoimmune-disease/index.html, https://www.cpc-munich.de/en/research-projects/fibrosis-as-an-autoimmune-disease/index.html (Accessed: 3 May 2024).

3. Gole, S. and Bankole, A. (2024) ‘Nintedanib’, in StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585049/ (Accessed: 8 May 2024).

Interstitial Lung Diseases - What Are Interstitial Lung Diseases? | NHLBI, NIH (2022). Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/interstitial-lung-diseases (Accessed: 8 May 2024).

5. Kašiković Lečić, S. et al. (2022) ‘Management of musculoskeletal pain in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a review’, Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences, 127, p. 10.48101/ujms.v127.8739. Available at: https://doi.org/10.48101/ujms.v127.8739.

6. Massage & Bodywork - MAY | JUNE 2021 (no date). Available at: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1358392-may-june-

Host:

Ruth Werner is a former massage therapist, a writer, and an NCBTMB-approved continuing education provider. She wrote A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology, now in its seventh edition, which is used in massage schools worldwide. Werner is also a long-time Massage & Bodywork columnist, most notably of the Pathology Perspectives column. Werner is also ABMP’s partner on Pocket Pathology, a web-based app and quick reference program that puts key information for nearly 200 common pathologies at your fingertips. Werner’s books are available at www.booksofdiscovery.com. And more information about her is available at www.ruthwerner.com.   

Sponsors:

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Ep 436 - Pulmonary Fibrosis—An Aberrant Matrix: “I Have a Client Who . . .” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner

The ABMP Podcast | Speaking With the Massage & Bodywork Profession

Ep 436 - Pulmonary Fibrosis—An Aberrant Matrix: “I Have a Client Who . . .” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner