| Condition | Core concept | Massage decision |
|---|---|---|
| DVT | Thrombus in deep vein, commonly leg | Suspected DVT: no massage, prompt medical evaluation. |
| Pulmonary embolism | Embolus obstructing pulmonary circulation | Sudden dyspnea/chest pain/collapse can be emergency. |
| Varicose veins | Dilated superficial veins associated with venous valve dysfunction | Avoid aggressive direct pressure over affected veins. |
| Chronic venous insufficiency | Impaired venous return, often with edema/skin changes | Cause/severity and skin integrity matter; do not assume all edema needs massage. |
| Hypertension | Persistently elevated arterial pressure | Consider control, symptoms and medication effects. Severe symptomatic presentation needs medical care. |
| Hypotension/orthostasis | Low pressure or pressure drop on standing | Slow transitions; fall prevention. |
| Atherosclerosis | Plaque disease of arterial walls | Systemic cardiovascular status matters; massage cannot mechanically clear plaques. |
| Coronary artery disease | Atherosclerotic disease affecting coronary circulation | Stable medically managed clients differ from active chest-pain emergencies. |
| Heart failure | Heart cannot meet body's circulatory demands adequately | Severity, edema, dyspnea and medical stability determine appropriateness; decompensation needs medical care. |
| Raynaud phenomenon | Episodic digital vasospasm | Cold can provoke symptoms; thermal applications require caution. |
| Anemia | Reduced hemoglobin/oxygen-carrying capacity | Fatigue, dizziness and underlying cause matter. |
| Hemophilia/bleeding disorders | Impaired coagulation | Bleeding risk may make deep/aggressive pressure unsafe; coordinate appropriately. |
| Thrombocytopenia | Low platelet count | Bruising/bleeding risk depends on severity; may require substantial modification/medical guidance. |
| Lymphedema | Protein-rich interstitial swelling due to impaired lymph transport | Specialized management; ordinary deep massage is not MLD. |
| Lymphangitis | Inflammation/infection of lymphatic vessels | Acute infection needs medical treatment, not massage over region. |
| Lymphoma | Malignancy of lymphoid tissue | Consider treatment status, fatigue, blood counts, ports/nodes and oncology context. |
| HIV | Retrovirus affecting immune system | Not transmitted by ordinary intact-skin massage; standard precautions apply to everyone. |
Edema is a sign, not a diagnosis. Possible causes include venous disease, lymphatic impairment, heart/kidney/liver disease, inflammation, injury and medications. The safe question is why is this swollen?, not “how do I push the fluid out?”