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Musculoskeletal Pathology Master

Recognize the condition, then decide what the current presentation means for massage.

Condition	What it is	Massage reasoning
Adhesive capsulitis	Painful progressive restriction of glenohumeral motion associated with capsular changes	Do not force ROM. Work within irritability/tolerance and reassess.
Baker cyst	Fluid-filled swelling in popliteal region, often associated with knee pathology	Avoid aggressive pressure in popliteal fossa; unexplained swelling needs appropriate evaluation.
Bursitis	Irritation/inflammation of bursa	Avoid aggressive direct compression during acute irritation.
Fracture	Break in bone	Acute/unstable fracture is not a massage target. Healing status and restrictions govern later work.
Ganglion cyst	Benign fluid-filled cyst commonly near joint/tendon sheath	Do not attempt to crush or rupture it. Modify locally if symptomatic.
Gout	Inflammatory arthritis caused by monosodium urate crystals	Acute hot painful flare = local avoidance.
Intervertebral disc degeneration	Age/load-related disc structural changes, variably symptomatic	Imaging finding alone does not dictate symptoms. Screen neurological signs and functional tolerance.
Kyphosis/lordosis/scoliosis	Terms describing spinal curves/alignment; causes vary	Do not promise structural correction through massage. Position for comfort and address goals/function.
Lyme disease	Tick-borne bacterial infection	Acute systemic illness requires medical care; chronic/post-treatment symptoms require individualized tolerance and scope-safe care.
Osteoarthritis	Degenerative joint disease involving cartilage, bone and other joint tissues	Adapt to pain/stiffness; avoid forcing irritable joints.
Osteoporosis	Reduced bone strength and increased fracture risk	Reduce force/leverage; avoid aggressive compression/manipulation.
Osgood-Schlatter disease	Traction apophysitis at tibial tuberosity in growing adolescents	Avoid provocative direct pressure over symptomatic tibial tuberosity.
Patellofemoral pain	Pain around/behind patella with multifactorial loading contributors	Do not reduce it to one “tight muscle.” Work within tolerance and consider movement/load history.
Rheumatoid arthritis	Systemic autoimmune inflammatory arthritis	Modify/avoid acutely inflamed joints; consider systemic symptoms, fragility and medications.
Spondylosis	Degenerative changes of spine	Term does not by itself tell symptom severity. Screen neurological deficits and tolerance.
Sprain	Ligament injury	Acute swelling/instability requires protection and possible evaluation.
Strain	Muscle/tendon injury	Technique depends on severity/healing stage; avoid aggressive acute loading.
TMJ disorder	Umbrella for temporomandibular joint/masticatory disorders	External massage may be appropriate within training; avoid overclaiming and screen severe locking/trauma.

Muscular/fascial conditions

Dupuytren contracture	Fibroproliferative palmar fascia disorder causing finger flexion contracture	Massage does not simply stretch away established contracture.
Fibromyalgia	Chronic widespread pain disorder with altered pain processing and common fatigue/sleep symptoms	Pressure tolerance can vary greatly. Individualize and avoid “no pain no gain.”
Myofascial pain	Regional pain associated with muscle/myofascial tenderness and trigger-point concepts	Use symptom-guided techniques; avoid claiming every tender spot is a trigger point.
Plantar fasciopathy	Load-related plantar fascia/heel pain condition	Consider irritability and contributing load; do not aggressively grind painful heel.
Shin splints / MTSS	Exercise-related pain along posteromedial tibial border	Avoid painful tibial grinding; severe focal pain may need evaluation for stress injury.
Tendinopathy	Load-related tendon disorder	Avoid reflexively treating all tendon pain with aggressive friction.
Torticollis	Abnormal neck posture from multiple possible causes	Cause matters. Acute/new neurological or traumatic presentations require evaluation.
Whiplash-associated disorder	Symptoms following acceleration-deceleration neck trauma	Acute trauma/red flags first; later work should follow tolerance and medical status.