Diabetic or convulsions

[banzai]

Can someone tell me if they have had a client who was diabetic and had a siszure on the table. or someone who had convulsions and they were in the middle of a massage. Can you tell me the precedure if that would happen? There is sometimes only one theripist in the office (me) and I havent had this happen but it is one of the questions on the test
petedose
life is a struggle, suffering is optionial

 

[DarkMagix]

I haven't had this happen to me, but if it did, I would stop the massage, immediately, and call 911, or what ever emergency services number there is. I am lucky, I have a phone in my room with the ringer turned off, so it never rings, but should I need it, it is there.

What test are you taking?

I would think that a good health history should bring up an illness that might cause seizures. And if you find there is a chance of seizures, you have a good discussion with your client about massage, and what they want you to do, and what you feel comfortable doing. The client should indicate that they are diabetic, and you can then start the conversation as to how well regulated their blood sugar is, have they had any adverse side effects, how long since their diagnosis, when was the last time their meds were changed, what kind of meds, how often etc.

 

[autobot032]

With a good health history, you would know whether or not seizures are an issue for a client. If they have a history of seizures, they will be able to tell you how best to handle it. Generally the main thing is to keep the person safe - so be sure there is no falling off the table! I wouldn't reach to call 911 if I had a client seizing on the table, unless it was a prolonged seizure. Most people who have them will tell you their threshold - at 3 minutes call 911, or at 5 min. call 911, etc. Rarely will one go so long that emergency care is required. For some people, this is just a fact of life, and having an ambulance show up every time would be a horrible waste of all kinds of resources, including emotional.

However, if the client has never had a seizure as far as you know, calling 911 would not be over-reacting. Still, keeping that person safe during the seizure is more important than getting an ambulance there. If the seizure is over in a minute they can decline medical intervention, but I wouldn't let them drive home if I could help it. Adults, though, get to make those decisions.

A seizure is scary to those who have not witnessed any/many - but it is not a heart attack.

 

[No can do Obama!]

I agree 100% with Rose of Sharon, and I have been close to someone with epilepsy. If they know they have seizures, having an ambulence show up is a major drain on many aspects of life, as she mentioned: money, emotional, time.

Find out their needs ahead of time. If they have never had a seizure before, calling 911 is okay.

Protect their head and their body. Help them not fall off the table and hit their head. Don't put anything in their mouth. You may want to look up the procedure on this, but I don't think it's recommended anymore to put things (leather belt or wallet) in a seizing person's mouth.

 

[ten]

General recommendation is to turn them to the side and protect their head from hitting against anything. Nothing in the mouth - you could break their teeth.

It wouldn't be impossible to tip the table if the client had a full blown siezure although, even among epilectics, those are very rare. Most episodes are slight and minor but would be noticeable to a bodyworker.

Protect the airway -protect the head.

Most with this condition will be able to tell you they have it. Avoid stimulating essential oils and scents like Rosemary essential oil which acts directly on the central nervous system.

 

[jayant]

I have had epilepsy since age 12. Most of the seizures I had were grand mal (tonic-clonic) seizures - the big ones. Most were over within 3-5 minutes. Aside from bumping my head and general fatigue, I've never had any unpleasant side effects following an episode. Calling an ambulance has usually been a big waste of time and $.

All that said, the advice given above is right on. Stop the massage and focus on protecting the client from self-harm. It's rare for seizures to last beyond a few minutes. I favor keeping a silenced (cell) phone handy in case of emergencies. Don't stick stuff in the client's mouth or try to restrain them. Just keep them on the table and be a calm presence until the episode passes.

They may not have awareness of what occurred, and may be disoriented in general. Do not resume the massage. Contact someone to pick up your client, as driving right after an episode is both unsafe and (in my state, anyway) illegal. Should the client totter out the door and get into an accident, you could be held liable. Act in the best interests of your client even if they protest. This is why they should always complete the health history form and include an emergency contact number.

A client's health history will generally include seizure-related disorders. Ask about meds, frequency of episodes, triggers, etc. Personally, essential oils and other stimulants have never been contributory factors for my seizures. But there are many types of seizures which can be triggered by a wide variety of stimuli, so its best to learn whatever the client can tell you. Have them provide a contact number "just in case" even if they don't feel one coming on. Some people, like myself, may have little to no advance warning.

Follow these simple steps, keep your First Aid cert current, and you should be fine. Treat an epileptic like anyone else.

 

[Fish Lover]

diabetics

Thanks everyone for the information. I never thought of putting a phone in the room with the ringer off or my cell phone. I always kept it in the front office (seems silly now)
for the testing part I'm taking the nationals for body work
thanks again
mary
life is a struggle, suffering is optionial

 

[Pompal 09.]

I read and focused on the diabetic part of the question, and seizures that might go along with diabetes, rather than epilepsy. I think the two are very different.

I have had clients with epilepsy, and simply ask what they would like done, if something were to happen. Although it hasn't happened to me yet *knocks on wood*

With diabetes, it is usually an indication that the person's blood sugar is too low, and out of control. I would not want to keep that person in my clinic, I would want them to seek out medical help.

 

[Camer]

As a diabetic, I can tell you that if the convulsions are from their diabetes then you need to seek immediate medical help. I'm also confused a little because diabetes is not usually associated with seizures. If a person's sugar levels are too low (a potentially fatal situation) they will pass out. If it is too high they can go into a coma. In both cases, call 911.

Some diabetics, particularly those on insulin will carry an injection of gluclose (there's a different name for the injection but I can't think of it now) and it should be administered if they go into hypoglycemia. If it is just that they are starting to going into hypoglycemia (they will recognize the symptoms) but are still conscience then give them food or a drink that has sugar in it, but do not try to put anything in their mouth if they are already unconscience.

Angie

 

[reys]

Moogie, I agree with you, diabetes isn't usually associated with seizures, but upon a little bit of reading, apparently you can have seizures or convulsions on a rare occassion, if the person goes into hypoglycemia. I think it is rare, but I have found some articles on it with a very brief search. *shrugs*

 

[Zorro]

Ah yes - I don't know why my brain skipped over the diabetes part of the question ....perhaps becuase we DID have a client who suffered from epilepsy in our clinic (chiropractic care decreased the severity and frequency of her seizures and her doctor prescribed treatments twice a month minimum.)

Anywho - what we were taught with diabetes is to administer sugar in an easy to digest form, ie juice like apple. And to of course call 911 immediately. But for most laypersons it is way outside their scope to give an injection so that was discouraged (first responder training and life guard cert, etc). We were told that without a blood sugar test it was difficult to tell the difference between too much and too little sugar so the standard was to give a juice type drink until help arrived.

Angela <

P.S. Yes - common sense dictates that if you are alone in the building access to a phone is a good thing to have. Mine is on silent ringer in my room with the main extension in the waiting area.

 

[hey!]

Just want to mention that massage can lower blood sugar levels. I know one MT that offers a chocolate kiss to every client. Most love it for a sweet, but it's a real winner for those with blood sugar worries.

I keep a few wax sticks full of organic honey in my traveling first aid kit. Great for onset of low blood sugar, before they go out. Doesn't take up much space, and they'll last a LONG time.

 

[DuckyMcQuackers]

Diabetes

Massage will not lower blood sugars. Physiologically speaking, insulin is what allows glucose to be absorbed in cells and because people with Type 1 diabetes receive all their insulin externally, usually through injection, finding the exact amount is near impossible. Massage can put a person in a more relaxed state, but it will not lower blood sugars. If a person becomes hypoglycemic on the table, it is usually because of driver-error as they did not compensate correctly. I wear an insulin pump and I take it off when I receive massages and I usually come out a bit higher because I did remove my pump.

Sombraman