Fluid preparations ● Fluid extract : A concentrated fluid preparation. Fluid extracts are 100 percent strength (1 ml. of the preparation contains 1 gram of the crude drug). ● Tincture : An alcoholic solution of a drug. Tinctures of potent vegetable drugs are 10 percent in strength; of less potent drugs, 20 percent in strength. ● Elixir : A solution containing water, alcohol, sugar, and flavoring substances, in which one or more drugs may be dissolved. ● Spirit : An alcoholic or hydro-alcoholic solution of a volatile drug. Self-Assessment Quiz Question #2 Solid preparations of drugs include the following except: a. Tablet. b. Suppository. c. Ointment. d. Spirit. Observation : Over the first month and a half you as a manual therapist performing massage notice a difference in muscle tone of the client. The muscle tissue is more pronounced, and there is less inflammation and less lymphatic fluid around the joints. The client tells you they have also incorporated walking, yoga, and meditation in their weekly routine in addition to massage. Sometimes with deeper tissue work to relieve muscle tension from the new exercise regime of the client, they feel slightly nauseous, and they get dizzy when you turn them from prone to supine positions. The symptoms generally do not present with lighter work in more relaxation focused treatments. After 3 months the client comes in and tells you they have been able to slowly reduce the dosage of their blood pressure medication under the guidance of their physician and credits this improvement in part to the regular massage sessions they have been receiving.
Solid preparations ● Capsule : A drug placed in a gelatin container. ● Tablet : A drug compressed or molded into a flat disk or other shape. ● Pill : A powdered drug molded into a sphere. The word “pill” is often misused as a general term for tablets. ● Troche : A drug preparation in a flat disk that is held in the mouth until dissolved. ● Suppository : A drug that is molded into shape for insertion into a body opening other than the mouth. Its vehicle, such as cocoa butter, melts at body temperature and the drug is released. ● Ointment : A drug suspended in a semi-solid base such as petrolatum. ● Powder : A drug that is ground up and used in powder form. Case study Patient Profile: A 65-year-old client comes to your office; they have recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure and have been put on what they self-describe as a small dose of blood pressure medication. They list the medication they are taking as Capoten, an ACE inhibitor. So far they have experienced some nausea and mild lightheadedness since beginning the medication. They are looking to incorporate massage, diet changes, and exercise as part of a lifestyle change to accompany the medication with the overall goal to reduce stress and lower blood pressure. Intervention : The client begins a regiment of weekly or bi-weekly massage over the next 3 months. The overall goal of these massages are focused on relaxation and stress reduction: effleurage, milking, circulatory techniques, reflexology points, and gentle stretching.
SOCIAL CONSIDERATION AND DYNAMICS
issues in the body that are causing pain, relieve muscle tension and adhesions, reduce inflammation after injury, and improve posture and circulation. A medication may temporarily relieve pain, reduce muscle tension, or help reduce inflammation, but many times those effects only last as long as the release time of the pill, and when the effect of the pill wears off you are still left with the unresolved issue that was causing the pain or inflammation in the first place. Part of the problem with this is our view of massage as a luxury. Still today we are surrounded by marketing of massage therapy with a woman with flowers in her hair, maybe in a spa or on a beach, telling us that massage is for vacation, special occasions, or elite pampering. In the past couple decades, as massage therapy has become more regulated and used by manual therapists throughout the country, we need to change the dialogue surrounding massage. Massage should become a regular part of a healthy routine for the body, not simply a relaxing treat. Making sure you as a therapist have the knowledge and skill, such as knowing about medications and how they effect and interact with massage, is an essential part of communication with your clients and community. It lets them know that you are here for them as a trained professional a and resource for their journey to a healthy and pain-free lifestyle. Maybe one part of massage being used far less often for pain management then medication is pricing. Insurance companies will cover a prescription of an anti inflammatory
Massage therapy has been a well-accepted and integral part of complementary pain management for decades. However, not until the opioid pandemic took on full force were massage therapy, acupuncture, physical therapy, and other complementary therapies strongly pushed by medical doctors for pain management. People in Western society are often fans of quick fixes and instant gratification. Our development as a society in America has had a number of detrimental effects on our health due to our desire for speed and convenience. Fast food or pre-made meals, driving almost everywhere, diet pills, and pain medications all are marketed and socially accepted even though they have led to obesity, health problems, and addiction. What would pain management look like without a quick-fix band aid of taking a pill? Why isn’t this a common practice, and why is massage still considered by many to be just a luxury and not part of healthcare? Why wouldn’t insurance companies jump on the solution to offer long-term and sustainable pain relief for their customers instead of just pills? In general, we are told not to take care of ourselves or see a doctor until something is wrong. We are not raised in a society that values slowing and down and listening to our bodies, and the small signs that they give us, before we break down. Massage is an amazing tool for any manual therapist to use to get their clients to slow down, listen to their bodies, and call attention to any areas of tension or pain before injury occurs. Massage can be used to resolve
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Book Code: MTX1325
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