Massage for pneumonia is an affordable and safe technique that allows you to ease the course of the disease and speed up the patient’s recovery process. Massage, along with other physiotherapy procedures, is used as an adjunct to mainstream drug therapy. There are many different types of massage used for pneumonia, so any patient can choose exactly the method that suits him best.
Indications
Massage procedures for pneumonia are shown:
- with a protracted course of the disease, when the effect of drug treatment does not develop quickly enough;
- with prolonged painful cough with difficulty in sputum discharge;
- patients who, due to the severity of the disease, are forced to stay in bed for a long time (to improve ventilation of the parenchyma and prevent the development of congestion in the lower parts of the lungs);
- if there are residual effects in those parts of the respiratory system where there was a focus of inflammation (during the period of clinical recovery).
Restrictions
Massage for pneumonia is contraindicated in the following cases:
- newborns and children under the age of two;
- pregnant women;
- in the acute period of the disease with severe hyperthermia (body temperature above 37 ° C);
- when pneumonia is accompanied by tuberculous damage to the lungs;
- with extensive purulent-inflammatory or traumatic skin lesions in the area where the massage is supposed to be carried out;
- if the patient has decompensated hypertension;
- with malignant neoplasms of any localization;
- if there is a suspicion of a lung abscess (limited purulent formation);
- the patient has developed heart or respiratory failure, which cannot be corrected;
- pneumonia complicated by dry or exudative pleurisy;
- the patient had episodes of pulmonary hemorrhage (sputum discharge with streaks of fresh scarlet blood);
- patients with epilepsy;
- people with severe disorders in the blood coagulation system;
- with gangrene – extensive necrosis of the pulmonary parenchyma (in the stage of destruction).
Efficiency
The course of therapeutic massage will improve the drainage of the airways, facilitate the discharge of sputum and pathological exudate. The procedure helps to prevent the development of congestion in the lungs, which is especially important for the elderly. Stimulation of blood circulation and lymph outflow also occurs, due to which all metabolic processes in the tissues of the respiratory system are normalized, the repair and restoration of damaged cells are accelerated.
Massage with a drainage effect stimulates bronchial cleansing (activates mucociliary clearance). The effect of the procedure appears after the first sessions. Patients note an increase in the general tone of the body, a decrease in the frequency and severity of coughing attacks, the absence of shortness of breath and chest pain. Improving ventilation of the lungs helps to suppress the infectious process caused by anaerobic microflora, since for such bacteria, an excess amount of oxygen is destructive.
Varieties
In medical practice, a large number of types of therapeutic massage are used for pneumonia. Types of massage procedures differ from each other in manipulation techniques and the effects they have on the body of a sick person.
When carrying out the complex treatment of pneumonia, the following types of therapeutic massage are used:
- drainage massage – a type of postural therapy (position treatment);
- can (vacuum massage) – improves blood circulation in the vessels of the microvasculature and stimulates lymph flow, has a direct effect on skin tissue and subcutaneous fatty tissue, and affects the respiratory organs indirectly (reflexively);
- vibration massage is a simple technique that can be used at home (vibration is created due to frequent rhythmic beatings with the edge of the palm along the chest);
- acupressure (acupressure) – a technique that involves a local effect on certain active points on the body (the same as in acupuncture), which helps to normalize the tone of the autonomic nervous system;
- honey massage is a technique that involves the use of liquid natural honey (the masseur abruptly tears off the adhering palms from the skin of the back, thereby stimulating blood circulation and lymphatic drainage in superficial and deep-lying structures).
It should be borne in mind that some types can be independently used at home (after a short training), and some can only be carried out by a qualified massage therapist in a specialized office.
Features of execution
Despite the large number of varieties of massage techniques, there are features that must always be observed when carrying out manipulations in patients with pneumonia:
- if the patient does not feel well, it is necessary to abandon the massage on that day and reschedule the session until normal health is restored;
- before the procedure, it is necessary to measure the temperature, since hyperthermia is a contraindication;
- a physiotherapist or massage therapist is obliged to tell the patient about the technique of the upcoming manipulation in order to reduce the stress factor and achieve deeper relaxation of the patient;
- the technique of massage in children and adolescents differs in that all techniques and movements are carried out with less force and intensity, since in childhood the thickness of the chest wall is less than that of an adult;
- for patients who, against the background of the disease, developed psychoemotional disorders (nervousness, depression), massage can be supplemented with aromatherapy (during the session, use an aroma lamp with essential oils of tea tree, eucalyptus, pine, orange, juniper).
Precautionary measures
With proper technique and compliance with safety measures, the development of complications or deterioration during massage is rare.
Precautions to be observed during a massage session:
- if you plan to use oils or special creams, then an allergic test is carried out first (apply a small amount of the product to the skin of the wrist and after 15 minutes check for redness or swelling in this place);
- in case of any discomfort during the procedure (pain, dizziness, nausea, clouding of consciousness), you must immediately inform the medical staff about this and consult with the attending doctor to decide on the further use of this therapeutic manipulation;
- immediately after the massage session, it is necessary to be in a horizontal position for another 20-30 minutes, in order not to provoke syncope (fainting) due to a sudden getting up;
- all manipulations in children should be carried out in the presence of relatives, in order not to cause psychological trauma to the baby.
Massage is a good addition to the main treatment of pneumonia, but the effect is achieved only with the selection of a rational type of massage and the correct technique. Subject to all the rules, the risk of complications during the procedure is minimal.