Fibroid tumors

Benign (non‑cancerous) growths in the muscular wall of the uterus that can cause heavy bleeding, pelvic pressure, and low‑back pain; massage therapists adapt positioning and avoid deep pressure over the lower abdomen if it increases discomfort.

Prostate cancer

A malignant tumor of the prostate gland in men, which may be treated with surgery, radiation, or hormone therapy; massage focuses on comfort, fatigue, and musculoskeletal pain while avoiding direct work over recent surgical sites or areas affected by radiation.

Prostatitis

Inflammation or infection of the prostate, often causing pelvic pain, urinary symptoms, and general malaise; systemic symptoms (fever, feeling acutely ill) call for deferring massage.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
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Infection of the female reproductive organs, usually from ascending sexually transmitted infections, leading to pelvic pain, fever, and possible fertility problems; acute PID is a systemic infection and is a clear reason to postpone massage until medically stable

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

A cluster of physical and emotional symptoms (bloating, breast tenderness, mood changes, fatigue) occurring during the luteal phase of menstruation - 5 to 11 days prior to menses'; massage often helps with relaxation, sleep, and muscle tension, with no special precautions beyond normal client comfort.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

Infections transmitted primarily through sexual contact (such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, HIV); for massage therapists, key issues are standard precautions, avoiding direct contact with lesions or body fluids, and recognizing when systemic illness (fever, acute infection) makes massage inappropriate until cleared.

Pre‑eclampsia

A pregnancy complication after 20 weeks marked by new high blood pressure plus signs of organ stress, most commonly protein in the urine, and often swelling, headache, or visual changes. For massage, any client with suspected or observed with severe symptoms (severe headache, vision changes, sudden swelling, chest pain, shortness of breath, right‑upper‑quadrant pain) are red‑flag reasons to defer massage and direct the client to immediate medical care.

Eclampsia

A life‑threatening progression of pre‑eclampsia in which the pregnant or postpartum person develops seizures unrelated to another neurological cause. It is a medical emergency with risk of stroke, coma, and death; any history of recent or current seizure‑like activity means no massage and urgent medical referral.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in pregnancy

A blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the leg or pelvis, whose risk is increased in pregnancy and the first 6 weeks postpartum due to hormonal and circulatory changes and venous compression. Massage therapists must treat unexplained unilateral leg swelling, warmth, redness, or pain in a pregnant/postpartum client as a potential contraindication because of this condition: do not massage the limb, avoid vigorous circulatory work, and refer immediately for medical evaluation because of the risk of pulmonary embolism

Placenta Previa

A pregnancy complication in which the placenta implants low in the uterus and partially or completely covers the internal opening of the cervix. This creates a high risk of painless vaginal bleeding, particularly in the second half of pregnancy, and can lead to hemorrhage during labor or if the cervix begins to dilate.

For massage purposes, this condition means the pregnancy is high‑risk: any active bleeding or recent significant bleeding is a red‑flag reason to defer massage and refer to medical care; even when stable, work should be gentle, avoid the abdomen, and only proceed with explicit provider clearance.