Ep 221 – Lupus: “I Have a Client Who . . .” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner

A client has a bewildering collection of signs and symptoms: hard, swollen ankles, a stiff elbow, fingers that “reverse direction”—what on earth is going on? It’s lupus, an autoimmune disease that can affect virtually every system in the body. It’s not always serious, but some of the consequences of the disease and of treatments for it have big repercussions for massage therapy clinical decisions.

Sponsors:  

Books of Discovery: www.booksofdiscovery.com   

Host Bio:        

Ruth Werner is a former massage therapist, a writer, and an NCBTMB-approved continuing education provider. She wrote A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology, now in its seventh edition, which is used in massage schools worldwide. Werner is also a long-time Massage & Bodywork columnist, most notably of the Pathology Perspectives column. Werner is also ABMP’s partner on Pocket Pathology, a web-based app and quick reference program that puts key information for nearly 200 common pathologies at your fingertips. Werner’s books are available at www.booksofdiscovery.com. And more information about her is available at www.ruthwerner.com.   

Recent Articles by Ruth:       

“Unpacking the Long Haul,” Massage & Bodywork magazine, January/February 2022, page 35, www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1439667-january-february-2022/36.

“Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Massage Therapy,” Massage & Bodywork magazine, September/October 2021, page 33, http://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1402696-september-october-2021/34. 

“Pharmacology Basics for Massage Therapists,” Massage & Bodywork magazine, July/August 2021, page 32, www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1384577-july-august-2021/34.    

Resources: 

Pocket Pathology: https://www.abmp.com/abmp-pocket-pathology-app

Aringer, M. et al. (2019) ‘2019 European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology Classification Criteria for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus’, Arthritis & Rheumatology, 71(9), pp. 1400–1412. doi:10.1002/art.40930.

Diagnosing Lupus - What is Lupus | Lupus Research Alliance (no date) Lupus Research. Available at: https://www.lupusresearch.org/understanding-lupus/what-is-lupus/diagnosis/.

González, L.A. et al. (2013) ‘Ethnicity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): its influence on susceptibility and outcomes’, Lupus, 22(12), pp. 1214–1224. doi:10.1177/0961203313502571.

‘Lupus Update 2021: Classification Criteria, Disease Activity Measures & More’ (no date) The Rheumatologist. Available at: https://www.the-rheumatologist.org/article/lupus-update-2021-classification-criteria-disease-activity-measures-more/.