Massage Therapy CEs | Pathology

Pathology - Edema

Edema is a condition you are likely to encounter often in your massage therapy practice. Whether it presents as part of a chronic health condition or a temporary response to injury or pregnancy, effective management of edema can have a significant impact on your clients’ quality of life.

In this course, we will delve into the essential knowledge and techniques you need to confidently support clients dealing with edema. You will learn about the causes of fluid retention, including how underlying medical conditions—such as heart, liver, or kidney dysfunction—can trigger this symptom. Understanding these causes is crucial, as some forms of edema may contraindicate massage or require medical clearance before treatment.

Throughout the course, you’ll gain insights into best practices for safely addressing edema while recognizing when medical referral is necessary. By the end, you’ll be better prepared to assess, treat, and support your clients with personalized care plans that address both symptom relief and underlying causes.

Let’s get started on expanding your knowledge and improving the care you provide to clients affected by edema. This journey will enhance your practice, deepen your understanding of fluid dynamics within the body, and equip you with advanced skills to elevate client outcomes.

Course Details

Tuition: $22 USD

Massage Therapy Continuing education CEs available: 2

Course classification: Cognitive (course materials consist of concepts related to massage therapy but do not teach a specific hands-on modality)

Approved by: Institute of Somatic Therapy (Judith Koch) is approved by the NCBTMB (Provider #280672-00) as a continuing education Approved Provider. Institute of Somatic Therapy is approved by Florida (#MCE-326), and New York (#0019). Our courses are also valid for AMTA, ABMP, and most individual states. Some states limit how many hours can be done online or by home study. Please refer to our State Guidelines section for specific information about your state. Laws can and do change, and your state will hold you responsible for knowing the laws that apply to you.

Attention Florida Massage Therapists: This course is approved by Florida as an approved distance learning course for required hours of "relevant to massage therapy" category hours through 8/31/2025. You are still allowed to complete the 12 required "relevant to massage therapy" hours via approved online courses through at least 2025. The approval number for this course is 20-796650.

CE Broker Reporting: Institute of Somatic Therapy will automatically report your hours to CE Broker in applicable states ONLY IF you have provided your license number in your online account with us. You can verify your license information by logging on to our website, and reviewing your account information. If your license is not shown there, please select “edit” to include it. We generally report to CE Broker weekly, and more often as renewal dates approach. Once the course shows in your online account with CE Broker, you will have an opportunity to rate it. If you were happy with the course, would you be so kind as to take a few minutes to share that with others? Thank you. If you were not happy, it is even more important for you to share that with us so that we can try to improve.

If you are interested in this massage therapy CEU course, other courses that might be of interest to you are: Pathology - Varicose Veins; Pathology - Deep Vein Thrombosis

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you report our course completions to the NCBTMB, ABMP, AMTA, or any other agencies?

None of these agencies have a method for us to report to them on your behalf. They prefer that you provide the evidence of CEs that their renewal process details.

Is this course suitable for massage therapists who have no experience with edema?

Absolutely. This course is designed to provide foundational concepts into managing edema fluid retention effectively and safely.

Are there any contraindications to treating edema with massage?

Yes. Edema caused by serious conditions, such as heart, liver, or kidney disease, may contraindicate massage or require medical clearance before treatment. Severe cases, such as pitting edema, may also require physician approval. The course will guide you on how to recognize these conditions, assess risk factors, and know when to refer clients to medical professionals.

Is manual lymph drainage (MLD) covered in detail?

The course explains the principles and general concepts of MLD to enhance your understanding of lymphatic drainage. However, this is not a hands-on technique course. To fully master MLD, live or practical training is necessary. This course provides foundational knowledge to help you determine when MLD is appropriate and how it can benefit your clients.

To contact the Institute of Somatic Therapy about this or any other massage therapy CEU course, please go to the "contact" link above. Thank you.