OK here’s a weird one: I had my cryoablation three weeks ago and am recovering well. Wanting a treat, and feeling that I was looking old, I booked myself a face massage for tomorrow. But the therapist is worried about doing it this soon after ablation. She seems to be concerned about stimulating the lymphatic drainage. Her guidelines tell her to wait till 8 weeks after ablation.
My understanding of the lymphatic system is vague, so I’m appealing to anyone on here who is more knowledgeable. Would you go ahead now, or wait out the two months? I’ve not read anything about this, and the arrhythmia nurses take days to reply, so I’d really appreciate it if anyone on this forum can share their knowledge/experience.
Written by
Outsidethelines
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
If your therapist is unwilling to do this then I would heed her warnings, they maybe being ultra cautious but I would much rather have that than someone who was cavalier.
The Lymphatic system is an organ of interconnected nodes around the vertebrae which is linked to circulatory system and immune system, many in your neck. Unlike the circulatory system which is a closed system, it is an open system.
Allow your body to recover and do a different treat.
Thanks CDreamer. I’ve decided to heed everyone’s advice and postpone my face massage. I waited so long for my ablation and I’ve been recovering so well🤞 that I don’t want to do anything to jinx it. I just never even thought having a massage on my face might possibly affect my heart! Definitely not worth the risk
My advice, listen to watch she is telling you, these therapists go through training and as a consequence are required to follow guidelines, if she is wrong you have nothing to lose if she is right then both she and you have everything to lose. Remember, these guidelines are put in place to protect not hinder.
Thanks Opal11, you and everyone else are right, of course. I decided to postpone my face massage for a few weeks. Not worth taking any risks after my ablation.
I should have added to my post that in a past life I managed a sports leisure facility and employed 4 beauty therapists so I know the way they work. Same with sunbed policy, all clients were required to fill in indemnity forms, warming of the dangers of overuse etc.etc., and quoting all medical conditions. In my opinion, any salon that doesn't do this would make me walk away and take my custom elsewhere!!!! You made the right decision.
I had a very early breast cancer in 2021, and had lumpectomy and 4 (clear) lymph nodes taken, and am on Aromoatose inhibitor-anti-oestrogen med. I am now 79.
I wanted some pampering so booked a treatment and on the day was asked to fill in a medical history form, at which point the appointment was cancelled saying I had to get written permission from the oncologist! The hospital, oncologist, breast nurses, even the department administrator had never heard of such a thing! She cited her insurance company, but would not give ME any-proof that this was a requisite! So I am without any treatment to boost my morale, or improve my wellbeing. Someone somewhere must know1
Yes that’s right, YOU HAVE to ask permission if their professional.
I as a therapist can be SUED if anything gos off!! And I know one who was ruined through nothing other than her records couldn’t back up her treatments 🤯
I would be more concerned if a therapist, knowing their own professional guidelines and insurance constraints, agreed to do anything. I am a foot health professional and there are guidelines and insurance constraints in my profession, regarding certain conditions.
I even had to pay extra insurance to be able to cut patients fingernails as well as their toes!
ok, I’m a Complementary Therapist of 24 yrs, there is a 3 or 6 month recovery period before treating a patient, think insurance.
I had ablation February and would have liked a massage but best to wait and therapist is in right to say no. I have had massages, husband kindly did it, not a bad masseur😉
But, there are many acupressure points in the head leading to organs which might trigger off the heart, I wouldn’t want to experiment.
Head massage is also supposed to be a no no and deep tissue massage as well. All bodily systems are interlinked on various loops so I guess it's easy for one thing to affect another. 🤷🏻♀️
I had a full body massage five days after my first ablation. The discharge papers told me to go back to my normal life but take it easy and don’t lift anything heavy. That was about it. So I had my regular massage as part of taking it easy.
The next day I was back in afib, and two days later had a CV, which kept me in SR for over a year.
Coincidence? Massage and afib? I don’t know and never will. BUT after my second ablation, I did not opt for a massage for three weeks. Just in case… I think it’s good to stay on the conservative.
I’ve looked online about the connection between massage and afib. There’s not much there. My massage therapist, unlike yours, knew nothing about any such connection. Sounds like you have a therapodt worth listening to.
Wow, that’s very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I’m glad I decided to err on the side of caution. I never thought to ask about massage when I was at the hospital but I did ask the surgeon about when I should go back to my normal exercise and particularly my yoga classes. He said I could do any amount of exercise I like after the first fortnight. And the concern during the first fortnight was for my leg wound, not my heart. But I decided not to do anything but walking and a bit of gardening for the first month. I know that the yoga I do is quite intense and raises my heart rate considerably, and my teacher also advised caution. I’m planning to start back after 4 weeks, and try to take it gently.
“And the concern during the first fortnight was for my leg wound, not my heart.”
Right! I experienced the same thing and still find it curious. Hearts can do funny things after an ablation, as people on this forum testify, but my discharge papers did not inform me of that but focused 80-90% of their precautionary advice on groin infection.
I wish my providers had informed me of what my heart might do and when I should be worried and when not. I had to wade and worry through a lot on my own. I’m much more knowledgeable now than I was after my first ablation about the likelihood that my heart could be a bit bumpy, including even the possibility of a CV to get things straightened around before it settled down.
I returned to gentle yoga and stretching after two or three weeks, and then a cardiac rehab program at a nearby hospital two months after my ablation. I chose to enroll in the cardiac rehab because I wanted my heart to be monitored as I found out how much I could push myself on exercise. I found that helpful.
Walking and gardening sounds perfect. It’s exactly what I’m up to these days, two months post-ablation, gradually increasing my number of steps and my speed walking up hills. Hmm. “Speed” doesn’t seem quite the right word; my hill climbs are fairly snail-like—but improving all the time with less breathlessness and an appropriate and steady heart rate for my physical exertion.
I wish my providers had told me that some of us could expect slow-going for at least a month or two and that heart irregularities in the blanking period are not uncommon. After reading the discharge papers, I felt that my not being back to life totally as usual in a week meant something went awfully wrong, when actually it’s fairly normal.
You’re taking really good self-care post-ablation, it seems to me. Kudos!
Just a few weeks ago I had a fantastically relaxing massage thinking it would be good for my condition, but by the time I got to the car I realised my heart was 'bobbling' and when I got home it was full on Afib. A surprise to say the least. Thanks to LaceyLady for mentioning the acupressure points - it makes a lot of sense.
Your question and Lacylady's comment has helped me understand my experience better .. I've been having regular acupuncture for almost a year now - it is definitely helping with Afib .. so it makes complete sense that someone randomly (but kindly) pressing on those points could have an equally powerful but opposite effect .. it's very interesting so many had a simliar experience ..
Thanks so much, that’s definitely food for thought. Looks like it might be worth trying acupuncture for heart support in the future, but at the moment I’m less than a month post ablation and feel that I’m recovering pretty well so I don’t want to do anything yet that might rock the boat. Will DM you for more information, if that’s OK😊
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Symptoms 3 weeks after ablation 
2.5 weeks after ablation 
10 weeks post ablation 
High heart rate after ablation
