The massage is strictly prohibited for hands and feet with marked ulcerations, bleeding, or infectious skin diseases before they are completely cured. It may be applied to the normal hand or foot on one side, even if the other hand or foot is afflicted.
The heavy stimulation is prohibited for acupoints and reflecting areas on the hand and foot of pregnant women, especially for those acupoints and areas related to the female genitalia, but the gentle pressing and kneading maneuvers may be adopted for use.
Hand and foot massage is usually contraindicated for patients with severe heart disease, mental disorders, and hyper-tension, except for emergency rescue. Even then, only gentle digit-pressing and kneading maneuvers should be applied.
Maneuvers requiring special skill should only be applied by practitioners who have thoroughly mastered them, as any adverse or violent application may damage the hand and foot themselves.
The massage is prohibited for patients with a completely empty stomach, and it is best applied 1-2 hours after eating, except in cases involving abdominal distress caused by food poisoning.
The practitioner's guidance is necessary for the application of hand and foot herbal bath and the decoctions for this therapy must not be administered orally.
