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From the Institute for Integrative Healthcare

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Herpes Zoster/ Shingles

Description:

Herpes zoster, commonly referred to as shingles, is a viral infection of sensory neurons. It is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Symptoms include very painful blistering or rashes along the body's dermatomes. It most commonly affects the trigeminal nerve, but may also appear along the thighs and buttocks.

Precautions:

Massage should not be given to a person with an active acute outbreak of herpes zoster. While it is not generally considered very contagious, the blisters do contain the active chickenpox virus and may affect those who systems are immunocompromised.

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