Most massage therapists will be familiar with high blood pressure and hip replacment issues when it comes to screening a person for a massage session. They may be less familiar with hemochromatosis. Hemorchomatosis is an iron overlaod disorder in which the body abosrbs and retains between 5 and twenty times more iron than the body needs. Most healthy individuals abosrb about 10% of the iron from the food they eat. A person with hemochromatosis aborbs up to 30%. The excess iron is stored in the liver, heart and pancreas and if untreated can cause serious organ damage. The most common cause of this disorder is hereditary. Other causes can be aneamia and alcoholism as well as other primary diseases. There is also a juvenile form which is contracted in children. (more information on this disease can be obtained at: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hemochromatosis/
WIth regard to the high blood pressure, you need to know if it is under control with medication. If it is not and blood pressure is high, then Swedish massage is generally not advised.
The hip replacement was a year ago and she should be well-healed by now and respond well to massage. I would stay away from any deep tissue techniques as well as any leg stretches.
As for massage, the quick and easy answer is to check with the doctor who is treating your mother and ask if massage is advisable. Keep in mind that many doctors know little or nothing about massage techniques, so make sure you also explain the techniques you have in mind and how they affect the body.
If massage is approved, I would keep it light and short. A light stroke Swedish massage, or even lymphatic drainage techniques might work ... you could even start with energy type work, such as Polarity Therapy, or other non-touching modality. If you modified Shiatsu techniques (no stretches) that could work as well.
Before doing any techniques, though, it is very vital that you get a clearance from her doctors.
