Блог Анкара

In This Chapter

^ Crafting names for ionic and molecular compounds ^ Handling polyatomic ions

^ Using a quick and easy scheme for naming any compound

Chemists give compounds very specific names. Sometimes these names seem overly specific. For example, what’s the point of referring to "dihydrogen monoxide" when you can simply say "water"? First, you must try to understand that many chemists simply believe this kind of thing sounds cool. Beyond dubious notions of coolness, however, there lies a more important reason: Chemical names clue you in to chemical structures. But only if you know the code. Fortunately, the code, as you find out in this chapter, is pretty straightforward — no advanced cryptology required. This is also fortunate, because putting chemists and cryptologists in the same room could result in the kind of party you don’t want to admit having attended.

Naming Ionic Compounds

Chapter 5 discusses the way that Anions (atoms with negative charge) and Cations (atoms with positive charge) attract one another to form ionic bonds. Ionic compounds are held together by ionic bonds. Fine, but how does the Formula Of an ionic compound relate to the Name Of the compound?

Naming a simple ionic compound is easy. You pair the name of the cation with the name of the anion, and then change the ending of the anion’s name to -ide. The cation always precedes the anion in the final name. For example, the chemical name of NaCl (a compound made up of one sodium atom and one chlorine atom) is sodium chlorIde.

Of course, sodium chloride is more commonly known as table salt. Many compounds have such so-called Common names. There isn’t anything necessarily wrong with common names, but they’re less informative than chemical names. The name "sodium chloride," properly decoded, tells you that you’re dealing with a one-to-one ionic compound composed of sodium and chlorine.

*jABEft

Cations and anions combine in very predictable ways within ionic compounds, always acting to neutralize overall charge. Because this is true, the name of an ionic compound implies more than just the identity of the atoms that make it up. It also implies the ratio in which elements combine. Consider these two examples, both of which involve lithium:

U In the compound lithium fluoride (LiF), lithium and fluorine combine in a one-to-one ratio because lithium’s +1 charge and fluorine’s -1 charge cancel one another (neutralize) perfectly. By itself, the name lithium fluoride tells us only that the compound is made up of a lithium cation and a fluoride anion, but by comparing their charges, you can see that Li+ and F – neutralize each other in the one-to-one compound, LiF.

U If lithium combines with oxygen to form an ionic compound, two lithium ions, each with +1 charge, are required to neutralize the -2 charge of the oxide anion. So, the name lithium oxide implies the formula Li2O, because a two-to-one ratio of lithium cation to oxide anion is required to produce a neutral compound.

Use the name of the ionic compound to identify the ions you’re dealing with, and then combine those ions in the simplest way that results in a neutral compound.

Using a compound’s name to identify the ions can be tricky when the cation is a metal. All group B metals — with the exception of silver (which is always found as Ag+) and zinc (always Zn2+) — as well as several group A elements on the right-hand side of the periodic table can take on a variety of charges. Chemists use an additional naming device, the Roman numeral, to identify the charge state of the cation. A Roman numeral placed within parentheses after the name of the cation gives the positive charge of that cation. For example, copper (I) is copper with a +1 charge, and copper (II) is copper with a +2 charge. Is this kind of distinction simply chemical hair-splitting? Who cares whether you’re dealing with iron (II) bromide, FeBr2, or iron (III) bromide, FeBr3? The difference matters because ionic compounds with different formulas (even those containing the same types of elements) can have very different properties.

The trickiness of metals with variable charges also applies when you translate a chemical formula into the corresponding chemical name. Here are the two secrets to keep in mind:

U The name implies the charge of the ions which make up an ionic compound. The charges of the ions determine the ratio in which they combine.

Given the formula CrO, for example, you must do a little bit of sleuthing before assigning a name. From periodic table trends (which we cover in Chapter 4), you know that oxygen brings a -2 charge to an ionic compound. Because O2- combines with chromium in a one-to-one ratio within CrO, you know that chromium here must have the equal and opposite charge of +2. In this way, CrO can be electrically neutral (uncharged). So, the chromium cation in CrO is Cr2+, and the compound name is chromium (II) oxide. Simply calling the compound chromium oxide leaves open the question of the precise chromium cation in play. For example, chromium can assume a +3 charge. When Cr3+ combines with oxide anion, a different ion ratio is necessary to produce a neutral compound: Cr2O3, or chromium (III) oxide. This equating of total positive and negative charges in an atom is called Balancing the charge. After you have balanced the charges in the atom’s formula, you can drop the charges on the individual ions.

Q. What is the formula for the compound tin (IV) fluoride?

A. SnF4. The Roman numeral within parentheses tells you that you’re dealing with Sn4+. Because fluorine is a halogen, it

Always has a charge of -1 in ionic compounds, which means that four fluoride anions are necessary to cancel the four positive charges of a single tin cation. Therefore, the compound is SnF4.

3. Translate the following names into chemical formulas:

A. Iron (III) oxide

B. Beryllium chloride

C. Tin (II) sulfide

D. Potassium iodide

Solve It

Dealing with Those Pesky Polyatomic Ions

A confession: We have shielded you thus far from a very disturbing fact about ions. Not all ions are of single atoms. To continue your education in chemical nomenclature, you must grapple with an irksome and all-too-common group of molecules called the Polyatomic ions,

Which are made up of groups of atoms. Polyatomic ions, like single-element ions, tend to quickly combine with other ions to neutralize their charge. Unfortunately, you can’t use any simple, periodic trend-type rules to figure out the charge of a polyatomic ion. You must — gulp — memorize them. Truth.

Table 6-1 summarizes the most common polyatomic ions, grouping them by charge.

Notice in Table 6-1 that all the common polyatomic ions, except ammonium, have a negative charge ranging between -1 and -3. Also take note of a number of -ite/-ate Pairs. For example, there are chlorite and chlorate, phosphite and phosphate, and nitrite and nitrate. If you look closely at these pairs, you notice that the only difference between them is the number of oxygen atoms in each ion. Specifically, the -ate Ion always has one more oxygen atom than the -ite Ion, but has the same overall charge.

To complicate your life further, polyatomic ions sometimes occur multiple times within the same ionic compound. How do you specify that your compound has two sulfate ions in a way that makes visual sense? Put the entire polyatomic ion formula in parentheses, and then add a subscript outside the parentheses to indicate how many such ions you have, as in (SO42-)2.

When you write a chemical formula that involves polyatomic ions, you treat them just like other ions. You still need to balance charges to form a neutral atom. When converting from a formula to a name, we are sorry to report that there is no simple rule for naming polyatomic ions. You just have to memorize the entire table of polyatomic ions and their charges. Challenge a chemist to a polyatomic ion duel, and you’ll find that she can rattle off the name, formula, and charge of the polyatomic ions in the blink of an eye. By the time you’re done with this book, you should be able to give her a run for her money.

Q. Write the formula for the compound barium chlorite.

A. Ba(ClO2)2. Barium is an alkaline earth metal (group IIA) and thus has a charge of +2. You should recognize chlorite as the name of a polyatomic ion. In fact, any anion name

Which does not end in an -ide Should scream polyatomic ion to you. As shown in Table 6-1, chlorite is ClO2-, which reveals that the chlorite ion has a -1 charge, so two chlorite ions are needed to neutralize the +2 charge of a single barium cation, so the chemical formula is Ba(ClO2)2.

4. Name the following compounds that contain polyatomic ions:

A. Mg3(PO4)2

B. Pb(C2H3O2)2

C. Cr(NO2)3

D. (NH4)2C2O4

E. KMnO4

Solve It

5. Write the formula for the following compounds that contain polyatomic ions:

A. Potassium sulfate

B. Lead (II) dichromate

C. Ammonium chloride

D. Sodium hydroxide

E. Chromium (III) carbonate

Solve It

Giving Monikers to Molecular Compounds

As described in Chapter 5, nonmetals tend to form covalent bonds with one another. Compounds made up of nonmetals held together by one or more covalent bonds are called Molecular compounds. Predicting how the atoms within molecules will bond with one another is a tricky endeavor because two nonmetals often can combine in multiple ratios. Carbon and oxygen, for example, can combine in a one-to-two ratio to form CO2 (carbon dioxide), a harmless gas that you emit every time you exhale. Alternately, the same two elements can combine in a one-to-one ratio to form CO (carbon monoxide), a poisonous gas. Clearly, it’s useful to have names that distinguish between these and other molecular compounds. The punishment for sloppy naming can be death. Or at least embarrassment.

Molecular compound names clearly specify how many of each type of atom participate in the compound. The prefixes used to do so are listed in Table 6-2.

The prefixes in Table 6-2 can be attached to any of the elements in a molecular compound, as exemplified by SO3 (sulfur trioxide) or N2O (dinitrogen monoxide). The second element in each compound receives the -ide Suffix, as in ionic compounds (which we discuss earlier in this chapter). In the case of molecular compounds, where cations or anions aren’t involved, the more electronegative element (in other words, the element that’s closer to the upper right-hand corner of the periodic table) tends to be named second.

Notice (with annoyance) that the absence of a prefix from the first named element of a molecular compound implies that there is only one atom of that element. In other words, the prefix Mono – Is unnecessary For the first element only. You still have to attach a Mono- Prefix, when appropriate, to the names of subsequent elements.

Writing a formula for a molecular compound with a given name is much simpler than writing a formula for an ionic compound. In a molecular compound, the ratio in which the two elements combine is built into the name itself, and you don’t need to worry about balancing charges. For example, the prefixes in the name dihydrogen monoxide imply that the chemical formula contains two hydrogens and one oxygen (H2O).

Translating a formula into a name is equally simple. All you need to do is convert the numbers into prefixes and attach them to the names of the elements that make up the compound. For example, for the compound N2O4, you simply attach the prefix Di – To nitrogen to indicate the two nitrogen atoms, and Tetra- To oxygen to indicate the four oxygen atoms, giving you dinitrogen tetroxide.

Hydrogen is located on the far left of the periodic table, but it’s actually a nonmetal! In keeping with this hydrogenic schizophrenia, hydrogen can appear as either the first or second element in a Binary (two-element) molecular compound, as shown by dihydrogen monosul-fide (H2S) and phosphorus trihydride, PH3.

What are the names of the compounds N2O, SF6, and Cl2O8?

A. Dinitrogen monoxide, sulfur hexafluo-ride, and dichlorine octoxide. Notice that none of these compounds contain any metals, which means that they are most certainly molecular compounds. The first compound contains two

Nitrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, so it’s called dinitrogen monoxide. The second compound contains one sulfur and six fluorines. Because sulfur is the first named element, we needn’t include a Mono – Prefix. So, we name the compound simply sulfur hexafluoride (instead of MonoSulfur hexafluoride). Using the same methods, the third compound is named dichlorine octoxide.

Seeing the Forest: A Unified Scheme for Naming Compounds

Have all the naming rules in the previous sections left you confused and frustrated? Do you feel like rebelling against the fascist chemical conspiracy, and liberating all chemicals from the oppressive confines of their formal names? All right, calm down. If you take a step back to look at the big picture, you see that the naming system is actually pretty logical and straightforward. You can best see the logical structure by envisioning the naming process as a flowchart, a series of questions whose answers lead down a path toward a compound’s name. For any binary (two-part) compound XY, use the following four questions to guide yourself to a name.

1. Is X hydrogen?

Compounds which contain a hydrogen cation are commonly called Acids, And many of them have common names. Although it is perfectly acceptable to call the compound HCl "hydrogen monochloride," it’s more commonly referred to as "hydrochloric acid." As with the polyatomic ions that we cover earlier in this chapter, you’ll be happier in the end if you simply memorize the common acids listed in Table 6-3.

Sulfuric acid

H2SO4

2. Is X a nonmetal or a metal?

If X is a nonmetal, you need to use prefixes when naming both it and its partner, Y, because the compound is molecular. If X is a metal, then you’re dealing with an ionic compound — proceed to Step 3.

3. Is X a group B metal?

If X is a group B metal (or other metal of variable charge, like tin), you need to use Roman numerals to specify its charge.

4. Is Y a polyatomic ion?

If Y is a polyatomic ion, you have to recognize it as such and have its name memorized (or easily accessible in a nifty table such as Table 6-1). If Y is a simple anion, then you use an -ide Ending.

Visualize this series of questions with the help of Figure 6-1.

Is X hydrogen? yes^ \ no

X. Y„ is an Acid

A B

Figure 6-1:

A handy flowchart for naming compounds.

Is X a metal? no yes

XAYB is a

Molecular compound;

Prefixes are required; ending is -ide

Is X a group B element? yes no

XAY is an

A

XAYB is an Ionic compound

AB

Ionic compound;

Roman numerals are required

-V -

Is Y a polyatomic ion?

Yes no

Ending depends on anion

Ending is -ide

You can use the flowchart in Figure 6-1 in reverse to help you figure out a chemical formula from the name of a compound. If the compound name contains a Roman numeral (III, for example), you know the charge of the metal in that compound (3+ in this case). If X is a non-metal, you know you’re dealing with a molecular compound, and you can start examining the name for prefixes that tell you how many atoms of each element there are. If you find no such prefixes, check to see whether X is hydrogen — if so, you’re dealing with an acid.

Q. Name the compound Sn(OH)2.

A. Tin (II) hydroxide. Sn is not hydrogen or a nonmetal, so you know that the compound is neither an acid nor a molecular compound. This means you’re dealing with an ionic compound. Sn is, however, one of the group A elements that takes on varying charge, so you should be prepared to do some sleuthing to determine what exactly its charge is. The only

Remaining question is whether we have a polyatomic anion or an ordinary one. The fact that OH contains more than one atom should scream Polyatomic Ion to you. Consulting Table 6-1, you find that OH (hydroxide) has a charge of -1. If two hydroxide ions (each with a charge of -1) are needed to cancel out the positive charge of the tin, then you must be dealing with Sn2+. The name of the compound is therefore tin (II) hydroxide.

8. Name each of the following compounds:

A. PbCrO4

B. Mg3P2

C. SrSiO3

D. H2SO4

E. Na2S

F. B3Se2

G. HgF2

H. Ba3(PO4)2

Solve It

9. Translate the following names into chemical formulas:

A. Barium hydroxide

B. Tin (IV) bromide

C. Sodium sulfate

D. Phosphorus triiodide

E. Magnesium permanganate

F. Acetic acid

G. Nitrogen dihydride

H. Iron (II) chromate

Solve It

Answers to Questions on Naming Compounds

You survived all the practice questions on naming compounds. Now enjoy the process of seeing how spot-on correct your answers were.

D These are all ordinary ionic compounds, so you simply need to pair the cation name with the anion name and change the anion name’s ending to -ide.

A. Magnesium fluoride

B. Lithium bromide

C. Cesium oxide

D. Calcium sulfide

CM As the problem states, all the cations here are ones that can have varying amounts of positive charge, so you need to decipher their charges.

A. Iron (II) fluoride. The fluoride ion has a charge of -1. Because there are two fluorides here, the single iron ion must have a +2 charge.

B. Mercury (I) bromide. The -1 charge of the bromide must be balanced by a +1 charge.

C. Tin (IV) iodide. The four iodide anions each have a -1 charge. This means that the tin cation must have a charge of +4.

D. Manganese (III) oxide. There are three oxide anions here, each with a charge of -2, giving an overall negative charge of -6. The manganese cations must carry a total of +6 charge, split between the two cations, so we must be dealing with Mn3+.

CM The names translate into the following chemical formulas:

A. Fe2O3. Because the name specifies that you’re dealing with Fe3+, and because oxygen is always O2-, you simply balance your charges to yield Fe2O3.

B. BeCl2. Beryllium is an alkaline earth metal with a charge of +2, while chlorine is a halogen with a charge of -1.

C. SnS. Because the name specifies that you are dealing with Sn2+, and because sulfur is always S2-, you simply balance your charges to yield SnS.

D. KI. Potassium is an alkali metal with a charge of +1, while iodine is a halogen with a charge of -1.

MM Look up (or recall) the polyatomic ions in each compound, and specify the charge of the cation if it’s a metal that can take on different charges.

A. Magnesium phosphate. Magnesium is the cation here, and the anion is PO4. Table 6-1 tells you that this is the polyatomic ion phosphate (not to be confused with phosphite, or PO3).

B. Lead (II) acetate. Acetate has a -1 charge, and because two of them are needed to balance out the charge on the lead cation, you must be dealing with Pb2+.

C. Chromium (III) nitrite. Nitrite has a -1 charge, and because three of them are needed to balance out the charge on the chromium cation, you must be dealing with Cr3+.

D. Ammonium oxalate. Here, both the cation and the anion are polyatomic ions. Annoying but true.

E. Potassium permaganate. Potassium is the cation here, so all you need to do is look up the anion MnO4 to find that it’s called permaganate.

EM First look up (or better, recall from memory) the charge of the polyatomic ion or ions, and then use subscripts as necessary to balance charges.

A. K2SO4

B. PbCr2O7

C. NH4Cl

D. NaOH

E. Cr2(CO2)3

EM Translate the subscripts into prefixes using Table 6-2. Omit the prefix Mono – On the first named element in a compound, where applicable.

A. Dinitrogen tetrahydride

B. Dihydrogen monosulfide

C. Nitrogen monoxide

D. Carbon tetrabromide

EM Translate the prefixes into subscripts using Table 6-2. If the first named element lacks a prefix, assume that there is only one such atom per molecule.

A. SiF2

B. NF3

C. S2F10

D. P2Cl3

EM Use the flowchart in Figure 6-1 to guide yourself to a name.

A. Lead (II) chromate. Lead is a group B element, and CrO42- is a polyatomic ion. Therefore, you need to determine the charge on the lead and specify that charge with a Roman numeral. If you haven’t memorized it, find CrO42- in Table 6-1. Because chromate combines with lead in a one-to-one ratio, you know that the charge on the lead must be +2.

B. Magnesium phosphide. This is a simple ionic compound, because Mg is a non-group B metal, and because P is not a polyatomic ion.

C. Strontium silicate. Sr is neither a group B element nor a nonmetal, but SiO3 forms a polyatomic ion.

D. Sulfuric acid (common name) or Dihydrogen sulfate (systematic name). In addition, this compound is sometimes referred to simply as hydrogen sulfate because the -2 charge on sul-fate implies that two hydrogen cations are necessary to neutralize charge. The cation here is hydrogen, so you’re dealing with an acid. Common names of acids are listed in Table 6-3. You can also name the compound properly by recognizing the polyatomic ion, sulfate.

E. Sodium sulfide. Simply name the cation and change the ending of the (polyatomic) anion to -ide.

F. Triboron diselenide. Both boron and selenium are nonmetals, so this is a molecular compound. Therefore, it must be named using prefixes.

G. Mercury (II) fluoride. Here you have an ionic compound with a group B metal, necessitating the use of a Roman numeral. The charge on the mercury atom must be +2 because it combines with two fluoride anions, each of which must have a -1 charge.

H. Barium phosphate. This is an ionic compound which contains a polyatomic ion, phosphate.

H Reverse your naming rules to deduce the chemical formula of each compound.

A. Ba(OH)2. Barium is an ordinary metal, while hydroxide is a polyatomic ion with a charge of -1.

B. SnBr4. The name indicates that you are dealing with Sn4+, and the fluoride ion has a charge of -1, so you need four of them to balance the charge of a single tin cation.

C. Na2SO4. Sodium is a simple alkali metal, while sulfate is a polyatomic ion with a charge of -2.

D. PI3. The prefixes indicate that this is a molecular compound containing a single phosphorus atom and three iodine atoms.

E. Mg(MnO4)2. Magnesium is a metal, while permanganate is a polyatomic ion with a charge of -1.

F. H4C2O2. Use Table 6-3 to translate this common acid into its chemical formula.

G. NH2. The Di – Prefix and the fact that both elements are nonmetals indicate that this is a molecular compound. Nitrogen, the first named element, lacks a prefix, so there must be only one nitrogen per molecule. The Di – Prefix indicates two hydrogen atoms per molecule.

H. FeCrO4. The name tells you that you’re dealing with Fe2+ and the polyatomic ion chromate, which has a charge of -2. A one-to-one ratio is sufficient to neutralize overall charge.

In This Chapter

► Finding out about contraindications

► Building your massage muscles

► Doing the moves

► Exploring massage gizmos

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••ft*

1# es, this is the chapter where you’ll find all those massage moves that 0* You can use to turn your everyday, ordinary hands into instruments of irresistible pleasure. Your fingertips and palms will be sought after by friends, family, co-workers, and complete strangers alike. Everybody will say, "Use some of those moves on me! Me me me me me!"

Then, inflated by your newfound abilities and the quick expertise you acquire in these pages, you may find yourself thinking, like many of us did in the beginning, that these neat new massage moves you’ve learned actually are the massage itself. But you’d be wrong! Oh yes, very wrong.

Massage moves are not the massage; they’re just the medium.

Let me give you an analogy to help explain this:

Learning massage is like learning to play a musical instrument. The moves in this chapter are the notes on the scale, plus some basic chords and combinations. They’re great ways to warm up your fingers and make some rudimentary noises, but if you continue to play them over and over again, you’re going to drive the people close to you crazy.

In massage, you have to go beyond the moves pretty quickly. You need to develop a "moveless movement," or "flow," in which you’re concentrating not on your own technique, but on your partner’s feelings, her sensations, and her reactions, just like a musician who forgets all about notes and scales, sharps and flats, and even the instrument itself. Your movements are the technique, the body you massage is the instrument, and it’s the interaction between the two that makes the music.

Massage is the music, the communication, the thing that you create, NOT the movements required to produce the sensations.

Whoa! Getting a little deep here, aren’t we? Sorry about that. Don’t worry — the rest of this chapter’s going to be very practical and concrete. After all, you still have to learn your scales before you can play Carnegie Hall.

Don’t Do It, Mon!

Just like the Jamaican bobsled team, you may be all fired up to go out and practice your new moves. Before you jump off the cliff and begin massaging away recklessly on anybody who lets you near them, however, stop for a moment to consider some sage words of advice about:

V Conditions that you should NOT treat

V Places you should AVOID touching

V Moves you should NOT make

Contraindications

As innocuous as massage may seem, there are still times when you should refrain from giving one because it may adversely affect a health condition of the person who receives it. Contraindications Is the medical term for these conditions, a word which, when you look at it closely, obviously means "Nicaraguan rebel indications." No, really, "contra" means against, as in contrary, and indications are things that tell you what to do one way or the other. So contraindications are things that are telling you not to do something.

The list of contraindications for massage may be longer than you expect, and it includes some conditions that at first glance don’t seem like massage would affect at all. Take a look:

V Fever: When you have a fever, your body is trying to isolate and expel an invader of some kind. Massage increases overall circulation and could therefore work against your body’s natural defenses.

\ V Inflammation: Massage can further irritate an area of inflammation, so ^ you should not administer it. Inflamed conditions include anything that \ ends in -ids, Such as phlebitis (inflammation of a vein), dermatitis

(inflammation of the skin), arthritis (inflammation of the joints), and so f on. In the case of localized problems, you can still massage around

Them, however, avoiding the inflammation itself.

V High blood pressure: High blood pressure means excessive pressure against blood vessel walls. Massage affects the blood vessels, and so people with high blood pressure or a heart condition should receive light, sedating massages, if at all.

V Infectious diseases: Massage is not a good idea for someone coming down with the flu or diphtheria, for example, and to make matters worse, you expose yourself to the virus as well.

V Hernia: Hernias are protrusions of part of an organ (such as the intestines) through a muscular wall. It’s not a good idea to try and push these organs back inside. Surgery works better.

V Osteoporosis: Elderly people with a severe stoop to the shoulders often have this condition, in which bones become porous, brittle, and fragile. Massage may be too intense for this condition.

V Varicose veins: Massage directly over varicose veins can worsen the problem. However, if you apply a very light massage next to the problem, always in a direction toward the heart, it can be very beneficial.

V Broken bones: Stay away from an area of mending bones. A little light massage to the surrounding areas, though, can improve circulation and be quite helpful.

V Skin problems: You should avoid anything that looks like it shouldn’t be there, such as rashes, wounds, bruises, burns, boils, and blisters, for example. Usually these problems are local, so you can still massage in other areas.

V Cancer: Cancer can spread through the lymphatic system, and because massage increases lymphatic circulation, it may potentially spread the disease as well. Simple, caring touch is fine, but massage strokes that stimulate circulation are not. Always check with a doctor first.

Other conditions arid diseases: Diabetes, asthma, and other serious conditions each have their own precautions, and you should get a doctor’s OK before administering massage.

V HIV infection: Some people still think of AIDS as something that can be "caught" through simple skin-to-skin contact, but most of us know that’s not the case. If there is no exchange of bodily fluids (blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or mother’s milk), HIV can’t be transmitted during massage. So, HIV infection is not contraindicated for this reason. However, some of the infections that people suffering from the later stages of AIDS experience are contraindicated, and you should avoid those infections. Loving, soothing contact is extremely important for people at any stage of infection, but in the case of any visible rashes, sores, lesions, or swelling, massage is best left to. a professional. If you have any cuts or scrapes or scratches on your hands, it’s an especially good idea to wear thin surgical gloves while massaging an HIV-infected person with any signs of open lesions.

V Pregnancy: Most women love to receive massage during pregnancy, and it’s perfectly fine to give them one, but there are a few precautions to observe. See the sidebar about pregnancy later in this chapter.

Just a minute here! All this makes it sound like you practically have to get a medical checkup and an OK from the doctor before giving someone a massage, doesn’t it? Well, in many cases, that’s exactly what it means. Always err on the side of caution when you’re considering giving a massage to a person with any health concerns. Check it out with his or her physician first.

The first and foremost rule here is, "Do no harm." If you’re not sure about a particular condition, don’t give the massage.

Bad moves

Ever watch an infant pet a cat? They often have the best of intentions, but they just can’t seem to get it right. Wham! Wham! goes the beefy little hand on top of the cat’s head, and the poor feline scurries away before the infant does any serious damage. Similarly, there are moves that you should not make during a massage, no matter how good your intentions are. They all cause discomfort, and some of them may even cause harm.

Pregnancy — a contraindication?

There are some people who believe that pregnant women should not receive massage. Most of these people, needless to say, are not pregnant women, whose backs and legs are often quite sore, and who love massage. There’s a section in Chapter 18 on this topic, but for now I want to put your mind at ease and say that it’s perfectly okay to massage a pregnant woman, as long as you observe a few simple precautions:

V Always make sure her legs and head are supported with pillows.

V Never put her in a face-down position to massage her. In her last trimester, she should lie only on her side.

V Only light gliding strokes should be used directly on the abdomen. Don’t press directly onto or knead in this area.

V Always give soothing, relaxing massage moves, never heavy or deep.

V0 Avoid the ankles and heels because, according to the theory of reflexology, the heels contain special points that may stimulate labor. Going into labor during a massage is not recommended. Chapter 14 has more info and a diagram showing the location of these reflexology points.

; V Neck pulling: Do not grasp the head firmly and pull upward, attempting | to lengthen the neck (some people say this is what happened to Audrey \y. Hepburn).

Ii V Neck twisting: Only a very gentle and slow turning of the neck to one % side or the other is appropriate during massage. No sudden movements!

V Neck pulling and twisting together: Never ever, for any reason, pull and twist the neck at the same time. This can be very dangerous.

"■’ V Bone cracking: Never ever try to do a chiropractic-type adjustment if you haven’t been trained as a… duh… chiropractor.

Bone pushing: Don’t press directly on bones, especially the spine. Instead, glide lightly over these areas.

Hyperextension: Basic stretches are okay, and I explain several in Chapters 11 and 16. However, don’t try to Hyperextend Any joint past its normal Range-of-motion Unless you receive some serious schooling in massage. This is hard to do with the knee or elbow, which resist such maneuvers, but you can easily hyperextend the neck, for example, so you need to use caution.

Danger zones

"Endangerment sites " Are super-sensitive areas on the body. These areas contain important pieces of your anatomy, like nerves and blood supply, for example, in exposed and vulnerable positions. Highly trained massage therapists can sometimes work in these areas, but if you’re not a professional massage ace yourself, it’s better to stay away from the following spots:

* V Front of the neck/throat: You’ve heard of the expression, "Go for the 3 jugular," right? Well, this is where you find it. Unless you’re trying to

; choke someone, it’s a good idea to stay away from this area that also ✓ contains the carotid artery and major nerves.

;: V Side of the neck: Not quite as sensitive as the front of the neck, you should still treat it delicately.

K-, V The "ear Notch": Just behind your jawbone and beneath your ear you i find a little notch. It’s not a good idea to jam a finger into this notch,

Unless you’re trying to extort money or favors from the person receiving the massage, because it contains a sensitive facial nerve.

;? V The eyeball: Unless you’re trying to do a Three Stooges massage (popu -

* lar amongst college males), don’t poke your fingers directly into the > person’s eyes.

;| V The axilla: This is a fancy term for the armpit which, as you know, is a F Sensitive area, filled with nerves, arteries, and lymph glands. Not to men-% tion, most people are very ticklish there.

V The upper inner arm: Just down from the armpit, along the inside of the upper arm, is a sensitive, nerve-filled area along the length of the arm bone. Pressing here too firmly gives you that yucky-nervy feeling.

V The ulnar notch of the elbow: Otherwise known as the "funny bone," this spot contains the ulnar nerve which, if you touch it too hard, causes normally discreet people to curse in several languages.

V The abdomen: Houdini was killed by an unsuspected punch to this area, which is filled with many squishy important bits known as organs. Be especially gentle around the upper abdomen along the ribs, where you find the liver, gall bladder, and spleen.

V The lower back: Just to both sides of the spine, and below the ribs, is where you find the kidneys. Don’t press too hard here or pound on them. Kidneys don’t like it when you do that.

V The femoral triangle: Not to be confused with the Bermuda triangle, this area is often referred to as the "groin." It’s the inner part of the line in front where your leg meets your body. If you press too hard here, you can actually cut off circulation to the leg.

V Popliteal area: Popularly known as the back of the knee, you should always treat this spot gingerly. It’s very sensitive to pressure.

Please don’t do that

The ultimate contraindication is a request from the person receiving the massage that you stop doing what you’re doing. Immediately. Quit it. No more!

When a person says, "Please don’t do that," then don’t do that. This is especially true for well-meaning beginners, who have a tendency to press ever forward with their newfound massage skills, in spite of the complaints issuing forth from the poor soul beneath their fingers.

The following is NOT proper etiquette:

Massage partner: "It really hurts!"

You: "Oh no, it doesn’t. That’s just your tension melting away. Visualize your muscles as butter—-"

In massage, more than any other business, the customer is always right. But there are times when the person receiving the massage either doesn’t know or won’t tell you he’s uncomfortable. How do you know what to do then? That’s where body language clues come in.

Body (anquaqe dues

Some people think that when they’re getting a massage they have to "grin and bear it" when something hurts. They figure massage is like a form of torture, and they’re prisoners of war. They certainly aren’t going to display any signs of weakness or let you know you’re hurting them. Other people may not even know they’re uncomfortable, because their discomfort is unconscious, and so they can’t communicate it to you.

In these cases, wise massage givers have figured out certain non-verbal clues that they can use to determine when their massage is too strong. These include:

V Curling of the toes )± V Arching the back

- V Inability to speak in a normal tone

; V Facial grimaces and contortions

% V Excess sweating, especially in a cool room

So, what should you do when your partner starts showing signs of discomfort? The answer is simple — talk about it. Simple, straightforward communication clears up most situations immediately. Some people just won’t be able to believe that you honestly want them to tell you how they feel. Go ahead, surprise them.

The one word never to say when you’re giving a massage

You can get away with almost any kind of amateur commentary while giving a massage to friends and family because, after all, they understand that you’re an amateur. Thus, when you say, "Geez, am I pressing too hard there?" they’re likely to respond with some positive criticism. However, there is one particular word that neither amateurs nor professionals should ever utter while in the middle of giving a massage. Hearing it strikes fear into the poor vulnerable person lying there receiving. And that word is…