License of Miami’s ‘Squeeze Lady’ revoked for massaging fluids through surgical wounds
A South Miami-Dade woman who calls herself “The Squeeze Lady” had her license as a massage therapist revoked Wednesday by the state over lymphatic drainage massages she wasn’t licensed to do and, the state said, did in an unsanitary manner.
And the videos that cost Yazna Corao her license came from her own Instagram account.
That account, “coraito,” has been deleted, as has thesqueezelady.com website. But the website name kicks over to massagesbyteam.com (“The Squeeze Ladies”) website offering post-op lymphatic draining massages and the “coraitotalk” and “coraitoteam” Instagram accounts remain active.
The State of Florida Board of Massage Therapy, after reviewing the case, actually rejected a settlement agreement between Corao and the Florida Department of Health that would’ve suspended her for six months, fined her $3,000 and ordered a maximum $5,500 restitution for investigative costs.
The board offered a counter settlement of revocation with the restitution for investigative costs. Corao, through her attorney Kubs Lalchandani, accepted the counter settlement.
What is lymphatic drainage massage?
“Lymphatic drainage massage, also known as manual lymphatic drainage, is a gentle form of massage used to relieve painful swelling in your arms and legs caused by lymphedema,” a common fluid-retention condition after breast cancer surgery, the Cleveland Clinic says.
A massage therapist, Cleveland Clinic says, should move the lymph from the tissues to the lymph nodes, easing the swelling.
“Massage is defined as the manipulation of the soft tissues of the human body with the hand, foot, arm or elbow,” the Florida Department of Health administrative complaint against Corao says. “Massage does not include exuding fluids from open wounds. Properly performed lymphatic massages use sequences of gentle strokes to stimulate the flow of fluid through the lymphatic system.
“Post-surgical drainage massages are outside of the scope of massage therapy in the state of Florida.”
Though that is directly from the administrative complaint, a number of licensed massage therapists contacted the Miami Herald after the initial posting of this story to say it’s not entirely correct. Properly done lymphatic drainage massages are within the scope of massage therapy, they say, but pushing fluids out of open wounds is “incisional drainage” and should be done by only a doctor or nurse.
And a 2017 state Board of Massage ruling said “manual lymphatic drainage alleviates the swelling and bruising that occur after surgery,” but also “The definition of massage does not include exuding fluids from open wounds.”
Still, some massage therapists advertise they offer this as relief after cosmetic surgery, such as Brazilian butt lifts (BBL).
Problems with The Squeeze Lady
The administrative complaint, filed on July 22, 2021, listed six ways Corao failed as a massage therapist.
▪ “Performing lymphatic drainage massages by pressing around incision sites to drain or forcefully expel blood and/or other bodily fluids from patients’ post-surgical wounds.”
The complaint said Instagram videos show Corao “pressing around surgical incision sites to drain and forcefully expel large quantities of blood and other fluids from the patients’ surgical wounds.”
▪ “Using techniques that create a dangerous risk of infection to the therapist, patient and others.”
The complaint said at least one video showed Corao pulling down her face mask and taking off her gloves while “expelling bodily fluids.”
“In one video, [Corao] held her recording device while attempting to put on protective gloves with her teeth,” the complaint said.
Corao didn’t wear eye protection when pushing bodily fluids out, the complaint said.
▪ “Puncturing a patient’s skin in order to expel fluid from a patient.”
One video described in the complaint showed Corao “penetrating a client’s skin with a rod-like instrument so that the blood and other fluids may be expelled from the resulting incision.”
▪ “Pulling out stitches from a patient’s skin in order to expel fluid from a patient.”
And, afterwards, the complaint said, “flicking them on the floor. This is outside the scope of massage therapy.”
▪ “Performing medical services in an unauthorized environment and/or failing to appropriately drape clients.”
The complaint said she worked at at unlicensed “recovery houses” or at Kendall’s Body Glam by Mercy, 9835 SW 72nd St. Body Glam by Mercy wasn’t a licensed massage establishment then nor, according to a Friday online license search, is it now.
The Squeeze Ladies current website indicates they’re a mobile outfit that will do lymphatic drainage massage at hotels and AirBnBs, whether or not they’re licensed massage places.
Corao was issued her license in Florida in March 2019.
This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 2:46 PM.
