When Massage Hurts

Often new clients will make comments like "You can't push hard enough", "I like really deep work", "It's ok if it hurts as long as it helps me", or my favorite "No pain, no gain right?"

What I really think my clients are really trying to tell me by this is "I want you to find where it hurts and address the problem."

Many of my clients may have experienced a general massage treatment that does not address the specific area what needs work or a massage that includes a lot of intense specific pressure that may bruise tissue yet still missing the area that needs attention leaving the client feeling like they need more pressure.

Massage can be ineffective or even cause more harm than good.

Orthopedic massage addresses the bodies muscles and connective tissue. When applied effectively it should include a number of important elements.

Effective listener: The therapist listening skills go a long way toward understanding what areas need work.

Great assessment: Assessment skills are also an important part of solving the clients orthopedic problems.

Effective Technique: The right massage technique, the ability to treat each area specifically, a great knowledge of anatomy, and experience with a wide variety of orthopedic conditions are all important parts of effective treatment.

Appropriate pressure: I like to tell my clients if the discomfort they feel causes them to tense up or interrupts their normal breath pattern it is to much. Also if the tissue is not letting go or the pressure doesn't feel like it fades after a few seconds then progress is not being made. The right amount of pressure can make all the difference in effective massage release.

Presence and focus: Nothing is worse than getting a massage from a therapist who is lacking focus. An effective massage treatment requires thoughtful and well directed energy on the part of the therapist. If you experience this in a massage you will know the difference.

Knowledge of limitations: If massage cannot effectively help the clients condition they need to know it. Solving orthopedic problems must involve a holistic approach to treatment. This means encouraging the client to get treatment that is appropriate for their condition.

In conclusion the most effective massage work must include, the right amount of pressure, using the best technique, applied to the specific areas of the body that need attention.

www.benkingmassage.com

Muscles need pure water

Our bodies need a lot more water than most people think.

Within one day our body needs half our body weight in ounces.
For instance if you weighed 150 pounds you would need to drink 75
ounces of water per day.

Exercise takes more water. For ever half hour of exercise our body needs another 8 ounces of water.

Increased energy, improved circulation, improved digestive function, reduction of muscle tension and pain, and improved flexibility are just a few of the ways water improves your body's overall health.

Hands of Hope Massage

Trigger Points - a common source of pain

How to recognize Myo-Fascial Trigger Points

Hard lumps or knots that you can feel in your muscle or connective tissue.

They are in persistent spasm and stretching a portion of your muscle.

They are extremely painful when pressed upon.

They often refer pain, numbness, tingling, burning, and itching along fairly predictable nerve pathways.

Myo-Fascial Trigger Points can be:

Active - Causing immediate pain, muscle shortness, and weakness.

Latent - Unnoticed until pressure is applied, no immediate pain, feels dense and fibrous to touch.

What can cause Myo-Fascial Trigger Points?

Overuse =

Actions including posture, inefficient movement, poor body mechanics, & muscle strain. Also can be aggravated by being overweight, being unfit, carrying an overweight purse or pack, & poor posture due to furniture or car seats.

Unavoidable muscle abuse =

Accidents including, falls, sports, & motor vehicular collisions. muscles over contracted or over stretched.

Unsuspected muscle abuse =

Immobility - braces, slings, and casts.
Surgery - Muscles cut, stretched, and trauma injections - shown to lead to sciatic nerve pain. Steroids - Can mask the pain without treating the underlying myo -fascial condition. Overuse can degrade connective tissue, muscle, bone, ligaments, and tendons.
Pain medications - Anti-inflammatory response can limit healing process, also masking pain can postpone proper treatment.
High blood pressure medications - Calcium channel blockers can irritate and perpetuate trigger points.

Other contributing factors =

Vitamin b-6, magnesium, vitamin c, folic acid other vitamin deficiencies.
Underlying visceral disease, arthritic joints, or other trigger points.
Ulcers, renal colic, myocardial infarction, gall stones, kidney problems, or irritable bowel syndrome.
Chronic infection from a viral or bacterial disease.
Skeletal asymmetry such as short leg or pelvic imbalances.
Hypoglycemia, thyroid malfunction, or anemia .
Food allergies or intolerances. Most commonly wheat or dairy products.
Toxicity due to exposure to organic chemicals or heavy metals.

Stress

Stress comes into our lives in many forms. Relationship challenges, traumatic life events, or maybe just to much responsibility.

Whatever the cause it can have the same effect on our bodies. It slows the restorative processes, decreases the bodies ability to assimilate food, raises blood pressure, overworks the adrenal glands among other things, yet what we all notice is the muscle tension and areas of pain.

Headaches are a common result of stress, along with tight neck and shoulder muscles and strain on areas of the body that have been injured in the past.

If this condition sounds familiar to you, massage can help your whole body get back on track. It can be an excellent tool to reduce tension and pain. It can support your body in the natural restorative processes to restoring peace and a sense of well being.

I have seen many clients benefit from massage in this way in my practice as well as receiving massage personally and enjoying these benefits.

Chronic and Repetitive Strain

Chronic pain can be brought on over a period of time. It can greatly limit the daily activities of the individual suffering from this condition.

When a person's pain arises directly to their muscles and connective tissue massage can often help to relieve the pain and even directly address some of the cause.

Such pain can be due to receptive muscle strain, imbalanced postural patterns, or old injuries.

Understanding the process by which a person reached this condition along with functional and postural analysis can provide a greater understanding the pain patterns themselves.

Massage can then be used to release restrictions, reduce trigger point patterns, and restore movement and function. The end result being the reduction and in many cases the relief from pain.

Over the years I have encountered many different conditions of chronic pain and injury which massage has successfully treated.

Sports and muscle strain injuries

Finding yourself unable to preform and function can be frustrating and painful especially for someone who is normally quite active. Many of my clients have strained a muscle or injured themselves in some way that limits their ability to do what they love most.

Massage can restore hope and joy in life by relieving pain and improving function to muscle and soft tissue injuries. Especially for very active individuals massage is very affective at providing relief and restoring wholeness to an injury.

Usually these types of injuries respond relatively quickly to therapeutic treatment. In 6 - 8 treatments my clients often find their symptoms subsiding and their bodies able to begin to function more normally again.

Sports massage can be very helpful for increasing mobility and performance. I have helped several serious athletes through injuries as well as preventing injury that could have happened without the constant care.

Car accident injuries

Whiplash injuries are often devastating someone who has been in a accident. The pain and lack of mobility can limit ones ability to function. I have had numerous clients approach me even after months of physical therapy and medication, still in pain and looking for a solution.

Common symptoms can be neck and low back pain, loss of mobility, depression, headaches, and trigger points referring sensation up the neck or out to the extremities. Clients may also experience weakness from nerve compression.

Experience has shown me the effectiveness of massage in the treatment of injury sustained in a car accident.

Release of myo-fascial adhesion and muscular trigger points can bring relief of pain as well as increase mobility. Therapeutic massage treatment often requires 3-4 weeks of consistent treatment but the investment is well worth the outcome.

My experience in billing auto insurance injury claims saves my clients the hassle and up front cost when they need to be focusing their efforts on recovery.

Massage encourages healing and wholeness which many of my clients have been so happy to attain!

Headaches: understanding cause and treatment

Tension Headaches = muscle tension, neromuscular triggers, and increased inter cranial blood pressure

Causes:
Injury of the muscles, tendons, or ligaments of the head and neck
Emotional stress brings on muscle tension
Joint restriction can irritate ligaments and cause muscle spasm
Postural alignment problems produces muscle tension
Eyestrain causes chronic muscle contraction
Poor ergonomics and repetitive movement leads to muscle tension, joint fixation, & misalignment

Vascular Headaches including Migraines & Cluster = pulsing pain from inter cranial blood vessel dilation

Causes:
Food – can include cheese, chocolate, tea, coffee, or alcohol
Hormonal shifts – pregnancy, PMS, or menopause
Other unidentified triggers

Sinus Headaches

Causes:
Colds, allergies, sinusitis

Chemical Headaches

Causes:
Low blood sugar
PMS
Dehydration – alcohol intake or exercise without water

Traction – Inflammatory Headaches “frequency less than 2%”

Causes:
Injury to or infection of the central nervous system
Encephalitis, meningitis, stroke, a tumor, or an aneurysm


Common Medical Treatments

Avoid triggers after identifying patterns in a headache journal
Medication
Tension headaches, mostly non-steroidal anti–inflammatory drugs (NSAID's)
Migraine headaches, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), beta blockers, and calcium blockers.

Massage

Massage can help by:
Releasing muscular trigger points and muscle spasm
Reducing tension
Restoring joint mobility
Increasing blood circulation
Releasing Stress

Conditions I have successfully treated

The links below provide details about each condition and its treatment
"This is a work in progress, each condition will soon be linked"

Headache

Neck / Cervical Pain

Whiplash / Car Accident / Personal Injury

Shoulder Pain

Wrist Pain

Low Back / Sacral Iliac Pain

Hip Pain

Knee Pain

Leg Pain

Foot / Ankle Pain

For Massage Therapists: Articles

Does your job make you sick?

Keeping your body from injury

Deep Tissue Massage: Stroke Intention

Deep Tissue Massage: Body Positioning

Buy T-Bars

Benefits of Massage

Circulatory System

helping to develop a stronger heart

improving oxygen supply to the cells

improving nutrient supply to the cells

elimination of metabolic wastes

decreasing blood pressure

increasing circulation of lymph nodes

Digestive System

relaxing the abdominal and intestinal muscles

relieving tension

stimulating activity of liver and kidneys

elimination of waste material

Muscular System

relaxing or stimulating muscles

strengthening muscles and connective tissue

helping to keep muscles flexible and pliable

relieving soreness, tension, and stiffness

Nervous System

stimulating motor nerve points

relieving restlessness and insomnia

promoting a sense of well being

relieving pain

Lymphatic System

cleansing the body of metabolic wastes

draining sluggish lymph nodes

Integumentary System

stimulating blood to better nourish skin

improving tone and elasticity of skin

helping to normalize glandular functions

Skeletal System

improving body alignment

relieving stiff joints

relieving achy feet