I recommend therapeutic massage for almost every type of physical pain.
Why? Because it works!
Massage is old medicine. It’s used all over the world for a wide variety of ailments.
Why? Because it works! (Oh, I already said that, didn’t I?) 🙂
But sometimes when you go to a massage therapist your pain doesn’t go away. Maybe it feels better for a short time, or even just while the therapist is working on your painful area. But, it comes right back. Or, it is back within just a few hours. Or, doesn’t feel better at all.
When that has happened to one of my clients, I told them what that means.
That means I was wrong about the cause of their symptom (their pain.) It means I didn’t work on the muscles or soft tissue that was the true cause of their pain. That means we have to try again.
The unfortunate thing is, many massage therapists only know how to do a relaxation-type massage. Relaxation or stress-reduction massages can be really great, but…
When you have pain, a relaxation massage probably won’t give you much benefit.
If you have pain symptoms, and you want relief, you will have to find a massage professional who “knows his or her stuff.” Someone who can assess WHY you are having pain. Someone who can figure out a “treatment” plan to help you become pain-free.
If your massage therapist rubs and presses on the painful area (and some will do this for the whole hour) and your pain doesn’t go away, then that therapist doesn’t “know their stuff.”
And, if that therapist can’t figure out why your muscle won’t release (relax) then she doesn’t “know her stuff.”
And, if she says it’s the worst “knot” she has ever seen, she should not be in the massage field at all, in my opinion. Her job is to help you feel better, not worse.
When your painful muscle spasm won’t release, it can mean only one thing.
The cause of your pain is somewhere else, not where your “hurt” is.
A skilled massage therapist will be able to figure out and work on (massage) the causes of your pain, not just hammer away on the painful area or “knot.”
What’s the best way to find a highly skilled therapist who will be able to help you get rid of your pain? Word of mouth. If you ask around, and someone says, “This is the massage therapist who got rid of my pain. I think he (or she) is awesome and I recommend them highly,” that is a good clue. That could be the therapist for you!
There is even more information at Simple Back Pain Relief.com to help you get rid of the knots in your upper back.
I lost my download of the videos I bought from you because I downloaded it on my iPad and the videos would not play. Could I possibly have them sent to my email address again? How to release painful knots
Hello Karen, I will look into this today. If you used the same email to purchase them I can resend the link to you. If I have any problem finding your order I will contact you by email. Checking it out! Kathryn
I have kyphosis am 47. Was told by Nero
That I get cervicogenic headaches. Used to
Get daily about 7 years ago. They since have come
In cycles. I always get depressed they are
Never going to leave when they come.
Recently they have come back and I have a pain
And pressure behind one eye. Also that side
Of face and neck hurts. I go to pt and she said
There is a knot there. It’s really sore on left side
Where all the pain is. Also pressure on top
Of head. Could knot be coming from another
Spot? Can I feel better again? Taking muscle
Relaxers everyday.
Thanks in advance,
Hi Wendy, Cervicogenic means the headaches are coming from the region of your neck. Muscles at the base of your skull can cause pain behind your eye. They can also cause pain on/in your face and neck. The muscles that cause pain on the top of your head are most likely the SCM muscles in your neck and they also cause face pain.
From this distance, that means to me that your entire neck and posture are involved in your pain.
Yes, the knot might be caused by other muscles or by your posture or even the way you sit, work or sleep!
Maybe your symptoms will go away by massaging the knot but also they may not. It all depends on whether your knot is the problem or just a symptom of the problem.
There are a lot of articles dealing with knots in upper backs at http://SimpleBackPainRelief.com Please go there and look through the articles.
You CAN feel better again! Bodies heal all the time. Headaches can really wear you down. Muscle relaxers aren’t the answer but getting back into muscular balance can help a ton!
Thank you for writing. I hope this helps get you on the road to getting rid of your pain and the knot in your neck.
By the way, I recently published a Kindle book called Head Pain Natural Relief. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can get a free Kindle Reader App at Amazon.com This book has a lot of the answers for you. http://www.amazon.com/Head-Pain-Natural-Relief-ebook/dp/B009V5B5VS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354338112&sr=8-1&keywords=head+pain+natural+relief
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach