But this has been an amazing week because I have received so many emails and questions about pain following massage.

That’s not good!

But massage IS good.

So here’s the deal.

1.  There are all types of massage practitioners.  Some have a little training and some have a ton.  Depending on the location some have no training!  Some understand bodies and some really don’t.  It all depends on who taught them and the filters the information passed through on the way to the practitioners’ brain.  It depends on personalities and all kinds of things.

2.  The most common thing that massage practitioners do wrong is spending most or all of the session on muscles in the back.  Those might be the muscles that are complaining the most but those complaints are often only symptoms.

The cause of the symptoms is often somewhere else.  Back muscles may be strained because shorter muscles in the legs or front of the body are pulling you forward.

Most practitioners do NOT understand how bodies work but they often can do a great relaxation or stress reduction massage.

But a full-body massage treats ALL of the areas of the body so you end up being balanced.  That’s the goal.  Balance.

Whether you have a complaint (like back pain) or just want a lovely vacation in an hour, please ask your massage practitioner to treat your whole body.

A legitimate practitioner knows how to drape modestly so nothing will be exposed that he or she shouldn’t see or touch.

• So can massage get rid of muscles aches and pain?
• Can it help you feel better?
• Is it the best natural medicine in the world for all ages?

YES!

But you may have to direct your massage so that it benefits you most.  You may know more than your practitioner does.  After all, it is your body. 

And you might have to search for the therapist who is best for you because massage is not “one size fits all.”

Muscles are supposed to be balanced.  That means that they are all working together and none are ‘too strong.’  They are all ‘just right.’

But sometimes that’s not the case.

Sometimes muscles on one side of your body are a little tight and they pull on other muscles.  The tight, short muscles can be tender to the touch even though they don’t usually bother you.

Or, at least, you didn’t know that they were bothering you.

The muscles that get pulled on get tight, too, but it is a different type of tight.  It is called taut.

When something is taut, that means that something is pulling on it and it cannot relax.

The goal of massage is to relax your muscles and help get them back into balance.  But sometimes a massage therapist only works on the muscles that are complaining the most.  Those are usually the taut muscles.

That tends to be a very unsatisfying massage.  Why?

Because the muscles that are causing the problem–the shorter, tighter ones which are usually in the front of the body–are not relaxing.  They just keep pulling and pulling even more.

Not good.

Massaging muscles which are taut (weak and overstretched, too) can be very uncomfortable.

On the other hand, if the massage therapist understands HOW bodies work and WHY you have uncomfortable or painful symptoms, then all is good.

That educated, skilled therapist will spend time relaxing the short, tight muscles (not just the taut ones.)  That might cause some discomfort but you will say, “Yes, that hurts but it is GOOD pain.”

Can you imagine such a thing?  Good pain?

But it’s true.  When your muscles are being treated in a way that will help them relax your body says:  “Yes!  This is the right thing!” even though it is causing discomfort.

So, when your muscles are tight, there can be pain when you are massaged.  But the discomfort may feel like good or appropriate pain OR it may feel non-productive and not appropriate.

If it feels ‘wrong’ do not hesitate to tell your therapist.  We appreciate feedback that helps us to do a better job and not to ‘hurt’ you needlessly during a therapeutic massage session.

If you feel that your massage therapist needs to understand how your body works a bit better, maybe this article will help.  Please feel free to share it.

Your therapist may not be doing a favor for you when it hurts to have a massage.

Click the link –> to discover why:   http://www.kathrynmerrow.com/massage/massage-is-medicine/#more-373

You may know that I have been in the massage field for over 20 years.  In that time I have seen over and over and over how beneficial massage is for so many pain issues.

Basically massage is used for 3 things:

1.  To control pain.

2.  To eliminate pain.

3.  To create wellness.

I love massage!  It really can get rid of pain in your body.  It’s good medicine.

It also shows why YOU should consider massage as a natural tool for stress and pain relief.

Who Gets Massage, Where And Why?

* According According to the 2009 AMTA consumer survey, an average of 22 percent of adult Americans received at least one massage between July 2008 and July 2009, and an average of 34 percent of adult Americans received a massage in the previous five years.
* In July 2008 and July 2009, 40 percent of women and 29 percent of men reported having a massage in the past five years.
* Spas are where most people continue to receive massage, with 24 percent of those surveyed in July 2009 saying they had their last massage at a spa.

While the use of massage is growing, the reasons people are turning to massage therapy are also expanding.  More and more people recognize it as an important element in their overall health and wellness.

* Thirty-two percent of adult Americans who had a massage between July 2008 and July 2009 received it for medical or health reasons.
* Nineteen (19) percent of adult Americans say they’ve used massage therapy at least one time for pain relief.
* Of the people who had at least one massage in the last five years, 31 percent report they did so for health conditions such as pain management, injury rehabilitation, migraine control, or overall wellness.
* Eight-six (86) percent agree that massage can be effective in reducing pain.
* Eighty-five (85) percent agree that massage can be beneficial to health and wellness.

Consumers are increasingly seeking massage for stress reduction and relaxation.

* In July 2009, 32 percent of adult Americans said they had at least one massage in the last five years to reduce stress or relax—up from 22 percent reported in 2007.
* Forty-nine percent of consumers said they have considered a massage to manage stress in the last year, as compared to 38 percent in 2008.

Question:

I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Hypermobility Type.

Have you worked with this disorder before?  If so, is there any type of massage that I should avoid?

I know I don’t like the deep tissue massage, and any type of rolfing.  I have had a reaction to too much of the heated sonar prior to massage which makes me feel like I had a sunburn.

My Response:

Prime Olympic athletes receive a type of sports massage which neither loosens nor tones their muscles.  It just allows them to remain in their peak condition while still having the benefits of massage.

I wonder the reason why you don’t like deep tissue massage?  Rolfing is supposed to correct muscle imbalances and for that reason is a deeper form of structural muscle massage.

It is possible to experience much tenderness during sessions of deep massage.  This is because some of your muscles are tight or contracted.  Tight muscles can be extremely tender to pressure.  However, there is a feeling afterward of relief and relaxation.

But if the therapist treats the area that is not the problem–but is only the symptom–that can be pretty aggravating.  It doesn’t allow release of the problem area and actually causes muscle imbalance.

On the other hand, your body may be saying that this type of massage is not needed or wanted.

Now that I think of it, I did have a hypermobile female client who could not tolerate deeper massage either.  She directed the massage and kept the sessions brief, only 1/2 hour.

You may wish to try a warming/friction type of massage.  Some therapists have learned how to lift and “saw” the soft tissues to warm them.  (This is not the same as deep frictioning of tendons or ligaments.)  I learned this technique from a Russian physiotherapist named Zhenya Kurashova-Wine some years ago.

I think it would be very important for your therapist to treat the muscles on the front side of your body as well as the back side.  Some tend to treat only the back and that would not be of most benefit for you–it doesn’t promote muscular balance.

Since massage properly applied warms the tissues I don’t know that you would need any heated mechanical treatment.

And:

It’s always challenging to give long-distance advice.  I’m not a doctor or physical therapist.  I can’t see the person or feel them.  I’m working with very limited information about their situation.  But I give it my best and love doing it.  Here’s why:

You deserve to feel better and the more you know about your condition or problem–whatever it is–the better your chances of healing naturally.

Therapeutic massage is a wonderful tool for healing and healthy living but not all massage is the same.  It’s your body and so you may direct the therapist.  If something feels inappropriate or wrong to you, do not allow it.  Listen to your body wisdom.  Your therapist wants to help you feel better but you are always the person in charge of your massage.

Janet says:

Some people have a preference for a certain type of massage.  This may be because they have had it in the past and enjoyed the experience.  But the fact of the matter is…

There are many types of massage treatments and a skilled therapist who knows many different techniques will quite likely incorporate several into each session.  Why would this be?  Different techniques “talk” to the body in different ways.  Some are more superficial or surface-touch.  Others work deeply into the skeletal and support muscles and tissues.

A massage for an athlete may be invigorating and helps the athlete know that he or she is in peak condition but it doesn’t cause relaxation or detract from their peak condition.

A massage for a frail person or child will not be vigorous or as deep as it would for an average person.  Someone who is suffering with back pain or hip pain will have a different massage experience than someone who has carpal tunnel syndrome.

ALL massage is beneficial but there are so many types and techniques that a knowledgeable therapist can choose from that each massage you have will be unique.  At one session you may have more warming and another time more trigger point work.

The massage that is best for you depends on how you feel at the time of your appointment.  It depends on whether you are experiencing any pain or dysfunction or whether you simply want an hour to yourself.

If your desire is to have a relaxation or stress reduction massage then that is best for you at that time.  But if you would like to feel better and leave with less pain than you came in with, a stress reduction massage would be frustrating for you.  You would wonder why you spent money that didn’t give you relief from your pain.

My goal is to help you to feel better and have less pain when you leave my office.  When you arrive, I will talk with you about any complaints you have.  We will go over your medical history.  And then I will work with you to develop a massage that will let you say, “This type of massage is best!”

Kathryn says:

An experienced massage therapist like Janet will give you a much different experience than a new therapist.  You can find very talented therapists and you can find some who just really aren’t too good, regardless of length of time they have been in the field.

Word of mouth is one of the very best ways to find a massage professional.  If someone you know was happy, there’s a good chance you will be, too.

Scroll down on the right hand side to the Categories and look for the Massage category.  You will find more articles there about therapeutic massage.

I have had many senior citizen clients who have had heart surgeries (even an artificial heart!) and with asthma or other breathing problems.  We have been privileged to serve clients in their 90′s.

Every massage therapist is different.  Ask friends and relatives for their recommendations.  If someone you know has been happy with their therapist, there is a good chance you will be, too.

What does massage do?

Massage boosts your immune system.  That means that regular massage will help improve your health.  By “regular” it could be every week or every few weeks or even once a month.

If you have trouble breathing or asthma, having massage on the muscles in your back and the front of your chest and shoulders will help relax the muscles that have become tight from difficulty breathing.

Massage feels good.  It helps your muscles normalize.  Massage acts as exercise (but you don’t get the the aerobic benefits, of course.)

You may wish to have a general all-over massage because that improves circulation all over your body.  Your therapist could also focus on areas where you have aches and pains.

There are many types of massage and a good massage therapist will ask you questions about your health and any health problems before they begin to treat you.  You can tell your therapist how much pressure you prefer.  You can also let them know where you would like them to work.

Have a conversation with your therapist.  He or she wants you to feel better.

I would suggest starting out with a medium pressure general massage if you are in generally good health.  If the pressure seems too much ask the therapist to lighten the pressure.  If it seems not enough, you can ask for more pressure.  It’s your massage and your body so you always get to make those important decisions and share them with your therapist.

A good therapist will work WITH you not just ON you.

You can tell when the pressure is right if it feels right.  If it feels too uncomfortable or inappropriate, the therapist is working too deeply for you at this time OR in the “wrong” area for your complaint.

If you go to the Categories on the right hand side of the page here, and scroll down to the Massage Category, you will find an article about how to find a massage therapist who can help you.  Just ask the questions that apply to your situation.

I applaud you for considering massage as an important part of your good health.  Therapeutic massage has tons of benefits for older folks and senior citizens.

Oh my goodness!  Don’t even get me started on the benefits of massage.

I am SO biased!  I LOVE massage!

Pain happens for lots of reasons but therapeutic massage can help with virtually ALL of them.  Why?  Because muscles are responsible for so much of your pain.

Massage ranges from so light it barely touches the skin to very deep, specific and corrective.  There are almost as many types of massage as there are  massage therapists!  

The very light or subtle forms of touch can help comfort people who are dying or who have fibromyalgia or RSD.  I remember barely tracing a path on the face of a woman who could hardly tolerate being touched because she had so much pain.  That simple act of lightly pulling one finger along her head took away her headache.

Rehabilitative types of massage can be very deep.  If you are in the hands of a good massage therapist, you may have pain relief AND that therapist may also help you get rid of the CAUSE of your pain, too.

How’s that?  Well, muscles are responsible for most pain.  Most doctors don’t know that but now YOU do!

One thing to remember:  It’s YOUR body.  YOU get to decide how much pressure you’d like or feel is best for you.   And please let your massage therapist know.  He or she does want you to feel better when you leave, not worse.

If you scroll down on the right side here at Simple Pain Relief to the CATEGORIES and go to the MASSAGE CATEGORY you’ll find more information including How To Find A Massage Therapist.

Another article will tell you Why Are Your Muscles Sore After Massage.  (That happens sometimes.)

I’d love to hear your experiences with therapeutic massage for pain relief.  Please leave your comments below.

All of this can release metabolic (body) wastes and other materials that are stored in your muscles and other soft tissues (skin, fat, fascia.)  These waste products are being flushed from the soft tissues.  Massage stirs things up.  This is not a bad thing but sometimes, for some people, massage can cause muscle soreness.

A deeper “therapeutic” massage is more likely to cause soreness than a really light massage.  However, the deeper massage may be exactly what you need.

Soreness may start quickly or within a day but is usually gone within just a few (2-3) days.  Sometimes it can last longer.  If your massages are far between, each one is just like having a first massage over again.  The first massage usually causes the most soreness (if there will be any.)

It’s less likely you will have soreness or tenderness afterward if you have massage more often.  Your body adapts to massage and you will have less soreness if you can have massage more frequently.  One half hour every other week is more beneficial than one hour once a month.

You will also enjoy more of the health benefits of massage if you can have a session more frequently.

Each body and individual is different.  That means that the therapist and YOU must direct the massage in the way that is most beneficial for you.

Drinking lots of water helps flush the metabolic (body) wastes that are released by the massage through normal elimination channels–your kidneys.  This helps prevent soreness and is always something to do following a massage (unless your doctor says otherwise).

You may also ice or heat these sore areas to help get rid of the tenderness.

A more general whole-body massage–rather than a “poking” type of massage or one that focuses on only tight parts of your body–may help prevent soreness.

If you  scroll down to the Massage Category here at SimplePainRelief.com you will find an article about How To Find A Massage Therapist Who Can Help You.  It will help you know the questions to ask or talk with your massage therapist about.   And, don’t be shy about directing your massage therapist and talking with him or her; it’s your body and you get to be in charge of what happens to it.

So, the more often you can have therapeutic massage, the more water you drink, and more open communication between you and your massage therapist, the less likely you will be to have soreness after massage.

If you have back pain or headaches or other pain, maybe you have already seen a massage therapist.  Perhaps it helped  a lot and perhaps it didn’t.

If your massage did not help much, you will learn a lot from this article about selecting a massage therapist who can make a difference with your pain.

If you haven’t tried massage yet for your pain, this article will help you select the best massage therapist in your area for your situation.

And, please remember:  Rome wasn’t built in a day.  That means it may take more than one session for you to get the relief you seek.  You may have several areas that are causing your pain and that all need to be “treated.”

Do I believe massage therapy help most pain?  Absolutely, yes!

If a massage professional has a good working knowledge of what causes pain in the carpal tunnel area, he or she can make a world of difference to you!

Most doctors didn’t learn much about about muscles when they were in school (neither did we) and so when they see a patient who has complaints of discomfort it may not occur to them that it could be caused by muscles.

There are internal things that can cause pain on the outside, too.  Gall bladder pain can be felt in the back and you might perceive it to be muscular pain.  Since we sometimes cannot tell what causes a pain, a visit to your doctor may be in order.

But as I mentioned earlier, it’s likely that you have muscle strain or “trigger points” that are causing your pain.  For instance, more people have pain in the carpal tunnel area caused by trigger points in muscles or muscle strain than true carpal tunnel syndrome.

Many massage therapists don’t have the training or background to understand why you have pain.  They will rub on the painful area around your carpal tunnel, your back or head or wherever, but you may not notice much (or any) relief.  Or it helps a bit but in 1 or 2 hours you are back in the same pain.

The reason for that is they are working on the symptoms rather than the cause of your pain.

He or she is working where it hurts, rather than working on the areas that are actually causing your pain.  That’s a common problem with massage therapists.  Some just rub where it hurts and hope it will help.  Sometimes the cause is actually where the pain is, other times not.

There is an article here at Simple Pain Relief  in the “Massage” Category that will help you find a massage therapist who can give you the most benefit–pain relief–for your massage dollar.  Just scroll down on the right side of this page to “Categories” and scroll down to the Massage category.

A skilled, well-trained massage therapist has the tools to relieve your pain.