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.

There are many types of massage and a few different professional organizations and lots of massage schools.  There are all types of different philosophies, personalities, beliefs and training.   Some massage therapists have a ton of advanced training and some massage providers never go beyond their basic training (which may be short) not even to read an article or book.

Word of mouth is usually a great way to find a good therapist.  If someone you know got relief from their massage therapist that may be a good person for you to interview.

There are credentials that can help you decide, too.  Here are a few.

• Professional Membership in the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA.)
• Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCTMB.)
• State Licensed.  (At the time of writing, about 3/4′s of states license massage therapists.)

Here’s how to interview a massage therapist.

Most will be happy to give you a brief free consultation.

First of all, don’t ask, “Do you work with people who have (my type of) pain?” or, “Do you treat (this type of) pain?”  There are many massage therapists who will say yes, even though they don’t have the training or experience to successfully treat your specific complaint.

Instead, ask him or her the following questions, and listen closely to his answers.  See whether the answers make sense to you.

• What are the most common causes of (my type of) pain?
• How will you determine why I have pain?
• What is your pain treatment strategy?
• What type of massage training did you have?
• What muscles could be involved in my situation?
• How long do you think it will take for me to feel better?
• Will there be pain or discomfort from the massage?

Feel free to ask additional questions.  Also, ask him to explain any answer you did not fully understand.

You can learn a lot on the phone, but you can learn even more in person.  The massage therapist may actually touch your muscles as he explains, and that will make it even easier for you to understand.

Sometimes when muscles are very tight, as they often are with pain, there may be some discomfort during the massage.  There may also be some tenderness afterward.  That is because you have some areas of tight muscles and they are not yet used to someone pressing on them.

If you have any discomfort from the massage, you may perceive it as “good pain,” which is a fine thing.  Your body is saying, “Yes!  This is what I need!”  Or it may be quite intense and you can ask the therapist to lighten up.

It is okay for you to guide your massage therapists.  Please do!  They want to know how you are feeling and responding.  They want you to feel better.

Sometimes discomfort during a therapeutic massage session is unavoidable, and it’s usually worse the first time than later visits.

But, the payoff from massage therapy for pain relief can be huge.

Start looking for massage therapists to interview today.

“Because You Deserve To Feel Better!”

If you can get rid of the something, you will get rid of the pain.

Now, sometimes a baby is born with a structure that is a bit different than usual and may have asymmetries (different leg lengths, for example, or upper arms that are shorter than average) which can make it more challenging to avoid pain and dysfunctions (not functioning easily and correctly.)   So, some of us start off with more to deal with.  But sometimes a little creativity and an understanding of the roles of muscles can help those people to feel better.

Others may have an injury or accident in childhood or later which can also be a cause of pain and symptoms.  You have pain but sometimes the doctor says:  There is nothing wrong; all of your tests are fine.

That is GOOD NEWS!

Why?  Because that almost always means the cause is soft tissue–muscles, fascia (like plastic wrap) and other parts of your body which are not bones.  Soft tissue is probably the cause of 90% of our symptoms yet most doctors just don’t know much about the roles of muscles and soft tissues in pain.  Just not something most of them learned in school.  Not something that is widely taught in medical schools.

But, soft tissue and muscles can be “fixed.”  A skilled muscle or massage therapist will understand WHY you have pain and which muscles or areas are causing your pain.  He or she will know how to “release” those areas of soft tissues and eliminate your pain.

There are self-help versions of massage and bodywork that you can learn to do yourself or you can go to a professional massage therapist or bodyworker.  Look in the “Category” for “Massage” right here at Simple Pain Relief and discover more about massage therapy.

Even better, scroll down the right hand side of this page to the section on “Trigger Point Books” and click on the BLUE BOOK.  It is one of the very best self-help pain relief books you will ever find!  I love it!

If you’d like more information about trigger points first,  go to the “Category” for “Triggers and Trigger Points” right here, too.  Just scroll through the Categories to Triggers and you’ll find an article called “When Muscle Pain Won’t Go Away, Look For Trigger Points.”

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.

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.  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.