Comments for SIMPLE PAIN RELIEF with Kathryn Merrow, the Pain Relief Coach

Comment on Pain In Your Jaw And Teeth Can Be Caused By Muscles by Kathryn Merrow

Kathryn Merrow — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:14:45 +0000

Here is an article about clove oil: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/remedies-clove-oil-for-tooth-pain/

Comment on Pain In Your Jaw And Teeth Can Be Caused By Muscles by Kathryn Merrow

Kathryn Merrow — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:11:57 +0000

Hi Krystal,

I’m not a dentist but here are a couple of suggestions:

Is there a dental school around you? The student-dentists need people to practice on and the fee to be checked and treated is very small compared to a dentist.

Also, some dentists might take payments over time or even give you a reduced fee if you explain your situation and ask if they can give a reduced fee.

If the tooth is infected it won’t get better on its own. The pharmacist at a drugstore may be able to point you to an over the counter medication that you can put on the tooth to reduce the discomfort. Also, I’m thinking that clove oil may be something to look into that might be useful for toothache. I hope this helps you with your tooth pain and wish I could offer more help.

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

Comment on Pain In Your Jaw And Teeth Can Be Caused By Muscles by Krystal

Krystal — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:57:17 +0000

Hi, I have a real bad tooth ache and my jaw hurts as well. I don’t have money to go to the dentist and was wondering what I could do for the pain and my ear is starting to hurt as well.

Comment on Why Are Your Muscles Sore After Massage by Kathryn Merrow

Kathryn Merrow — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:54:34 +0000

Hey Megan,

This is great news! Thank you for letting me know. I’m glad you have another appointment.

Most therapists don’t spend enough time or depth on the front of body muscles. It should be about 50-50 back and front. That’s what helps get or keep the body in balance.

I’m so glad you feel better and you are very welcome. The dizziness was an unusual symptom but sometimes massage does cause soreness and people feel better after a couple of days.

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

Comment on Why Are Your Muscles Sore After Massage by Megan

Megan — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:47:00 +0000

Thank you so much for your thorough and informative response! My therapist did offer me water and told me to hydrate, which I did. She did work the front of my arms and chest, but not much. I asked her to concentrate on my back and neck. I think your explanation of being slightly off balance makes perfect sense. I am 32 and generally have pretty good posture, but I am a teacher so am constantly on my feet or behind a computer.

Anyway, the great news is that I feel WONDERFUL today. I am not dizzy at all, and felt great as soon as I woke up. The soreness is mainly gone, except for a slight soreness in my upper back that feels good, actually. Like after-a-workout good. I have already made another appointment for a massage – just a half hour this time – and will be sure to inform my massage therapist of what happened this first time. Thanks again for your help!! I followed all of your advice and it worked wonders.

Comment on Why Are Your Muscles Sore After Massage by Kathryn Merrow

Kathryn Merrow — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:52:10 +0000

Hi Megan,

Thank you for writing. Did your massage therapist tell you to drink lots of water after the massage and throughout the evening and next day? If not, start now.

Water helps flush out the metabolic wastes that the massage moved out of the body tissues. We are supposed to remember to offer water and let clients know that.

Aleve works best for me but some folks may prefer aspirin or ibuprofen. Ice is the drug of choice that I’d suggest. You could also alternate cold and heat.

Regarding the dizziness. I don’t know how old you are or what your posture is like. I don’t know where the therapist worked. The dizziness might not be related at all or it might be because your head is sitting a little differently on your shoulders.

Feeling light-headed or dizzy is not a typical reaction but the soreness is.

Did your therapist work on the muscles on the front of your neck and your upper chest and front of your arms? If those areas were treated and were also tender, that’s actually good. However, if she focused on the back of your body mostly that would have allowed your head to travel a little farther forward. That puts strain on the muscles around the ears. When the muscles and tissues around the ears are tight, that can cause dizziness.

Use the heat/cold therapy on your upper chest, upper front arms and sides and fronts of your neck, too. Do this especially if the therapist didn’t touch them much. It will help balance your muscles.

I hope this helps. Next time you have a massage, let the therapist know what happened this time and how you felt. Ask them to work lighter and that will help prevent such a reaction.

Massages are wonderful. But you lose some of the pleasure when you feel sore and dizzy after your massage.

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

Comment on Why Are Your Muscles Sore After Massage by Megan

Megan — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:44:27 +0000

Hi Kathryn,
Thank you for your informative website! I had my first-ever massage yesterday afternoon and it felt wonderful. My therapist commented that my muscles were tight and worked them out. Later in the day I began to feel sore and light-headed. This morning I am still a little dizzy and light-headed and the soreness in my muscles is almost unbearable. I can’t touch my neck or back even slightly because the pain is so intense. I have read your recommendations to take Aleve and will do so, but should I do cold or hot therapy for my specific case? And further still, is the dizziness a normal reaction or do you think it’s completely unrelated? Thank you for any advice you can give me.

Comment on Back Pain – Spasm Between Shoulder Blade and Spine by Kathryn Merrow

Kathryn Merrow — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:42:59 +0000

Hi Jacob,

The scalene muscles refer pain and uncomfortable sensations into BOTH hands and backs. The idea is to open your chest, get your head back over your body, and strengthen your back. If you are doing arms, you are possibly also doing pecs and might even be shortening/tightening the muscles in your neck even if you don’t mean to.

Thank you for writing again. It sounds like you are on the right track to getting rid of the numbness in your upper back.

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

Comment on Back Pain – Spasm Between Shoulder Blade and Spine by Jacob Mann

Jacob Mann — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:59:34 +0000

Thanks for all the advice- just to clarify, the numbness has always been isolated to the same sore area in my back, but never arms/hands/fingers. Not sure if that changes anything or not, but I’m going to try and get a massage therapy session, and find some Yoga on TV to try out. My workout routine right now is about 45minutes of cardio, and then about 20 minutes of lifting, alternating arms/legs every other day.

Comment on Back Pain – Spasm Between Shoulder Blade and Spine by Kathryn Merrow

Kathryn Merrow — Sat, 12 May 2012 02:01:35 +0000

Hi again, Jacob.

Also, a skilled massage therapist can help relax the muscles in your neck called the scalenes. There is a good change they are causing not only the pain in your back but also the numbness and uncomfortable sensations that you had in your hands and arms when this first happened.

I’m thinking it’s a posture issue. If I was a betting woman, I’d bet you have a ‘forward head.’ Maybe rounded forward shoulders, too?

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach