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.”

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.

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.