Bringing back the relaxation of massage.

Imagine with me: 

You've had a busy week at your desk typing and stressing everyday, you feel like your shoulders are more rock than tissue so you schedule a massage. 

You walk into a dimly lit room, soothing blue and rich purples surround you as the smell of orange and lavender fill your body. The soothing sounds of guitar fill your mind. 

You get undressed and climb into a table more comfortable than clouds ever could be. You pull the warm soft sheet over you floating almost to dreamland before the massage even begins. Aching muscles begin to let go as you sink into relaxation. 

Your therapist walks in and takes her thumbs straight into your boulder of shoulder. 

This serene place suddenly becomes a torture chamber. 

All the luxuries you felt getting onto the table are replaced with this epic battle of strength between your therapist and the stress in your shoulders. 

But it's okay, pain is temporary.... this therapist will whip your muscles into shape come hail or  high water. An hour later you leave feeling that the relaxing room is now mocking you and your now bruised shoulders. But that's what everyone said you needed... a DEEP tissue massage, right? 

Now imagine that instead of thumbs your neck received a broad stroke starting at the base of your head traveling down your shoulders. The session continues with pressure you wouldn't associate with deep tissue until you drift off to what I like to call massage twilight, where you can feel touch but your mind is relaxed so far as to where it's difficult to answer questions. After the session you get up feeling a little like a wet noodle all thoughts of pain gone replaced with relaxation and stability.

Which session would you rather have?

My goal is to take the boxing gloves out of the massage room. 

We cannot fight your muscles into submission, 

we must work with your own bodies rhythm to let it relax on it's own. 

Massage therapy is team work. 

I can't make your body do anything it does want to do.

 I use subtle touch on tight muscles to make the body aware of it's congestion.

 If there is a particular tense spot it may take a few sessions to remind the body it enjoys being lose instead of a rock but we will get there with mild intensity and never pain.

Know your limits.

Pain.
One thing that only you know how it feels.
Since everyone has a different pain tolerance how do we know when it's something to have a therapist work on or something to go to the doctor for?

I had to deal with this question myself this morning. I woke up out of a really deep sleep to a pain so sharp in my shoulder I couldn't stay still, at 7 in the morning. So through this blinding pain I had to follow my typical steps for dealing with minor pain and discerning which specialist to go to when the pain is too much; Massage Therapist or Doctor.

Step 1: Mind over matter. I tried to suck it up put an ice pack on my whole shoulder and go back to sleep. Every time I laid down the pain gets worse so I move to...

Step 2. Let someone know, or in this case wake up the boyfriend. Sometimes someone can see you more objectively than you can at the moment and be able to tell how much pain your in from body language to help decide what to do next. Thankfully my boyfriend was willing to give his crying girlfriend a massage at 7:30 in the morning when he's a night owl. This helped the pain a little with the aid of homeopathic oil. But I was still begging him to saw my arm off so on to...

Step 3. I ask myself a series of questions:

• Have I felt this pain before? (No)
• Did I do anything yesterday or the past week that could make me sore? (3 hours of massage yesterday, not enough to make me sore)
• How long has it been since I had bodywork? (Acupuncture 2 days ago)
• How urgent is this pain on a scale of 1-10? (At this point I was pacing, so I can easily say a 9)

This morning all the answers added up to an urgent care visit. As a massage therapist I felt a little bit of a sell-out. After bringing up that feeling to my great guy he reassured me that I needed a different approach. That got me started thinking; How many of my clients have this sort of pain? I know that I have a lot of anatomical knowledge and feel like I'm more self aware of what my body feels and why than most, but how do my clients who are of a different field of specialty know where to go. So I figured I would help y'all out with this post.

Here are a few of my guidelines as to who I go to for pain using the above series of questions.

Would I would go to a Massage Therapist if I...

• Previously felt this pain?
• Yes; or No if I know where the pain came from. i.e. working-out, yard word, sleeping "funny".
• Did anything recently that could cause soreness?
• Yes.
• Have gone a while without bodywork?
• Anytime longer than 2 weeks with normal activity, or 1 week with more active than usual.
• Measure the urgency of the pain?
• Anywhere from 1-5; Light to moderate pains

Would I consult my Doctor if I...

• Previously felt this pain?
• No; or Yes if it is more intense or frequent.
• Did anything recently that could cause soreness?
• No.
• Have gone a while without bodywork?
• Less than a week with receiving massage on a regular basis.
• Measure the urgency of the pain?
• 6-10; Intense to extreme pains

Massage is a wonderful tool but some pain may be caused by something deeper and more serious. It is always important to get it checked out by a doctor that has access to x-rays or MRIs. Sharp breathtaking or tear jerking pains can entice you into a doctor's office quickly, but even dull achy pains can be caused by something that muscle work can't diagnose or help.

So here I am, after having a shot in the butt thinking about actually filling that prescription for pain killers, telling you to know your limits. There is always a reason for pain,
 and if the internet just sends you into spiral of hypochondria, it is best to just call your doctor

Under Pressure

The most common complaint that I have heard about past massages is either they hurt from too much pressure or the pressure felt "as if the therapist was scared to go deeper".

I firmly believe that even though massage is great for everyone*, not all massage therapist are good for everyone.

 Understanding what you want in a massage when searching for a massage therapist will help you avoid getting a bad massage. 

I have created a flow chart with the most common reasons people get massages:

You may notice a trend, it all includes communicating to your therapist what you want. 

Remember this massage is about you and your body.

 If you are confused as to what your therapist is doing ASK them. 

I know I personally love talking to my clients and explaining what I'm doing and how it helps them.

If you're not the talking type, that's fine too but only after you are sure you're getting the massage you signed up for. 

 My teacher said once "We are all victims of our education" and it stuck with me and has helped me better understand that there may not be a wrong or right way, just a different way.

Every massage therapist brings a unique way of massage to the table. 

*of course there are always exceptions to the rule, there are several contraindications to massage and that's why it's important to fill out the medical form completely.