You grasp a bottle of milk from the fridge and instantly you have pain in your arm. You drop the milk all over the floor.Right away you say to yourself “I am so weak, I can’t even lift a bottle of milk out of the fridge”. You are not weak…IT IS THE PAIN that made you drop the milk. But often medical professionals bypass the pain, medicate the pain so we don’t feel it,and encourage us to do strenghtening exercises. Yes, exercises should be encouraged and preformed but not until the PAIN has been addressed.If you strenghten the muscles around the painful site first without dealing with the pain you further ” lock in that pocket of pain”. When pain in present we are unable to preform our activities of daily living, let alone do exercises!!!
So how do we deal with PAIN?
Therapeutic Massage is one very effective modality to reduce pain. Pain causes the inflammatory process to kick into high gear to protect the area and the swelling greatly decreases our range of motion, also to protect the area from future damage.Massage techniques,applied correctly by a qualified therapist,helps to decrease the swelling by physically increasing movement of the inflammatory fluids out of the muscle fibers.Once the fluids are flushed out of the muscles (and you drink H2O) swelling decreases and your muscles become healthier with all the good nutrients now in your muscles.Your range of motion also increases as movement is now pain free because your muscles are preforming as they should.This does take time and several treatments may be required. Muscles have memory and it may take a little time for them to remember what it feels like to feel good again.
After the pain is gone, you will find you are not weak afterall and you won’t drop that bottle of milk on the floor! Now you can return to your daily routine pain free and exercise all you want.
Appropriate exercise is very important in maintaining good health and wellness, but the following activities can be injurious and should be avoided:
Jumping to conclusions
Spinning your wheels
Throwing your weight around
Running down the other person
Climbing the walls
Pushing your luck
Carrying a grudge
Flying off the handle
Now go take care of yourself and the other fellows too!
One of the most common questions I am asked is “How often should I come in for a massage?” There are three basic answers:
1.MONEY…yes, you do have to pay for your massage and all our clients state “It’s worth every cent”. But if you are struggling into todays economy and are worried while you are getting a massage that you really can’t afford a massage you certainly will not recieve the full benefit of that massage! This is a very important issue that is often not addressed. I discuss all fees before your session. There is nothing worse than being charged for more after your massage, and yes, it’s happened to me. I have had many clients spread out their massage sessions this past year which allows them to still recieve regular massage and not stress out over money.
2. TIME… yes, all our days are packed with bunches of things we must get done. When you make an appointment in our time crunched lives sometimes it is veiwed as one more thing you gotta do! If you are getting a massage and worried about your next appointment or the fact you really don’t have time to be here you will not recieve the full benefit either. So make your massage session when you can relax and enjoy the time you are spending on yourself.
3. MASSAGE… yes, regular massage helps greatly to reduce pain, relieve the stresses of everyday life and enables you to a greater awareness of your body and its complaints. So when you notice your shoulders are at your earlobes you can take a minute to stretch and relax. The benefits of regular massage can be long standing.
I hope these answers have helped clear up three of the most important questions to make your massage experience great… after all it is THERAPEUTIC.
Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by long-term body pain and tender points in joints, muscles and tendons. Fibromyalgia is also linked to fatigue, body stiffness, sleep problems, headaches, depression and anxiety. The soft-tissue pain of fibromyalgia is described as deep-aching, radiating, shooting or burning, which is often worse upon waking and can decrease during the day only to increase again in the evening. Specific symptoms include:
- Body Aches
- Chronic facial pain or aching
- Fatigue
- Memory difficulties and cognitive difficulties
- Multiple tender areas (muscle and joint pain) on the back of the neck, shoulders, sternum, low back, hips, shins, elbows and knees
- Numbness and tingling
- Palpitations
- Sleep disturbances
- Tension or migraine headaches
There are various treatments currently in use for fibromyalgia including various drugs, a well-balanced diet and lifestyle changes. Low-impact exercise and stretches are also recommended to alleviate the pain associated with fibromyalgia. The Fibromyalgia Network has stated that therapeutic massage done a regular basis is the #1 non-drug therapy in reducing pain, fatigue, and mood problems associated with fibromyalgia.
Call today and make an appointment for a massage that can truly make a difference in managing your pain.
Maggie Fitzgerald, LMT – Grand Therapeutic Massage, Corona, CA
LIFE’S A SPORT!!!
Have you been jumping to conclusion?
Climbing the wall?
Pushing your luck?
Haven’t we all at one time or another! When we take a look at all the activities we do on a daily basis, we realize life does take on an athletic twist.We bend down to pet our animals, wrap our arms around our loved ones and firmly grip the steering wheel while driving. If there is discomfort or pain during our activities of daily living,we use alot more energy throughout the day. It is no wonder we are exhausted.
One of the most effective ways to help you perform of these activities on a daily basis is therapeutic massage! Massage increases your circulation to improve muscle movement as well as ridding the body of toxins. So as you move through your day there will be less discomfort,you will use less energy because your muscles will be working with greater efficiency.
Whether you are a weekend warrior or a weekday warrior, give therapeutic massage a try…you will feel better!