Massage Therapy Questions

Many times clients come in with mysterious aches and pains having no immediate idea what has happened to them. After a thorough intake, we often discover they can be from sleep habits, repetitive motions at work, or residual damage from an accident or injury.

Then there are the truly mysterious aches, the ones that could be broadcast on 48 Hours or 20/20 – or so one would think while discussing it with the client.

Then the mystery begins to unravel! The comments are generally focused on the non-dominant side of the body, the side that doesn’t use the computer mouse or the arm that only holds things while the other passes dishes, hands medical tools, or holds an infant.

We are trained to think that we must be involved in some physical movement in order for our bodies to ache and cause physical problems. When we use a saw it should be the arm going through the motions that hurts, or if we wait on tables it should be the arm that passes the food.

In many of these ‘unsolved mysteries’ it is actually what we are not doing that becomes what we are doing. When muscles stay contracted for longer than they are designed, like holding a tray or supporting yourself on one leg, they have a tendency not to return to their original length. This can put a strain on your tendons or lead to muscle weakness due to reduced circulation.

It takes time for this dysfunction to evolve, so while you may think that you just woke up in pain and restricted movement, it’s been developing for sometime. The good news is that therapeutic massage and an adjustment in your habits can reverse the condition(s) and return you to a healthier you!

That depends on why you are receiving massage. If it’s just for relaxation or health maintenance, once a month may be all you need, but you can get them more frequently if you like. Receiving massage on a regular basis will help to promote a healthy circulatory system, along with good posture. Massage also releases tension and pain in the muscles, allowing them to move more freely. People who receive massage frequently tend to be more flexible and comfortable in their bodies, since they are maintaining a higher level of general health. Receiving massage can also be good for specific conditions, such as stress, and it may even be recommended by a doctor. Some very common comments from clients who come in a very regular basis are that they are more aware of their own health and how their body responds to stress, as well generally dodging whatever cold or virus that is traveling through town.

The frequency of some therapeutic work may be restricted by the type of work you are receiving. Deeper, more invasive work should not be repeated for 3 to 4 days. This allows the muscles sufficient time to respond to the work. Because deeper work can sometimes cause varying levels of discomfort, you likely won’t want to receive massage for several days. When there is chronic muscle tension or injury, there are usually adhesions (bands of painful, rigid tissue) in muscles, tendons, and ligaments.  These adhesions can block circulation and cause pain, limited movement, and inflammation. Deep tissue massage works by physically breaking down these adhesions to relieve pain and restore normal movement. To do this, the I often use direct deep pressure or friction applied across the grain of the muscles. Muscles are being broken down so that they can return to a normal state by healing properly.
In these instances, frequency will depend on your ability to tolerate work on a regular basis and how we monitor your progress. It’s not uncommon for me to see someone twice a week before you experience progress, however, most cases are seen once a week. Ideally what we want to achieve is to lengthen the time between sessions while ensuring the treatments are holding and the body does not try to return to an unhealthy state.