The back burner is no place for your well being!
All massage therapists will be able to relate to this cartoon. A client comes in telling you about a “bit of back pain” they’ve had for a while and then nearly jumps off the table when you go near it. We all put things on ‘the back burner’ but that little ache in your shoulder or twinge in your back should be dealt with ASAP, lest it grows into a serious problem (or problems) down the line. Sadly, many clients only seek out massage when their symptoms have become unbearable.
I once had a client come to me who had put up with a rotator cuff injury and its subsequent pain for two years. Yes. Two years. She had been in pain for that long and had just continued on. The problem was that it still hurt and the referred pain had expanded all over the left side of her back. All she did was taking CBD oil to relieve pain. Although there is a great choice of CBD products nowadays, all they can do is to relieve the pain, but not cure. So she came to me in the hope that I would sort out her two-year old problem in one session. I promise, I let her down gently on that one.
Pain is not the problem, it’s the result
Pain is our body’s way of letting us know that there’s a problem. When you get that twinge in your back, don’t settle for short-term relief in aspirin or muscle rub, go looking for long-term answers. Where does it hurt and Why does it hurt? Maybe it’s that heavy handbag or the way you sit whilst working at your laptop? Or could it be because you pushed yourself too hard during your workout or didn’t stretch properly before or after? Finding the cause of your pain is your first step towards avoiding the ‘Pain Cycle’. That’s a sort of a ‘Ground Hog Day’ for muscles, which isn’t even remotely funny.
Don’t get stuck in this rut!
Picture source: colepaintherapygroup.com
Massage helps with the Pain Cycle is because it increases circulation whilst reducing muscle tension by stretching the muscles and breaking down adhesions (those sore spots). It also relaxes both the body AND mind, which really does help when you’re stressed out. When someone comes to me with long-standing or intense muscle pain, it takes between 3-5 sessions to make progress, but there is no hard or fast rule. It depends on how much the client is willing to invest in dealing with immediate problem, whilst making long-term preventative changes. I always say that massaging 5-10 minutes every day at home/in the office, in addition to stretching throughout the day (check out our desk stretches on the Kneads Must website) would change peoples lives for the better. The more I learn, the more convinced I am because an ounce of prevention is worth pounds of cure.
Book a massage and bust that back pain
Getting regular massage from a professional therapist and giving short but regular massages at home with a Kneader will not only help today’s back pain, it may help prevent tomorrow’s. So go book that massage, because you’re worth it. 🙂
Happy and healthy massaging!
