Although many people think of massage as a relaxation practice, it can also be extremely beneficial for individuals dealing with chronic pain. Unlike a relaxation massage, massage for pain is a more interactive process. Your therapist will talk with you before the massage to understand the pain you experience and may ask you to demonstrate movements that will help her understand what is triggering the discomfort. During the massage, you will be asked what you are feeling and where the sensation occurs. This communication will help your therapist provide you with the most beneficial session.
You might find that the therapist will position your body in different ways to help relax your muscles and help identify the root cause of the pain. This process helps her discover if the pain in one part of the body is caused by muscle tightness in another part of your body. Because we naturally use one part of our body to compensate when another part is weakened, these “referral pains” are very common. For example, you might be experiencing pain in your back. During your massage, your therapist could discover that you have a muscle problem in your hips that causes you to walk or sit incorrectly. This overcompensation is what is leading to your back pain. Understanding the root cause of your pain will help your therapist treat the cause of the pain rather than focusing on the symptoms, which will lead to better pain relief.
In other cases, the problem is much simpler. Relaxing muscle knots or tender spots will relieve localized pain and prevent the pain from spreading to other points of the body. Often this type of pain is caused by lifestyle factors, such as workplace posture or activities. When lifestyle factors result in reoccurring pain, we can show you how to do a self-massage to treat the pain as soon as it occurs and demonstrate stretches that can help you prevent your pain in the first place.
Pain can impact every area of your life, including your mood and your job performance. If you are experiencing chronic pain, there are many ways we can help you restore your quality of life. You deserve to feel your best every day. We can help. View our Massage Therapy services.
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