Most people are walking around in chronic pain. All day, every day. They have headaches, or sharp pain, burning pain, or achy pain.
It could be in their leg, in the arm, their shoulders or even their hips. Most of the population is dealing with some kind of pain. As a Massage Therapist, it is my job to help rid people of their aches and pains or at least bring their pain levels down to something more manageable.
Unfortunately, most people don’t do anything about their pain. They’re in pain for so long that the pain they are feeling, no matter what kind it is or how much they feel, simply becomes ‘normal.’
I have always found this to be one of the saddest things people can do to themselves.When you start in this profession, you quickly realize how many people have insurance benefits; who either don’t use them or don’t know how to use them. Some people don’t even realize that they have benefits! Can you imagine?!
It’s truly appalling! As someone who has never had ANY benefits, it makes me sad to know that this occurs. I have no coverage for anything. No dental, no Massage, no Chiropractor or Physiotherapy care, no prescription coverage, no nothing. I choose to take care of myself anyways.
I too have had some chronic pain issues and I pay for my services out of pocket.I receive regular Massage Therapy treatments, regular Chiropractic care and when needed, I seek out Physiotherapy. I can’t stress enough how important it is to take care of yourself.
These days, most people want an abundance of money and most people are trying to achieve this in their life.
However, think about this for a minute.. If you had all the money in the world to do the things you want to do, would it matter if you couldn’t walk? Would it matter if you couldn’t move because of how much pain you’re in? Would it matter if you had constant headaches or hip pain? No. It wouldn’t matter.
Daily, chronic pain will almost always prevent you from enjoying even simple activities. Choosing to take care of yourself is the only thing that will help alleviate your pain.
If you can imagine, this is the kind of life that most people live. A painful life. Add to this fact that they have the same mundane tasks to complete everyday no matter how much pain they are in: Go to work, help kids with homework, run errands, complete chores etc.
An easy and very enjoyable way to help ease your pain and get you back to enjoying your life would be to simply get a Massage!
Massage Therapy can help ease most of the body’s pain especially if your pain is due to a muscle issue. When you have tight muscles, they pull on your joints and bones and some muscles are so tight they create painful trigger points.
For most people, their pain is coming either directly or indirectly from their muscles. There are muscles all over your body, including your face and head. On top of that, there are 3 layers! Totalling more than 600 muscles! No wonder most people are in pain. That’s a lot of muscles!
Having a Massage will help you get relaxed, decrease your anxiety, feel lighter mentally, physically and emotionally, and can even help improve your sleep at night.
There are many chronic and acute conditions that Massage Therapy can be effective in treating and minimizing the associated pain.
Top 3 conditions that I see the most are:
Headaches
Headaches are caused by referring pain from trigger points in different muscles located either in the neck or upper shoulders. Referral pain patterns are different for each muscle and can send pain up the back of the head and around your temples. Even the muscles located around your eyes can cause pain in your eyes or your forehead.
Sciatica
Sciatica is a common condition many people suffer from. This is caused by a tight muscle in your hips that pinch the sciatic nerve. It can send sharp, shooting pain down your leg and be debilitating. In my experience, such a large pain is usually caused by a minor issue. One way to get this serious pain is by sitting for long periods of time with your wallet in your back pocket.
Trigger Points
Every muscle in your body has trigger points. When you use your muscles, the hypertonicity (or muscle tightness) increases over time and these trigger points get larger. Once larger, they can cause smaller trigger points to appear in the area around the larger one. As trigger points become larger, they become more painful.
Over the course of my career, over 90% of people I’ve worked with have had at least one of these issues.
Massage Therapy is the manual lengthening of muscles, which help reduce the size of trigger points. This allows for increased circulation, which increases oxygen flow throughout the body. The other added benefit of Massage Therapy is more effective white blood cell transport to other areas of your body which increases vital organ function and helps stave off illness.
In short, it helps you have a healthier body.
Other common conditions Massage Therapy can treat:
- Tendonitis
- Strains
- Sprains
- Fractures
- Torticollis
- Piriformis Syndrome
- De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
- Fractures
- Fibromyalgia
- Myofascial Pain Syndrome
- Rotator Cuff Issues
- Frozen Shoulder
- Sports Injuries
- Carpal Tunnel
- Lymphatic Drainage
In fact, there are actually 70 conditions that Massage Therapy can assist with!
Getting a Massage can help with so much! It can decrease and manage your pain, improve your range of motion, and lessen overall symptoms of certain conditions. Massage can also help regulate your mood, stimulate and strengthen the nervous system, improve posture, decrease stress and lessen adhesions.
Though, the most immediate response of having a Massage, common among every client, is increased circulation. However, the most common comment I’ve received from clients over the years is that Massage treatments allow the mind a chance to unwind. It allows people to feel cared for and provides a sense of comfort.
So the next time you find yourself in a bit of pain, book yourself a Massage! Your body will thank you.
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