Massage Need NOT Be Painful

Massage and bodywork need not be painful; no pain, no gain does not apply. In fact, in order to get the most benefit from your massage and bodywork, your level of perceived sensation or discomfort should not exceed a level 7 out of 10. A level 6, and at times 7, is ideal and typically feels like a good, therapeutic depth of pressure where there may be slight discomfort, but you are able to breathe and remain totally relaxed through your whole body. It is imperative that you let your massage therapist know if the pressure and sensation or discomfort is exceeding a level 6, and upper limit 7, out of 10.

Why is it important to avoid discomfort above a level 7 during massage and bodywork? In order for our tissues to relax and heal, our nervous system (mindbody) must sense that it is safe and not experience a perceived threat. Ideally, we want to be in a regulated state in our parasympathetic nervous system. This is our rest and repair state where our body can optimize health and wellbeing.

As a bodyworker, I know how to access the parasympathetic nervous system in order to establish safety in the body through touch (myofacial stimulation). I also understand the limitations and boundaries of the body. By resourcing sensory input that targets the facia – via slow, deep, and broad pressure – I am able to reassure the client’s physical safety, which facilitates a return to homeostasis. Homeostasis is where the body will heal and function optimally. However, my ability to do this relies entirely on our communication. You must let me know if the depth of pressure in our work is approaching a 7 out of 10 or is exceeding a level 7 – remember, a level 6 is ideal. Only you know what you are sensing and experiencing.

Every body is different and there are many factors that contribute to the nervous system’s decision to elicit a pain signal. Even for the same person, a different state in the nervous system on a different day will result in a different tolerance for pressure and level of sensation or discomfort experienced. So, communication is absolutely necessary to deliver and receive the ideal and most beneficial massage and bodywork.

Be assertive and politely demand the pressure you want (ideally, a level 6 or less).

Level 1: like a feather

Level 2-3: light touch

Level 4: tissue warm up

Level 5: moderate to firm pressure

Level 6-7: the sweet spot – moderate to deep pressure where there may be slight discomfort, but you can breathe through it and remain totally relaxed through your entire body – pain should be very minimal

Level 8: deep pressure that is becoming too much where you sense your body wanting to resist or tighten and you may begin to hold your breath – this is too much pressure for our purposes

Level 9-10: too much pressure – painful pressure where your body reacts with resistance/tension/holding in your muscles and your breath, and you may start to sweat

It is normal to feel sore after a massage. After working on tissues that you may not regularly use or that you have recently used in a novel way you might experience delayed onset muscle soreness. This is a physiological response to inflammation as your tissues recover.

Soreness may be experienced if your tissues are not accustomed to massage. In the same way that your body adapts to the strain and load of working out, your tissues need time to adapt to being manipulated in the ways that massage and bodywork impact them. You may experience inflammation and soreness in areas that need healing. If you have neck pain after a massage, for example, it can be a sign that you carry a lot of tension in that area.

If you have not received massage or bodywork recently or if it is your first time receiving massage and bodywork, it is more likely that you will feel soreness afterward. Your body will adapt to the work if you receive frequent and regular massage and bodywork.

Spinal Reflex Therapy (SRT)

I have completed the first course in the Spinal Reflex Therapy Certification Program. I am pursuing certification in SRT in order to offer you additional Support/Service to promote a higher level of health, performance, and healing!

[ Spinal Reflex Therapy (SRT) is also known as Spinal Reflex Analysis (SRA) ]

SRT Provides Relief and Mobility for Active Living!

Spinal Reflex Therapy is a safe, non-invasive, and profoundly effective treatment to:

  • Eliminate pain and dysfunction
  • Increase freedom and ease of movement
  • Maximize physical performance and health

SRT is the only treatment system to address the most prevalent cause of nerve, muscle, and skeletal pain and dysfunction, the Spondylogenic Reflex Syndrome (SRS).

SRT reduces these abnormal reflex reactions and provides a profound reduction in symptoms, quickly and safely. SRT can free your body, so you may experience maximum strength, agility, and efficiency and allow you to live a more vibrant and healthy life!

Contact me to schedule your SRT appointment today!

This video will give you a brief overview of the science and principles of Spinal Reflex Therapy and the soft tissue treatment protocol. Spinal Reflex Therapy is not Massage, it is a soft tissue technique.

Visit this link to see what world class athletes have to say about their experience with SRA.

The Power of Touch for Pain Relief: Basic Facts

Article from: www.amtamassage.org

Massage is well known for reducing stress and promoting relaxation. And, a growing body of research also shows that massage therapy is effective for relieving and managing chronic and acute pain, a significant national health problem. According to the National Institute for Health, more than one-third of all Americans will suffer from chronic pain at some point in their lives, and approximately 14 percent of all employees take time off from work due to pain. Increasingly, massage therapists are being incorporated into pain management programs of hospitals and health care organizations. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has suggested massage therapy as one means to manage pain without use of pharmaceuticals.

According to a recent American Hospital Association survey about their use of CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) therapies, among the 1,007 hospitals responding, nearly 82 percent of the hospitals offering CAM therapies included massage therapy among their health care offerings — with more than 70 percent utilizing massage therapy for pain management and relief. In a recent consumer survey commissioned by AMTA, 91 percent of respondents agreed that massage can be effective in reducing pain, and nearly half of those polled (47 percent) have had a massage specifically for the purpose of relieving pain.

Consider recent clinical research on the efficacy of massage for pain relief:

  • Massage therapy is more effective for chronic back pain than other complementary therapies.
  • Massage therapy promotes relaxation and alleviates the perception of pain and anxiety in cancer patients.
  • Massage therapy reduces post-traumatic headaches better than cold pack treatments.
  • A pilot study conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles found that massage, as part of hospital-based surgery treatment, reduces pain and muscle spasms in patients who have undergone heart bypass surgery.
  • Massage stimulates the brain to produce endorphins.

How does massage relieve pain?

  • A simple and direct strategy: working from the external, outer mechanisms of pain to the primary, root cause.
  • Focuses on the entire body system and its relationship to soft tissue – not solely on the site of pain.

Benefits of massage for pain relief

  • Helps patients become more aware of their bodies and the sources of pain.
  • Better familiarizes patients with the pain they experience.
  • Has an impact on the patient by virtue of human touch.
  • Improves confidence by encouraging patients to effectively cope with their pain.

-October 2003