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A typical experience

I had a new client the other day for an 80 minute massage. I asked him if there is anything that he wanted me to know.  He told me that he suffers from a herniated disc that he has had for a few years. He has constant low back and right hip pain that at times radiates down the back of his leg to his knee. He told me that he has had two injections in his low back and has to stay on anit- inflamtory medication.  Anything to avoid surgery. The pain is always there. I asked him if he ever saw a chiropractor for his pain.  He said yes.  But the adjustments hurt his hip so bad that he could not continiue.  So here is a guy that thinks he is on the verge of surgery. I knew that there was a very strong probubllity that was not the case. The vast majority of pain people experience is nocioceptive pain( soft tissue- muscle, tendon, ligament, facia).  MDs and Chiropractors see pain as neuropathic pain( nerve pain).  With that asumption they give the wrong treatments and therapies.  Now there is no denying that at times injections and surgery is needed. Not denying that.   But most of the time - NOT.  70% to 85% of all pain comes directly from trigger points.  Anyway I showed my client a testimonial from a client that I was able to help out of a very painful condition that she had delt with for a couple of years. I showed him that testimonial because all pain has a psychological eliment too it. I wanted him to start thinking maybe he is not on the edge of surgery.  I palpated his entire back upper torso, both hips, and right leg. I found a very painful spot on his right L5 erectors.  Another very painful spot on his right greater trochantor.  A painful spot in the middle part of his lower right hamstrings.  And also a tender spot on the right spinous of L3.  I knew that if Iwas able to eliminate all those painful palaptory spots that I would most likely eliminate his pain problem.  Because a healthy body had no painful spots even with deep massage.  Ive been hunting and eliminateing trigger points for thirty years now.  He walked out of the massage room pain free. He was pain free for the first time in years. All those other professional people misdiagnosed him because they assume neuropathic pain over nocioceptive pain.  I assume the other way around.  I'm a Massage Therapist.  

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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on March 29, 2017 at 9:40pm
I never really know to 100%, if I can help somebody or not, but after 30 years, I have a pretty good idea. And for whatever reason, some people just won't let me help them with their pain problem. Maybe it's because they don't think I can to start with. Or they already have a preconceived plan of what they want me, or the massage therapist to do.
She came in with a headache. She made it very clear that there was to be no talking, and that she wanted to concentrate on her breathing.
Now, if anyone comes in with a pain issue, a headache or whatever, and they want me to help them. There has to be communication. During the massage I could tell I was going over painful palpatory areas because there would be a slight flinch. When I first noticed that and asked her if that hurt, she didn't answer. So I massaged her to the best of my abilities. And she left the spa with her headache.
I felt annoyed during some of the massage, which is not good. Here is a person that scheduled a massage because of a headache, yet wouldn't communicate with me in order to increase the chances of me helping. She even watched one of my videos where I'm obviously communicating with the client. Anyway, that's kind of my one frustration. People not letting me help them. That won't happen as often once I'm in the medical clinic. She initially told me that her headache was in her forehead.
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Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on March 29, 2017 at 10:43pm

Well, 39% of Americans are willfully ignorant about the orange guy.  : {

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on March 30, 2017 at 2:54pm
I did talk to her before she got on the table about my Holographic Acupressure, and how it usually eliminates pain, headaches and so on , painlessly and instantly. But, like I said, she made it clear that there was to be no talking. But when I did go over a painful area, I gave her a chance to let me do my thing. But she didn't answer, reinforcing what she said( no talking), so she left the spa with her headache.
Interestingly enough, I was the frustrated one. She told the front desk that she really liked the massage.
Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 1, 2017 at 11:41pm
Over treating. That's my biggest lesson( problem), that I think I have finally learned over the last year. I've become so efficient at eliminating trigger points over the last few years that it's become easy for me to over treat. I can Release up to 30 trigger points in fifteen minutes, depending on things. And even though my Holographic Acupressure is rather benign, 10% to 15% of the time , that causes a powerful reaction by the nervous system( which I don't totally understand yet ) that actually worsens symptoms for a day or two after treatment. After that , the symptoms return to normal and are often much decreased then from before the previous session.
A perfect example is from the lady that gave me that wonderful video testimonial( a few paragraphs back ) after her first session. Years of pain totally gone after her 1st session. The second time I saw her she was doing good. Some of the pain came back, but she was still doing way better then before. I released some of the same trigger points as before, and should have stopped at that point. Ya don't change things if they are working. But I continiued to check other parts of her body. I found that her thighs were very painful. I'm not even sure it's all trigger point pain. But it was very uncomfortable for her as I poked and prodded around attempting to eliminate the tender areas. And although my Holographic Acupressure was working, it wasn't working as effectively as it was on the trunk of her body.
Now, a lot of these people I'm talking about in here, her included, are chronic pain people with up regulated nervous systems. At the time I didn't realize it, but I did after I had finished working on her.. I was thinking , gosh, I hope I didn't over stimulate things and do too much work. The second session lasted an hour of trigger point release( the first one was less actual trigger point time) and I didn't poke and prod for an additional twenty minutes or so on her legs( that was obviously causing her discomfort). I worried about it that evening.
I saw her again today for her 3rd session. Her symptoms were worse then when I first saw her. My fears came true. I knew better, but I had over treated. I should have done exactly what I did the first session. But anyway I explained to her what happened, and she under stood. I told her that we were going to do exactly what we did on the first session that brought her such dramatically good results. So that's what we did today. She left the spa totally pain free, and way happy. I reminded her that she can feel like this all the time, or she wouldn't be able to feel like this now. When she first came in today, when she looked down to her feet, her low back hurt. And it hurt when she breathed. After the session, all that was Fine. The session was only 35 minutes. Lesson is, if what you are doing is working, don't change it.
Also, people with chronic pain and upregulated nervous systems , often have inadequate supplies of B vitamins in their system. A major portion of Travells' books devoted a fair amount of time to the subject. In the attachment below is information on supplementation that I gave her. It's worth knowing.
As a side note. In the spa, it's challenging not to over treat. The clients that are hurting and want out of pain, also ( often ) want me doing deep tissue work over the areas I've already released. At that point, it's like digging on a cut. If you did cut yourself. You would only do what's necessary. Clean the cut. Put a bandaid on it. Leave it alone, and let it heal. You wouldn't keep opening up the bandaid and poking on the cut in order to make it heal faster. Also, when someone comes in for an eighty minute massage, and I cut it short, to a thirty minute massage. There are some questions as to why I'm doing that. But when I'm in the medical clinic, there will be no over treating.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 2, 2017 at 10:37pm
Again. Another new, chronic pain client came in recently. Her main reason for scheduling the massage was because of her long term pain that was cycling worse again. She has been to chiropractors and Rolfers in the past for her pain.
My assessment procedures have advanced dramatically over the last few weeks. That along with the further development, of what I'm calling, Holographic Acupressure, has made my work much more efficient and effective.
The client I'm talking about now has had this pain for years. She was given all kinds of explanations as to her pain. None of them trigger points. But that's what it was. And her case is not as difficult as one would think, given all the history. The client I talked about in the above paragraph on over treating is much more challenging and difficult. The client I'm talking about now, should never have gone this long suffering as she has. Kinda makes me mad. Hers is simple.
She had trigger points in the mid T spine on the left, and trigger points on the lower L spine on the right. Gluteus Medius , Gluteus Maximus, and Trochanter trigger points on both sides. The spinous ot T1 was tender on both sides. She also had an abdominal Trigger point below the belly button just above the Pubic symphysis. All those trigger points deactivated easily. She left the spa feeling pain free and happy. I've developed some very effective procedures. But anyone who has gone through any kind of trigger point training could have helped her after a series of sessions. She suffered needlessly.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 3, 2017 at 9:27pm
A new client came in just to relax, but she did mention some minor neck and shoulder pain, along with some left hip and low back pain. She discribed the neck shoulder pain as running down the left side of her neck to her shoulder.
When pressing on her lower lumbar area , both sides, she could feel her low back pain, which was felt more on the left. She said it felt a good soar when I did that. Her neck was also a little sore on the left, but not the right. She felt tender knots when I palpated between her shoulders.
She had an 80 minute massage so I decided to go ahead and do some general massage work, sense I don't want to massage over any areas I trigger point release. And sometimes the massage itself will take out a trigger point or two without even trying. Not all the times, but sometimes. As I was massaging ( about 15 minutes into the massage) she began to complain about feeling her left hip pain more. So I decided to find and eliminate the trigger points.
Here is what I found. A Gluteus Medius TP and a PSIS trigger point on the left along with another mild one near the Trochanter. She also has a TP on the upper sacrum on the left side. No trigger points were found on the right hip. There was a TP on the left paraspinals at about L1. She had two very tender TPs between her left shoulder blade and spine. She also had a TP between the shoulder blades and spine on the right. She had a TP on the transverse spinous of C2 as well as trigger points on both sides of the spine at the base of the skull. And interestingly enough, she had another TP where the Occipatalis attaches further up the skull on the left side. All those TPs deactivated. She no longer felt any discomfort while laying on the table. When I got to her feet we found a very tender spot on the arch of her left foot near the ankle.
Basically all the trigger points were on the left side of her body on what Tom Myers would call the Superficial Back line. Or what a Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner would call the Bladder Meridian. Anyways, all the TPs deactivated and she was totally pain free after her session. That was cool.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 3, 2017 at 9:36pm
I ment to add the Superficial Backline illustration to the above entry. I will attach it below. It also shows the Front line, which would correlate to the Stomach Meridian in Chinese medicine.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 9, 2017 at 10:33pm
She had fallen on the ice two weeks ago. Her incoming areas of complaint was significant pain in her neck, low back , and under her arm pit on the left. After she told me that, she added that her back in general hurts.
When I told her that I was an expert at helping people out of that kind of pain, she gave a big sigh of relief. Ya never really know of course if you can really help somebody or not, especially if you haven't even touched them yet. But after 30 years, I say that with all confidence ( And in this case, it helped the client). Especially now that I've developed what I'm calling Holographic Acupressure. It's very fast and effective at wiping out trigger point , even multiple trigger point areas of pain very quickly, in literally seconds. Its effectiveness is mind boggling. After she watched a couple brief video clips, she gave me permission to do my trigger point work.
Pressing my palm on her lower left lumbars caused pain, pressing my palm on her mid right T spine caused pain. The left transverse process on her neck was sore at C6,C3, C2 . The right was sore on the transverse process of C6 as well. Also on top of the spinous of C6 was sore as well. The right lateral spinous of T1 was very tender. And the right occipital area at the base of her skull was tender as well. She had a very tender Levator scapula on the upper shoulderblade. She also had left Gluteus Medius pain when I pressed on that area with my palm, in addition she had very tender mid sacrum pain on the left. On the front side of her body the upper right quadrant of her abdomin had a trigger point. She also had an exquisitely tender spot on her right mid level Sternum. Oh , I almost forgot. She also had a very tender on what I'm guessing is the Serratus anterior on the left side of her body. That was perhaps, along with the Sternum, the two sorest areas of her body. All those areas were found and deactivated quickly, within 15 minutes. The rest of her 80 minute session was spent doing relaxation massage. On re palpation of her painful areas I had to release the Serratus anterior again, all the others were no longer sore or painful. She was really happy and that was cool.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 12, 2017 at 7:14pm
Her complaint was chronic neck, shoulder, and low back pain. The shoulder pain has been waking her up at night. She also comented that she had a weird right sided headache last night that might be sinus related? She wanted deep tissue work on those areas and relaxation massage everywhere else. I asked her if she has seen anyone else concerning her pain issues. She told me that she has seen a chiropractor, but the adjustments make her neck hurt even more for a few days, and the neck, shoulder, and low back pain doesn't go away so she quit going.
I gave her a brief talk about trigger points and let her watch a video clip of me doing my Holographic Acupressure ( trigger point work) on a client so she could have an idea of the therapy I recommended. She gave me permission to go ahead with the trigger point work.
She had a trigger point on the right transverse process of C7, as well as a right side Upper Trapezius trigger point. They were both very tender for her on palpation. With palm pressure she had pain on the right mid T spine as well as pain with palm pressure on the lower right lumbar area. The left side of the back was painful only in the lower lumbar area. Both hips were pain free. Using my Holographic Acupressure procedures all those areas deactivated quickly. Before the massage was over I again checked those painful areas. I had to release the right lumbar area again. When she got up off the table she commented that all her pain was gone.
I plan on teaching my Holographic Acupressure in a year or two. I will show you what it looks like compared to what is considered leading edge trigger point work preformed by a man that's considered by many to be the worlds leading authority on trigger point work. The first video is his, the second is my Holographic Acupressure. Both dealing with Upper Trapezius trigger points.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6ay9Di10kg&sns=em
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCsWLkXDIFI&sns=em
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Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on April 12, 2017 at 9:03pm

astonishing difference in client discomfort-- and client satisfaction.  A few seconds, yours, vs. several minutes, his.

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 15, 2017 at 8:10pm
I know there are people in here that don't agree with me when I say the vast majority of pain on the planet is trigger point pain. And I mean the sole cause. And that's why things are the way they are. I'm gonna guess 80% of all pain is trigger points. Maybe I'm delusional and it's only 70%, or I'm too conservative and it's actually 90%? In any case it's most of the time. Any profession that deals with pain, and doesn't consider trigger points. Well, they are either con artists or don't know their job. That's the only conclusion I can come up with after thirty years of touching people. Now obviously not all pain is trigger point related. I know that. I'm just saying, a lot of it is.
I have a client. She is actually a medical doctor that has serious shoulder pain. Now she does have trigger points. But they are only, or appear to be, a symptom of some other pathology. I've released trigger points on her often. When I failed to help her she went to physical therapists that did Active release on her, eliminating trigger points, but that offered only temporary help as well. She even has a Thera cane and other tools where she works on the trigger points herself. But again only very temporary relief. She went to an out of state specialist that found a joint pathology, and she is now scheduled for surgery. So hopefully that will help her. But she is an exception. Most of the time, it's purely trigger points. And that's my whole point of writing in here.
The money spent on pain in one year. In the USA, is six hundred and twenty billion dollars. Now let's say I'm so delusional, half whacked out , and it's only 20% of the people in pain is from trigger points( that's not my experience though). Trigger point elimination is well within our license. Calculate 20% of 620 billion dollars. Then google the number of massage therapists in the USA. Do the math and figure out how much money we could be making. Compare that to your income. Now all this is kind of an exaggeration hypothetical ( but not really). But our profession, with a tweek in educational emphasis, would do us and a lot of those suffering from chronic pain , a lot of good. Because it ain't being taken care of now.
Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on April 15, 2017 at 9:51pm

All true, Gordon.  Well said. 

The doctor's shoulder problem?  I once had a client that had recurring trigger points in upper back, above the scapula.  I took them out easily even before I learned advanced techniques.  But the next week or so he'd be in again for another release session.  He was a traveling salesman, tall and thin, drove hundreds of miles every week crammed into his compact car.  So, I assumed that his problem stemmed from sitting a little twisting in the seat, using his right arm for all the driving. 

Then out of town one day he went to a new MD.  He conducted tests.  Found his gall bladder was full of gallstones and / or cysts, and removed the organ.  Damn, the recurring trigger points problem was cured!  Surprised us both.  I was happy for him, obviously.  He remained a good client till I had to close the practice and move 600 miles so my wife could care for her mother who was dying of lung cancer. 

Just wondering here whether the doctor's recurring trigger point(s?) could be due to an internal issue?  Not often the case, we both know.  But occasionally.....  If so, operating on the joint won't cure her problem, will it?  You checked, I'm sure, whether the shoulder had ligament damage.  If you see her again before the surgery, maybe ask her if she's been thoroughly checked for organ problem referring into the shoulder? 

Your thoughts on this?

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