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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 April 7, 2016 at 5:40pm

I find this so upsetting. Today I saw the young lady with the two years of neck pain. Well guess what. She is totally symptomatic free. No more headaches and she has full range of motion in her neck without pain. All she had was a couple trigger points between her shoulders, and one on her right side lateral spinous at T12. All the rest are gone. She is totally fine. And talk about a totally different person. She was happy, smiling, and vibrant. She said she is so amazed and happy. But that doesn't mean anything. Because here is the deal. And I have seen this so many times over the last 30 years. I can no longer be quiet about it. She has been under Medical doctor care for two years. She goes back to this guy and tells him that she saw me, and her headaches are gone and no longer has any neck pain. And she feels fine. He told her well, that's not part of the treatment plan, and that she has had headaches and neck pain for two years. So she needs to stick with the treatment plan, take these medications or see this chiroprator. This young lady is 22 years old and easily influenced by this incompetent guy and some scamming chiropractor. She says she doesn't know what to do about it. You can run her through whatever orthopedic exam you want.. She is a totally healthy young lady. But I have, according to these guys, no more political power then a hot pack in the coner of some treatment room.. The truth is they have totally screwed her over for two years and want to continiue. I'm 62 years old, been doing this for over 30 years, and I'm tired of this kind of Cr_P( injustice ). I'm going to do something about it. I don't believe they can force her to see a specific chiropractor. I think I know an ethical one that would examin her and see that she is a perfectly healthy young lady. And does not need any further medical care, except for maybe a follow vist just to make sure. It was trigger points, and now she doesn't have em.. I'm going to see her in a couple of days again. I'm only charging her $25 for a fifteen minute session by the way. These other guys are going to be charging her insurance $300 a session for useless therapy she does not need, and will probubly cause more pain with meds and unnecessary adjustments. They have already perpetuated her pain for two years.. Give me a break. I don't care how much alphabet they have in front or in back of their names. They are doing wrong. It's all over the news about health care costs. Well here is a perfect example of why. Like I said. It's either incompetence or criminal(greed). Hopefully I can get her to see this ethical chiropractor or medical people before they make her worse again. Why does this kind of stuff happen? I'm almost on the conspiracy theory thing? It's almost like the medical system, both allopathic as well as holistic, is not really set up to heal anyone. It's just there to make money. It's sickening.
Gordon J. Wallis said:
Even though massage therapists aren't trained or suppose to diagnose. I had two new clients recently that were obviously misdiagnosed. I find it upsetting. I'm not going to get into too much detail like I have in some of my other posts.. Cause it's almost like a broken record. . I guess I'm suppose to feel good, because I actually did help them both dramatically.. But I'm feeling more angery because of the miscare they both recieved over the last two years. It's rediculus. No need for them to be hurting for two years. Whoever they went to, did not know what they were doing. I can't figure out any other reason? Well I can, but then that would even be worse. One was told she had sciatica. A pinched nerve from her low back that radiated pain down her lateral left leg, sometimes her posterior left leg. That's what she was told and treated for. Well her low back was fine. No pain even under deep pressure. However she had several jump response trigger points in her left Glutes and lateral leg muscles, as well as one in her left inner thigh. All the pain patterns from those trigger points send pain down the leg and into the lower back. Whatever therapy she had in the past obviously never addressed those trigger points. I can only imagine the kind of therapy she was receiving ? Anyway her sciatica was gone after her massage... She is going to come back for some follow ups.. I'm sure she will need a few. After all, it's been two years. But her problem is over. The other client. A young women that was in an auto accident two years ago. She was noticibly afraid and apprehensive about her massage. She has had neck pain for the last two years sense her accident. When she turned her head to the left it hurt. I could tell it was having an effect on her emotionally. She looked stressed There was a quiet depressed sense about her. Like she had given up or something. Someone referred her to me. Not a medical person. She left way better and smiling. It was cool. She could turn her head without pain. It was trigger points in her upper traps and levator scrap. One in her lower neck. A couple rhomboid trigger points each side. And quite a few lateral spinous pain points on the right side in her T spine. They all deactivated, and we were finished in 25 minutes. She is coming in for maybe three more short follow ups, and her problem will be over. Oh, I remember she had one pain point on her right PSIS. Now when I say both those clients will be better. I'ts only and educated guess based on my experience. But if you come in and you can't turn your head to the left without pain( for two years ), and you walk out being able to turn your head to the left with no pain. That's clinically significant. That means you have ruled out any pathology( disease, pinched nerve), or abstruction( bone in the way ). It's trigger points that are in the way. If I fail. That means I can't make those trigger points stay away. And I doubt that's going to happen. For two years with both of these clients.. Nobody thought TRIGGER POINTS. I can only post one attachment. But it makes my point.
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Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on April 7, 2016 at 6:23pm

absolutely, but unfortunately true that a large percentage of healthcare providers (even a handful of massage therapists) needlessly prolong treatments that are sometimes counter-productive

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 7, 2016 at 7:27pm
Yea, you would think that she could go back and tell the doctor how good she feels. And he would say GREAT !!! Let's do a complete orthopedic exam and re-evaluate things. But no, That's not what happens. Unbelievable. Trust me.. If she was evaluated by some world leading pain expert, say from Harvard Medical School or something. He would say. " What are you doing here? You're fine." I mean I have more pain in my body then she does now. It's just unbelievable. Very sad and shameful.
Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 8, 2016 at 2:38am
http://www.esalen.org/

When I first started doing massage 30 years ago. This was considered, or I considered this place as the Mecca of the massage world. It was at the time a leading edge retreat for continiuing education in psychotherapy/bodywork type stuff. Might still be?
Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on April 8, 2016 at 1:30pm

I don't think so.  At the spa where I worked was a male mt who spent six months in ce classes there.  I did several couples massages with him, and watched him work.  Light stroking relaxation massage was all he was good for.  Now, in his assigned room he did have the ashiatsu overhead  raills, and he'd climb onto the table barefoot, and do his work one foot at a time.  I'm sure it felt good if he used good pressure.  But it sure as hell wasn't treating specific pain spots

Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on April 8, 2016 at 1:40pm

Now, lomi-lomi.  One of my school instructors who became a good friend after I graduated traveled to hawaii for lomi lomi classes.  He's now a "certified master" of it.  Man, that stuff done right is the most sensual thing a human body can experience, (except for sex).  Every nerve in the skin sang to me-- over, under, the hands and arms constantly moving, lots of oil so no friction.  A great feel good massage.  He taught me by doing me: the first time I just enjoyed it.  The third and fourth and fifth time, I kept alert to the technique.  Great stuff!

Gary W Addis, LMT said:

I don't think so.  At the spa where I worked was a male mt who spent six months in ce classes there.  I did several couples massages with him, and watched him work.  Light stroking relaxation massage was all he was good for.  Now, in his assigned room he did have the ashiatsu overhead  raills, and he'd climb onto the table barefoot, and do his work one foot at a time.  I'm sure it felt good if he used good pressure.  But it sure as hell wasn't treating specific pain spots

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 8, 2016 at 7:27pm

Yea LOMI LOMI is GREAT. There are several different styles or versions of it now. But like everything else, it comes down to the individual therapist. People are always asking which is better, this style or that style. I always tell them. I do have my preference ..But it's kind of like this. You can get the attorneys I get, or the ones OJ SImpson gets. There is a difference.
Gary W Addis, LMT said:

Now, lomi-lomi.  One of my school instructors who became a good friend after I graduated traveled to hawaii for lomi lomi classes.  He's now a "certified master" of it.  Man, that stuff done right is the most sensual thing a human body can experience, (except for sex).  Every nerve in the skin sang to me-- over, under, the hands and arms constantly moving, lots of oil so no friction.  A great feel good massage.  He taught me by doing me: the first time I just enjoyed it.  The third and fourth and fifth time, I kept alert to the technique.  Great stuff!

Gary W Addis, LMT said:

I don't think so.  At the spa where I worked was a male mt who spent six months in ce classes there.  I did several couples massages with him, and watched him work.  Light stroking relaxation massage was all he was good for.  Now, in his assigned room he did have the ashiatsu overhead  raills, and he'd climb onto the table barefoot, and do his work one foot at a time.  I'm sure it felt good if he used good pressure.  But it sure as hell wasn't treating specific pain spots

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 8, 2016 at 7:38pm
Oh listen to this. A new client, a few days ago, came in diagnosed with sciatica. Of course she really did not have true sciatica. She had numerous trigger points in the glute muscles that were referring pain down her leg and into her low back. She has been seeing medical docs for over a year, and who knows who else, with no clinical improvement in her condition what so ever( no surprise to me anymore ). This is what she said after only two 25 minute sessions. Again I quote one of my favorite sayings. " TRUTH IS OFTEN HIDDEN...LIKE A SHADOW IN DARKNESS."
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 9, 2016 at 1:38pm
In the attachment bellow is an awesome review I recently got. Now I'm not posting it to say how great I am. I've gotten some really bad ones as well. I may post one of those in the future( if my ego lets me? ). Anyway, she felt really good the whole weekend because I was able to deactivate some pretty substantial trigger points that she had in her hips. I'm sure after the weekend the trigger points came back. For some reason I could not get her to understand that she could feel awesome all the time if she would come in for a few follow ups on those trigger points. She scheduled for another massage two months out. Which means those trigger points will probubly be back full force.. The typical sinario after a trigger point session is that the client will feel really good for two or three days, then the pain comes back. That's why they need a follow up two or three days later in order to keep the healing process going. So if you have a client that is coming in to see you because they hurt. Reguardless the type of massage you do. If after the session they feel noticibly better. Tell them to come in for a few short follow up sessions in order to get them feeling good all the time. If someone comes in hurting.. They walk out not hurting, or noticibly better. That's clinically significant. And they can feel like that all the time if not better then they do now. Because that means a significant part of their pain is muscular( trigger points ).
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 11, 2016 at 4:27pm
Gosh I really find this interesting. Interesting might be the wrong word. Puzzled is maybe a better one? A client came in that was referred to me by another client. I think medical clinics should be referring me clients, but they don't. In this case they should have. Anyway, he came in with the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis in each foot. I think he said he has had it for two years. He can't jog anymore. He is on some kind of medication for it. He told me that it hurts the most on the heal of his foot. This is what I found.. Two trigger points, identical on for each foot. So what I did was give him a really good foot massage, ten minutes on each foot, then eliminated the trigger points. He was surprised that his feet felt really good afterwards. Now I don't know why they could not help this guy for over two years? Good grief? Now I may be wrong? But I think his plantar fasciitis is going to be over with real soon.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 11, 2016 at 4:28pm
Here is a picture of one of the trigger points the guy had.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on April 11, 2016 at 4:29pm
Here is the other one. " WHATS SIMPLE IS SIMPLY SEEN. AND WHATS SIMPLE IS RARELY UNDERSTOOD."
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