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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 June 11, 2014 at 12:58am

Uhm,  sorry for all the grammatical and spelling errors.  Hope everyone can understand what I'm saying.

Gordon J. Wallis said:

Not too long ago a client came in with back and neck pain.  I'd seen her a few weeks ago as a new client.  She had a gift certificate and was coming in to enjoy a good massage.  Every new client I show them one of my testimonials.  She was going to go see her chirpractor when she rememberd me.  She injured herself while walking dog some how.  She told me her entire back and neck hurt.  I told her that I would palpate from her hips to the top of her neck for tender spots.  And she is to tell me when I find one.  Then she can turn over and I will do some Cranial Sacral Like work for general neck relaxation( I don't really do Cranial Sacral stuff.  Just a few modified techniques that work).  Interestinly enough all her tender spots where on the right side of her body.  The worst one was on the crest of her hip.  Most likely the QL.  It was a burning pain.  I had to deactivate that twice.   I found another TP on her Erector Sinae around T7ish and a Rhomboid on a an inch or two higher.  I also found a tender lateral spinous at around T11(  I saw around biecause maybe it was T10, doesnt matter).  On her neck I found a very sore spot on her SCM and close to the neck an Occipitofrontalis TP in the back of the head.  I was able to deactivate all those.  At the end of the session I had her preform a Cross Body Distraction Techqnique in order to erase any muscle memory of her pain.  I will see her soon on a follow up.  I will add some attachments.  Oh PS-  I asked her how she felt after the session.  She said WAY BETTER. 

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on June 11, 2014 at 11:20am

Gramarical?  lol

Gordon J. Wallis said:

Uhm,  sorry for all the grammatical and spelling errors.  Hope everyone can understand what I'm saying.

Gordon J. Wallis said:

Not too long ago a client came in with back and neck pain.  I'd seen her a few weeks ago as a new client.  She had a gift certificate and was coming in to enjoy a good massage.  Every new client I show them one of my testimonials.  She was going to go see her chirpractor when she rememberd me.  She injured herself while walking dog some how.  She told me her entire back and neck hurt.  I told her that I would palpate from her hips to the top of her neck for tender spots.  And she is to tell me when I find one.  Then she can turn over and I will do some Cranial Sacral Like work for general neck relaxation( I don't really do Cranial Sacral stuff.  Just a few modified techniques that work).  Interestinly enough all her tender spots where on the right side of her body.  The worst one was on the crest of her hip.  Most likely the QL.  It was a burning pain.  I had to deactivate that twice.   I found another TP on her Erector Sinae around T7ish and a Rhomboid on a an inch or two higher.  I also found a tender lateral spinous at around T11(  I saw around biecause maybe it was T10, doesnt matter).  On her neck I found a very sore spot on her SCM and close to the neck an Occipitofrontalis TP in the back of the head.  I was able to deactivate all those.  At the end of the session I had her preform a Cross Body Distraction Techqnique in order to erase any muscle memory of her pain.  I will see her soon on a follow up.  I will add some attachments.  Oh PS-  I asked her how she felt after the session.  She said WAY BETTER. 

Permalink Reply by Therese Schwartz on June 11, 2014 at 11:22am

Gordon, I forgot to reply to your previous post.  I think the information in that post will be very helpful with one of my clients.  She sleeps on her right side but can't sleep on her arm, so she pulls her arm across her body until she's sleeping on her shoulder blade.  That has to be uncomfortable!!  But it hurts too much to sleep on her arm (pressure on the deltoid is a problem, apparently).  It will be Monday before I see her again; I'll try and remember to post what I find, and how it helps.

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on June 12, 2014 at 2:38am

IA client today came in for a 25 minute massage.  She had a headache.  I asked her how often she gets headaches.  She said three or four times a week she gets what she called tension headaches.  And twice a month migrains.  She had a tension headache today.  Her worst trigger point was in her SCM on the right.  She told me that most of her headaches are right sided.   She also had a trigger point on her right Temporalis.   And another trigger point in the Suboccipitical area. Midline. Right on the end of the Nuchal ligament, where it connects on the skull.    I was able to deactivate each of those trigger points.   That along with a scalp massage eliminated her headache.  There was actually a jump sign when I palpated the SCM.   I'm only commenting on a few of the clients that come in with ache and pain problems.. Minor to major.  Always trigger points are involved.  Always.  PS- I tried to attach a Temporalis TP diagram.. But for some reason it would not load.   But you can easily understand her headache if you see those pain patterns.   

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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on June 15, 2014 at 9:04pm

Every day is a trigger point day for me.  Today no exception.   Two new clients.  Both with hip pain.  Both different.  The interesting thing is, that when they first came into the room and I asked them what they needed from this massage, they both said just to relax.  Now every new client I show them one of my testimonials.  Then I find out where they hurt.  I often find out they are seeing chiropractors or physical therapists for their current problem.. And what gets me the most is that they often times have been seeing these people for weeks, months and even years.  Often.  Anyway the two Im going to write about now, I dont know if they fit into what I just said, because I didn't bother to ask them.  If its a serioius enough problem I do.  But they both enitially wanted to relax, so I figured it wasnt that serious.  And durring the massage if I found lots of pain. I would find out about whatever current therapy they were getting.   Well anyway again.   One lady had right hip pain from slipping and falling on the ice this last winter.  Its hurt her ever sense.  After she told me that, I told her that it won't be hurting when she gets off this table.  Right away I could tell she didn't believe me because she crossed her arms and looked at me with a look that told me so.  Long story short she read one of my testimonials and with apprihention gave me permision to try and fix her hip.. Well it was easy.  One very tender spot in her hip.  A Piriformis TP.   She walked out of the massage room pain free.  She is going to come in on a follow up.  And it may be back.  But her problem is history.  I will maybe have to release it a couple times at most.  Falling on the ice is not part of her lifestyle.   Now the other lady.  She did'nt tell me how she got hurt.  I didn't bother asking either. But she said her hip..I think it was her right one,  was really sore.  It has only been like that in the last couple of weeks.   And it hurts most in the front of her hip, but also sometimes in the back of her hip.    She was very willing to see if I could help her after she read one of the testimonials.  She had a Glute Max, and a Glute Medius that were both easily palpatable as she lay on her stomach.  The Glute max TP was on the border of the sacrum, and the Glute Med was on the lateral hip.   But the most painful spot that made her flinch was more anterior just maybe a half inch lateral of the ASIS.  Now it could be the Glute Med. or the TFL.   But I deactivated all her tender spots and she was pain free after the massage.  I explained to both that they may feel good, but that the cellular damage is still there.  And that if they really want to be pain free they should not stretch or exercise until those TPs are fully gone( the way I do it). So they will both have follow up sessions.   If they dont over do it, and take it easy for a while.  Both their hip pain problems should be over.  I will attach pictures of some of the muscles involved.   One is just a picture of the lateral hip muscles.  So you can see that the one very tender spot could be the TFL or Glute Med.  I think its the Glute Med.  But who cares, its gone now.   A few more visits and its gone forever.   If someone is hurting. 9.5 times out of 10,.   I find trigger points dirrectly responsible.  My experience anyway.   

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Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on June 15, 2014 at 9:20pm

my experience too

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on June 15, 2014 at 11:27pm

If somebody is hurting.  There are always tender spots.  I don't care what kind of bodywork you do.  Afterwards, if those tender spots are still there.  So is the problem.  

Gary W Addis, LMT said:

my experience too

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on June 15, 2014 at 11:46pm

I think I write in here for myself?  Again I want to qualify myself.  I'm talking my truth. Not telling anyone how to do their job or what to do.  My truth has changed over the years.  I'm just relating my current truth.  Not selling anything or telling anyone I'm right.  Really, I might change my truth a year from now.  But I kind of dought it?   So anything I say in here.  Just intigrate whatever you find useful. Otther wise.. Just ignore me.  All I'm saying is that I feel really good about what I'm doing now.  

Gordon J. Wallis said:

If somebody is hurting.  There are always tender spots.  I don't care what kind of bodywork you do.  Afterwards, if those tender spots are still there.  So is the problem.  

Gary W Addis, LMT said:

my experience too

Permalink Reply by Maryshka on June 16, 2014 at 9:36am

Gordon you are HARD to ignore... because what you say has so much validity. I am following a lot of what you say (teach us) here. I find this to be a real problem for many of my clients, esp. before/after chiro Tx: "if they really want to be pain free they should not stretch or exercise until those TPs are fully gone". Clients don't want to "stop" -- client sees me, feels good, then goes to the gym and lifts weights, ugh. I guess it's "job security" for me in that they come in regularly...

I'm guilty of this myself with my HAs and TrPs in suboccipital region/C spine. I work them out but I have to continue working to make a living so I end up defeating my own Tx. How do I balance all?

Because of you, I bought the Trail Guide to trigger points (spiral bound version), and it's like a bodywork 'bible' for me.

Thanks Gordon!! Do you have clones of yourself around the country? I need one of you. It would be really nice to watch you in action, self-made videos to learn from.

Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on June 16, 2014 at 11:45am

Amen, Maryshka.  Gordon is the Man!  There's a lesson in every posting he makes using plain and simple language, easy to understand.

Maryshka said:

Gordon you are HARD to ignore... because what you say has so much validity. I am following a lot of what you say (teach us) here. I find this to be a real problem for many of my clients, esp. before/after chiro Tx: "if they really want to be pain free they should not stretch or exercise until those TPs are fully gone". Clients don't want to "stop" -- client sees me, feels good, then goes to the gym and lifts weights, ugh. I guess it's "job security" for me in that they come in regularly...

I'm guilty of this myself with my HAs and TrPs in suboccipital region/C spine. I work them out but I have to continue working to make a living so I end up defeating my own Tx. How do I balance all?

Because of you, I bought the Trail Guide to trigger points (spiral bound version), and it's like a bodywork 'bible' for me.

Thanks Gordon!! Do you have clones of yourself around the country? I need one of you. It would be really nice to watch you in action, self-made videos to learn from.

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on June 16, 2014 at 12:20pm

Uhm, sort of a partial answer to your post.  If people are on insurance.  Its like free for them.  I work in a spa.  No insurance accepted.  Only cash.  If someone is paying cash and they really want to get well.  They have a tendency to listen. Other wise they are waisting their money.  And if they are not noticeably better after four sessions.  They won't come back.  I point out alll the tender spots on their body. Especailly the ones that make them flinch.  And tell them that once all those tender spots are gone.  They will feel much better if not totally pain free.  And if they feel better after I work on them( they usually do), I tell them they can feel like that all the time if not better.  The answer i often get after I say that is.. REALLY?  I then say yes, because some of those trigger points are gone now.  You can't massage away Arthritis.  Often they have been told unreal reasons for their pain.  Anyway its hard to teach only by just typing.  But you have a book now.  And if you can make those trigger points go away.  Your client will get better.  

Maryshka said:

Gordon you are HARD to ignore... because what you say has so much validity. I am following a lot of what you say (teach us) here. I find this to be a real problem for many of my clients, esp. before/after chiro Tx: "if they really want to be pain free they should not stretch or exercise until those TPs are fully gone". Clients don't want to "stop" -- client sees me, feels good, then goes to the gym and lifts weights, ugh. I guess it's "job security" for me in that they come in regularly...

I'm guilty of this myself with my HAs and TrPs in suboccipital region/C spine. I work them out but I have to continue working to make a living so I end up defeating my own Tx. How do I balance all?

Because of you, I bought the Trail Guide to trigger points (spiral bound version), and it's like a bodywork 'bible' for me.

Thanks Gordon!! Do you have clones of yourself around the country? I need one of you. It would be really nice to watch you in action, self-made videos to learn from.

Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on June 16, 2014 at 9:21pm

A new client came in the other day.  She was scheduled for a 50 minute deep tissue massage.  When I asked her what she needed from the massage she told me that she has a torn labrum in her left hip and as a result has deep pain in her hip and also in her groin area as well as her back.  I asked how long she has had the pain.  She said one year.  She came late so I did not want to spend any more time talking about whatever therapy she has done in the past.  I did show her one of  my testimonials and she just read a portion of it.  I knew she wanted to get to her massage.  I told her deep tissue would not be necessary and that she has to tell me if or when I touch a sore spot.  She commented that its not a spot, it hurts deep in the joint.   Well I did palpate two very tender spots( she flinched and told me) on the edge of her sacrum.  A Gluteus Maximus, and a Piriformis TP, as well as an L5 TP on the Erector Spinae all on left side.   I also found another Trigger point around T10 on the Erector Spinae on the left side.  Also a very painful Psoas in the groin area, again on the left side.  I was able to deactivate all those TPs within the time of her massage.  When she left the room her pain was gone. I will include attachments of the trigger pointed muscles that were causing her left hip and back pain.  Imagine all those pain patterns overlapped.  Both the Glute and Piriformis TPs were on the lateral border of her sacrum.  Anyway when she left , the torn Labrum pain was not there anymore.

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