massage and bodywork professionals
a community of practitioners
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.
Views: 33691
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on
-
This attachment backs up what I've been saying. But they do it the more painful and expensive( primative/less sophisticated )way by injecting the trigger points( OUCH !!! ).
- Attachments:
-
-
image.jpg, 188 KB
-
-
-
A month ago a client complained about my massage. They refunded her the cost of the entire session. The next day I got called into the office and got talked too. But finally a client got it RIGHT !!!! lol
- Attachments:
-
-
image.jpg, 46 KB
-
-
Permalink Reply by Therese Schwartz on
-
You can't complain about a testimonial like that!!
-
-
http://www.healthcentral.com/encyclopedia/hc/dysmenorrhea-3168945
It's interesting. There is really no reference to any kind of bodywork/manual medicine for the treatment of dysmenorrhea. When I try to talk to doctors, they won't give me the time of day. And except for some relatively obscure Osteopathic and medical literature, there is virtually no reference as to Trigger Points playing a major role perpetuating and exagerating the problem of painful periods. "Truth often remains hidden, like a shadow in darkness." But of course, Big Pharma to the rescue.. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100323184609.htm
-
-
None of the drugs can address imbalances in the pelvis and uterus that contribute to the issue. We don't even talk to women about that! Not to mention imbalances in the sphenoid which can contribute to endocrine problems (due to the location of the pituitary gland)...
-
-
That's right. And when you mention imbalances in the pelvis and sphenoid, I'm reminded of a chart I posted earlier in the thread. The young lady also had pain points in her jaw, neck, and cranium as well as other points on her pelvis and inner thighs.
Therese Schwartz said:None of the drugs can address imbalances in the pelvis and uterus that contribute to the issue. We don't even talk to women about that! Not to mention imbalances in the sphenoid which can contribute to endocrine problems (due to the location of the pituitary gland)...
- Attachments:
-
-
image.jpg, 139 KB
-
-
-
I tell clients all the time about those relationships - it's really important to understand that treating specific areas in isolation will lead to short-term improvements but in the long run, I need to treat the other end of the system as well. Clients like that - they get both that I'm listening to what they have going on, and that I have a bigger understanding of the body.
-
-
A new client came in not to long ago for an 80 minute massage. After I showed her a 17 second video clip of me releasing a trigger point in a clients low back, she then told me that she has been dealing with low back pain for the last year or so. Its so bad that she has to sleep on a heating pad at night. She said she made the mistake of getting a deep tissue massage a few months ago that made her so sore that she missed work and had to stay in bed for a week. When you hear something like that, its a good idea to massage on the lighter side of things and not be so aggressive in order to try and stave off that kind of side effect. Anyway, I palpated from her hips up to the Occiput. I found no painful palpatory areas on her back at all. Let alone her low back. However I did find two very painful points. One on her upper Sacrum, just to right of centerline. And another on her right PSIS. They both elicited a flinch responds and a verbal ouch when lightly palpated. Both those points deactivated quickly. She then told me that both ankles bother her quite a bit because she stands at work all day. With her right ankle being the worst. On palpation both ankles had very tender points that made her verbalize and flinch just below the Lateral Malleolus. They both deactivated quickly. I then continued on with the massage being sure not to massage over or do anything that would initiate pain in those areas. After the massage she felt way better and thanked me. She knows that she will need a few follow ups.
-
-
I've been able to wipe out a lot of trigger points sense I last commented in here. With a few people coming in for follow up sessions. Hopefully I will be able to help them resolve their pain issues. I'm off today, so I have time to add to this thread. Not everyone that lets me do my trigger point work, whom I feel very confidently that I can help, comes back in for follow ups. Some people just can't believe that I can help them, even if they feel much better after the session. One of the things that happens is.... They go home feeling great, but the next day their pain is back. So they figure what I do is just temporary. And that may very well be true. But often when they do come in for several follow up sessions, eventually the pain does not come back. In all my testimonials, those people came in for follow up sessions, and most of them did not feel any better the next day. Also I can't guarantee anything, and some of these people have been through weeks if not months of phyiscal therapy or chiropractic with no results and they are they are hesitant to believe me, and yet again get a whole bunch of therapy that doesn't work. Also they are paying cash for the service sense no insurance will pay for Spa stuff. Now let me tell ya. If insurance doent pay for it. They are hesitant to let their hard earned money go down the drain. And I understand that. And again, I don't know if I can help everybody. But when I find a bunch of pain points that are related to their pain problem and the trigger points go away. And the client feels way better after the session. I'm pretty confident I can help. So I tell those people.. I can't guarantee anything.. However based on my experience you should be feeling noticeably better after the fourth session. If after the fourth session you say I THINK I'M BETTER, then you are not. You don't have to be totally cured, but you should feel noticibly better after four session. If not you have to try someting different. Thats the standard I would hold for any kind of therapy or treatment. I don't ever want to rip anybody off. Ok enough of that. The other day I had a new client come in. A healthy looking young women in her 20s. Of course coming in for a good massage. I told her that after 30 years I have acquired, learned and developed a very high skill set when it comes to helping people out of pain. And that she may not need that skill set but I want her to know about it because she may know someone that does. Then I let her read a testimonial and veiw a short video clip of me doing my trigger point work. Then she told me that when she sits a long time both her knees ache. She went to the doctor and was told that she has the beginnings of Arthritis do to her activities like skying and so on. Ok, so I hear this, and I'm looking at this young lady. And I'm thinking NO WAY could she have arthritis. Maybe I have, but not her. But I suppose its possible? I asked her where her knees hurt. She told me on the inside. Now there are ligiments on the knee, that if they are injured, she would have a problem. Anyway I palpated a trigger point on the medial side of each knee. Both of those trigger points vanished quickly. I suggested to her that she come in for a few follow up sessions because there was a very good chance that I could help her aching knee problem. Anyway she seemed impressed and was very happy with the massage. If she comes back for follow up sessions, I don't know? The testimonial below, if you have read the thread, you've seen before. Now she had a knee problem that was far worse then the young ladies that I just wrote about. She came in for follow ups, and after the fourth session there was noticeable progress. So she continued and we successfully resolved her problem.
- Attachments:
-
-
image.jpg, 95 KB
-
-
-
Sometimes I leave work a little bit frustraighted. Even though it was a successful day on many levels. I often meet clients that have a particular pain problem that I'm quite sure I can help. Yet the client won't let me. And its not the clients fault. I will ask them if there is anything they want me to know.. Or what they need from the massage. And as an example, they might tell me that they have a shoulder problem and have been seeing Osteopaths or Physical Therapists for the issue. Now they have just gotten into the room and are standing in their spa robe. I would then ask if its ok if I touch their shoulder, or whatever area their problem is, and just tell me if I touch a pain spot. Then I will palpate around the area and find several pain points all in the right places. I will then ask them how long they have been getting therapy for the problem. And I often here something like three months or another long period of time.. Sometimes even a year. Then I will say.. Would you like me to fix that problem.. I should be able to help you based on my experience and the short time palpating your shoulder.. Now some people say go for it if you think you can help... do whatever you need to do. But others will say.. No, I'm already getting care. I just want a good massage. So I give them a good massage. After the massage they are happy... Because gosh, who doesn't love a massage. After the massage I will ask them if they have ever heard the word trigger point. And they will shake their head and say no? So it just leaves me a little frustraighted. Even though the client leaves happy. I'm learning to not let that bother me as much now. But it still does a little bit.. lol If you are an experienced therapist. You have a pritty good idea who you can help and who you can't. You know you won't be right all the time.. but still. This is one of the reasons ,,THAT TRUTH OFTEN REMAINS HIDDEN. LIKE A SHADOW IN DARKNESS.
-
-
A co worker came up to me the other day and said. "Gordon, do you know a pressure point for a headache?" I said." You have a headache?" " She said yes." I asked her where she feels her headache. She told me she feels it from the base of her skull to the front of her head. I palpated and found three trigger points. One in the right Occipital area, perhaps where the Trapezius would conect. And one trigger point in each Masseter. All three deactivated, and her headache was gone.
-
-
I love reading these posts, Gordon!
Gordon J. Wallis said:A co worker came up to me the other day and said. "Gordon, do you know a pressure point for a headache?" I said." You have a headache?" " She said yes." I asked her where she feels her headache. She told me she feels it from the base of her skull to the front of her head. I palpated and found three trigger points. One in the right Occipital area, perhaps where the Trapezius would conect. And one trigger point in each Masseter. All three deactivated, and her headache was gone.
© 2024 Created by ABMP.
Powered by
