Ask a Massage Therapist
 

I doubt this will have anywhere near the number of questions as the Ask a Dentist thread, but what the heck. I'm sure it'll have more questions than "Ask an Outdoor Air Quality Environmental Engineering Consultant" would have had, which is what this thread would have been called a year and a half ago.

So, any burning questions out there?

the most burning question for me is when can you come to atlanta and give me one? :icare:

Im so proud of you

Thanks sweetie! Unfortunately, massage therapy is licensed on a state-by-state basis, and Georgia is one of the states that requires a license. Also, it's not quite a day trip, and the table takes a lot of room to pack.

but I wouldnt tell :(

My upper and mid back are always terribly knotted, largely as the result of a long-term shoulder injury. My muscles are always so tense, that even taking a deep breath results in those whiney crackling noises that come from a big stretch.

My question to you, are there any sort of basic massage/knot-removing techniques or motions that could be easily and safely performed by a non-licensed therapist? I can't find the time to go to the chiropractor anymore yet alone an MT, but I can find a few minutes here or there for the girlfriend to knead something out.

My wife has been having a very sore back, and we are almost sure it is due to her school starting up again. She is in law school which means many many books and her backpack gets really heavy.

We got her a rolling backpack, but she doesn't really like to use it much, therefore, she is very sore in her upper back and neck most nights.

Her bday is coming up, so I just bought her a gift certificate to a massage/dya spa. Which type of massage would be best to relieve this sort of pain? They have 'normal' massages, and deep tissues, and then something called a hot stone massage I think.

What would you recommend?

My damn left piriformis is always inflamed and sore. It hurts plenty on its own, and it often activates sciatica on my left side. Chiropractic care and semi-regular massage has helped, but I wonder if there's stretching or exercise I can do to relax it at home?

(Congratulations, by the way!)

Get a tennis ball and put it in a tube sock. Stand with your back against a wall, and hang the sock down your back so that it is resting on the knot or trigger point. Lean back as you exhale, and just let the ball sink into the spot. Breathe deeply for three breaths, and imagine your exhalations leaving from that spot and making it nice and soft and open and fluffy. If it didn't release, reposition the ball and try again.

I do this to myself; the technique is called "sustained compression".

"Deep tissue", which is also called "neuromuscular" in some places.

A "normal" or "Swedish" or "Relaxation" massage is targeted at relaxing your nervous system. "Deep tissue" is targeted at finding individual muscles and releasing the tension in them. Both have their uses (my wife gets Swedish 1/3rd of the time, neuro 2/3rds).

Just to add, if she has never received a massage before, it might be better to go with Swedish, if she is in any way skittish about having a stranger touch her.

Aagh, piriformis syndrome. At least it isn't actual sciatica, right?

I'm running out the door right now, but next time I jump back on, I'll have my "Orthopedic Assessment" book handy, and I'll see what I can find.

Well, I've had that too. This isn't THAT bad, but it's not much fun.

Awesome idea with the sock and tennis ball!

Are you licensed in CT, and if so, how much would you charge to come to Stamford tomorrow (Wednesday) and do ten-minute sessions for students at UCONN for a couple hours starting around noon as part of our welcome week? The guy we had signed up bitched out on us and we have nobody on such short notice.

I don't have Internet access at home, so on the remote chance that this is possible, call us at our office number 251-8545 in the morning, and ask for Ian (me,) Bryan or George (tell them Ian contacted you.) I think we negotiated $75/hr for the guy who bailed, and since we need someone who's licensed for insurance reasons, we could probably go a bit higher since it's such short notice. I forget if they had him booked for 2 or 4 hours.

I used to do a great deal of sparing back in high school and took several pretty devastating kicks to the back. Not only that, but up until marriage, I slept on a futon every night. Needless to say, my back has more than a few issues.

What is the best plan for someone seeking to revitalize all the back muscles in a major way?

I'll be giving the sock/tennis ball thing a shot.

I just tried to call you, but it went to voicemail. I'll call again. But either way...

I am Connecticut licensed, but I do not have a chair in order to do onsite massage; I should probably get one. Thanks very much for the offer.

But all is not lost: try American Massage Therapy Association's Find a Massage Therapist Page. In the advanced form, you can enter your zip code, a search radius, and select "On site/chair massage" as your modality. There's about 40 therapists listed in a 10 mile radius around UConn Stamford, and you have to be licensed in order to join the AMTA.

Also, just to keep in mind - 1 therapist doing 10 minute massages (plus 5 minutes in between for reviewing the intake forms, cleaning chair, etc.) is only 4 massages an hour. You might want more than one therapist.

This is a tricky situation, since we don't want to exacerbate the symptoms while attempting to treat it. To stretch the left piriformis, lie on your right side on the edge of your bed, facing off the bed. Keep your right leg straight, bend your left leg at least 60 degrees, and let your left leg drop past the edge of the table. (Of course, this is also the test used to check if you have piriformis syndrome, so if you start to feel tingling/shooting pains, back off.) It might help to have one of your lovely ladies support your left hip in a vertical position with one hand and supporting your left knee as it descends.

There is also "contract-relax" stretching, which would definitely require the help of an assistant. For 6-8 seconds, you would press your knee up against her hand (by rotating your hip at the joint, not by raising {abducting} your leg), then release and stretch. Repeat a few times, each time you will get more stretch out of it.

There also may be a trigger point in your piriformis. Here's a good diagram and description of the trigger point location. You might be able to use the tennis ball on that while lying down; however, piriformis is a deep muscle (underneath the gluteus maximus), you might have to try something a bit firmer and specific if the tennis ball is insufficient.

Applying heat can also be good.

(I said that PI was "better" than sciatica only because a bulging disc is a lot harder to treat without surgery. The pain is the same.)

Difficult question: I'd probably start with yoga or something similar, as it should work and stretch everything. You can then identify which muscles are requiring further treatment, and massage (to release tension) or physical therapy (if there is more significant damage) or chiropractic (if the bones are out of line).

How do you relax leg muscles? I work on my feet all day and i do a lot of walking. when i get home, my legs are a bit sore. I'd like to know what you do to relax the muscles so that they can be better in the morning.

and thanks for starting this thread. it's pretty cool.

Thanks very much, I'll give that a shot.

Oh, how do you wake up your clients when they doze off? Just curious.

I've edited some of my above responses - people who read them earlier might want to jump to the top again.
This looks like a decent self-leg-massage description (it's essentially Swedish methods: effleurage, pettrisage, and tapotement), although "preventing cellulite" sounds like an oversell to me:
I usually start my clients prone (face down). The last step in a Swedish massage is typically tapotement (drumming) to the entire back of the body, so that can bring them back to consciousness.

When ending the massage supine (face up), I'm ending on the neck, scalp, and face. I haven't had anyone fall asleep during that portion.

If they are asleep during the rest of the session, that's fine with me. The muscles relax a bit more, and they still get the benefits of the session along with a nap. :thumbsup: I'd rather have a sleeping client than one who wants to talk through the whole session. Talking interferes with relaxation.

What are the pros/cons of selecting a same-sex vrs. opposite sex message therapist?

Other than your personal comfort level, there are no pros or cons.

We're not here for sex; in fact, I even stop looking at my wife sexually when she is on my table. My focus is on the muscles under my hands, and I'm just trying to figure out how they are doing and what they want.

Myths:

A woman will be more empathetic. Actually, anyone entering this field is going to have a pretty high empathy rating.

A man will be able to go deeper/apply more pressure. Actually, all the power should come from the legs, and one of the women in my class probably had the highest "pressure rating" (on the other hand, more is not necessarily better, you just go in as far as the muscles ask).


So, would it freak you out if a woman/man that you didn't know was touching you? If so, you will be tensed up during the session and not get much out of it. Realize, however, that the concern is only in your mind, not that of the therapist.

Any hints for massaging an overweight or obese person?

No questions for ya, I just wanted to say Congrats, and I think Massage Therapists should rule the world!
:D

I get Deep Tissue massage therapy, and it's literally changed my life. Have one scheduled tonight, in fact (It's gonna hurt like a motha though, I had to pause for a few months...).

hmmm I wonder if I could make a day trip to you.....

Congratulations on achieving your goal. I wish you lots of luck.

I've had this knot in my right shoulder off and on (well mostly on) for about the past 8 months. It feels like it's right above my shoulder blade, not sure how else to describe the location. I suppose my question is - what causes someone to develop a knot in the same place over and over again and what are some good methods for getting it out? I've never had a professional massage, but I'd be willing to try if it would help. But if there were anything I could do in the meantime to improve the condition, I'd sure love to know. Thanks! :D

This is very sage advice. I had a lot of back issues until I started doing yoga, and now they are mostly a thing of the past.

Will: I would recommend getting a yoga block if you start doing yoga--it is very helpful for stretching the muscles of the back.

Swedish massage is pretty much the same no matter how much fat the person has. However, it is more challenging to palpate the muscles and determine where the problem areas are if you are doing more specific work.

On a more professional level, they might need help getting on or off the table, and will likely require a larger bolster under the knees when supine (face-up).

I think that your therapist is going in too deep. Deep tissue should not hurt. In the US, we have a "no pain, no gain" concept that should not be carried through to massage work. You might be stiff the next day (especially if you don't drink enough water), but never in pain.

Rolphing is a possible exception to that rule, but I've heard that even that can be properly performed without causing pain.

Sulty, you are in California, which has no statewide regulations for massage (corrected by divagrrl; see her post later regarding municipal regulations). Most states require 500 course hours before you can be considered a massage therapist. You might want to find someone who has taken the board exam (the NCETMB), which also requires 500 course hours. You can find a NCETMB-finder on the link above.

I'm in Shelton, which is close to Bridgeport and therefore the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson ferry. :D

Knots are also known as trigger points. Trigger points form in the weak parts of muscles, so there are many common points on the body that we expect to find the trigger points. There's a lot of good information on the Wikipedia trigger point page.

I'm guessing that the spot is at the inside top tip of the scapula (shoulder blade)? It's probably your levator scapulae, which connects your scapula to your neck, and helps you to raise your shoulders.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/2...evatorszc2.jpg

Massage is definitely designed to relieve those trigger points. You also might try the tennis ball sock trick I discussed above for some relief, since static compression is one of the top methods for releasing trigger points.

I love my therapist. I've been going to her every other week for about 6 months now. It's awesome. If I'm feeling particularly tense I will see her every week.

I only wish insurance covered massage.

Here's a question nobody has asked yet:
I'd prefer that you remove them. It makes it easier to fully reach the bottom attachments of the back muscles when I'm working on your back. It makes it easier to reach the top of your leg when I'm working on your legs.

I won't think that you are looking for sex if you have removed your underwear. (This was a concern of mine the first time I received a professional massage.)

However, if it makes you uncomfortable to take your underwear off, by all means, leave them on. Being uncomfortable expresses itself as muscle tension.

Ladies: do NOT leave your bra on if at all possible. It really messes up the flow of my strokes. I never ask about panties, but I will request if you are comfortable removing your bra if I find out you are still wearing it.


So, really, ask me anything, I won't be offended. I've seen on massage therapy boards where someone asks a question even slightly off-color, and that user gets pounded back to the stone age. That is one of the reasons why I started this thread here.

ever had a situation when the person wasn't clean and you were too grossed out to do the massage? either not clean by dirt or by too much hair or bad BO etc...

Hi there, i have a couple of questions about self massage.

I tend to get muscle tightness and burning in my right lattisimus and trapezius, often for no reason. Generally massaging does help, but it takes forever most likely because i'm doing it wrong.

Is there a 'proper' or more effective way for me to sort these problems out when they emerge?

Not yet. The closest so far was when a client was prone, and they hadn't wiped quite well enough, and there was a slight fecal smell. It's good to have peppermint foot massage cream handy in a situation like this; a little dab under my nose, and I can't smell anything else.

This is not an easy area to self-massage. There are some tools available (such as the Backnobber).

You would be better served to figure out what brings on the pain. Sleeping position? Bad mouse/keyboard setup? Overexercising?

OK, now I'm a little different a c4 quad with severe shoulder pain. My right scapula throbs most of the time and so does the front of my arm(upper) and chest wall around and into my armpit. The doctor says it's a skeletal muscle issue from lack of movement.

I have had massages and it feel wonderful at the time but sometimes the next day I hurt worse.

Any suggestions?

I don't know what 'c4 quad' means, so I'm probably going to give an incomplete answer.

If it's lack of movement resulting in the pain, get some stretches and activity on that muscle.

If you are having day-after pain following a massage, there are a few general reasons:

1. You didn't drink enough water after the massage. They tell us in school that massage can "release built-up toxins into the blood stream, which is collected by the lymph system; if you don't get enough water to flush that out, you can have pain the next day". But, they never said what those toxins were, and I can't figure that out. Nonetheless, there seems to be a causal relationship between insufficient water and day-following pain, whatever the underlying reasons may be.
2. Your therapist is going in too deeply.
3. You have some 'splinting' going on, where one set of muscles is hypertonic in order to protect a damaged muscle. When those splints are released, it can reveal other pains that you weren't aware of.

You are mistaken about Cali having no regulation. This is not true. While therapists have no STATE licensing, we do have relatively stringent municipal licensing. Many cities are requiring 500-1000 hours plus the National Board Exam. Some require less, but only if you are working under another licensed professional such as a doctor or chiropractor.

I had an interesting moment last week. I was working on a female, finished her back, and now had turned her face-up. I was doing some leg stretches on her, with one knee near her shoulder, and thought "What's that familiar smell?" Then I realized - pussy juice.

In my classes, they frequently reminded us that a man's erection is not necessarily a sign of sexual interest; it could just be part of the parasympathetic nervous system ("rest and digest", as opposed to the sympathetic "fight or flight") kicking in as they relax. But they never mentioned female arousal.

There were no signs of inappropriate action on her part, so I just chalked it up to "doing a good job", and kept going.
Sorry, I only knew about CA on a statewide-basis, not by region. I'll add a correction above, but at least my statement about the Board Exam can still hold true.

(Hi Diva! :icare:)

I also heard that they attempted to pass state regulations in California last year, but for some reason the chiropractors fought and defeated the regulation. Can't we all just get along?

Just rememberd to check this thread, my friend got your call last week, I really appreciate you calling. Turns out that the guy who canceled ended up coming, but it was just him instead of him and another person, so it kind of worked out.
Unless your masseuse is an Amazon, a guy will have bigger hands and be able to massage more deeply. My lower back is so fucked up it practically takes someone the size of a a pro wrestler to get the knots worked out.

The owner of the place where I work just informed me that Blue Cross/Blue Shield is covering massage therapy. I don't know the details yet, but you might check with your provider.

And, I'm reopening this thread for more questions. I enjoy the challenge, it helps me be ready to answer whatever questions my clients may raise.

So have you been asked for a 'happy ending' yet?

No.

Ah, I'm still envious of your job... once I finish my PhD, I really might just run off to massage therapy school. I do wonder, though, about the salary and how long it takes to get "established"... how difficult is it to find a position? To open your own practice? Is it better to work for someone else, or to contract yourself out? Also, how much did massage school cost? Do you ever get sick of the patients, after a long and smelly day? :)

I had an allergy attack (hay fever) in January and a few sneezes into it, my lower back was killing me. I found it difficult to bend over at the waist, to get out of bed, to do push-ups... basically, anything involving the lower back muscles (right above the butt, directly to the left and right of the spine). It got better over time, but has never been the way it was before those sneezes.

I've practically OD'd on ibuprofen, used hot and cold packs, IcyHot patches, got a Swedish massage, and had a chiropractice adjustment done a couple of weeks ago (which actually helped it a lot). But still, every couple of weeks I'll just be walking along or doing some mild exercise, and suddenly WHAM!... all power leaves my lower back and I'm whimpering for the next couple of days.

The Icelandic doctor scribbled out a physical therapy recommendation, so I'm trying that avenue next... but I'm actually wondering if this kind of chronic pain demands an MRI to check for slipped disks, pinched nerves, etc. (And no idea what to do, if that's the case.) Any thoughts from your profession?

I don't consider myself anywhere near "established" yet. I'm probably working in the wrong place right now, but I need the absolute flexibility that this place provides for about one more year. Most places in my area "hire" workers on an independent contractor basis; so, there's no salary. You get paid if you get work.

Opening your own practice is more risk and more reward. I don't have the contacts and the self-promotional skills to succeed at working for myself, so I chose to work for someone else.

According to salary.com, "A typical Massage Therapist working in the United States earns a median base salary of $45,400, according to our analysis of data reported by corporate HR departments. Half of the people in this job earn between $36,763 and $55,665."

My schooling, including equipment, cost about $12k, and it took 9 months. It was 600 class-hours.
First, my profession is not allowed to diagnose. We can only assess and try to work from there.

I think visiting the PT would be a good idea. They will be able to do a thorough test of your muscles, both in active (you providing the motion) and passive (them moving you) to isolate which muscles are causing your pain. They might find that massage will be what will help you.

Quick and overly-simplistic guide to the healing arts: massage will be for relaxing overly-tight muscles. Physical therapy will be for strengthening weak muscles. Chiropractic will be for realigning bones that have moved out of place. Sometimes you will need more that one of these in series, and it will help in those times to have them talk to each other to maximize the healing.

The type of pain you are describing sounds like "splinting"; this is where a muscle is injured, and the surrounding muscles go into a spasm in order to isolate and protect the injured muscle. If the spasm is released or bypassed, the original muscle's pain comes through again.

You mentioned that you received a Swedish massage; that wouldn't help your issue. Swedish massage is for relaxation. Neuromuscular, or deep tissue, or similar is for dealing with pain.

Good to know. Sounds like it takes about the same investment as teaching high school and pays off about the same amount (at least, in my experience). I guess you have to have two incomes to make it work with kids? Thanks for the explanation. I don't know about them talking to each other (in diff countries), but my chiro did tell me that he didn't see a skeletal problem with my back pain. So that confirms what you are telling me here: This is very interesting, thank you. It feels like maybe one of my spinal erector muscles (I think that's what they're called) was originally injured, if this is the case... and the surrounding ones flash into action to protect it, I suppose. So what you are saying is that in PT or deep-tissue massage, the goal would be to release/bypass the spasm in order to get to the deeper injury? (Dunno if I mentioned this, but when this "splinting" thing happens, it feels like someone has just punched me very hard in the lower back, and my back feels like it's crumbling for a millisecond before I straighten up and regain control. I also feel a lot of pain when I am flat on my back, when the "arch" is flattened a bit...)

Jeez, there's a lot of good information in here! Thanks, Red!

Quick question: why does my contour pillow hurt my neck?

Yeah, my wife makes the money.
Very close: they are the Erector spinae (Wikipedia link, if you want to see more).
For massage, splinting is more of a caution; we can "release" the splinting muscles, but they'll just tense back up again very soon if there is still an underlying injury. Without knowing what the actual injury is, it's hard to tell. After a couple of years, the primary injury should be healed, but if it healed with adhesions, it is possible that the adhesions need to be broken and allowed to reform in a manner that allow for more movement (this technique would be "cross-fiber friction", which can be painful).

After the injury is healed, the splinting should go away mostly on its own.
Write down as much as you can about your injury and show it to your PT. You might forget to tell them everything when you see them face to face.

I'm guessing that the combination of your sleeping position + the height of the contour pillow + the distance the mattress deforms below you <> a straight line for your spine.

Or it might be that your room is too cold, and your neck muscles cramp up, no matter what height the pillow. I see many "limited neck range of motion" issues at abrupt changes of season.

Once again, thanks much. I'll take all this info to the PT next week (I just made an appointment for Monday, hooray!).

But man, a couple of YEARS for the primary injury to heal?... wow. I've been trying to keep moving, walking, even running while I've had this back pain, keeping up some of my normal lifestyle (I'm not an athlete, just trying to stay in shape and do some 5K/10K runs) but now I'm wondering if I should even be doing that. I love hiking, but when I'm climbing stairs, I get that splinting feeling again (assuming that's the issue here)... so I wonder if I'll have to give it up for a while. :( Is there any way of finding out what the primary injury is, if not through massage then perhaps with an MRI?... or is that unnecessary. Does massage (and/or PT) help to prevent the adhesions?

Thanks again, so very helpful!!!

I'll be interested to hear what you learn from that appointment; please post back.
I can't say how long an injury takes to heal; reinjuring it is certainly a possibility. Cross Fiber Friction is a technique where you deeply rub against the direction of the muscle fibers, which spreads the fibers apart and may cause the adhesions (aka scar tissue) to break. Then you make sure to use the muscles so that the new scar tissue that is created is "mobile", it doesn't interfere as much with the proper motion of the muscle.

Hi Redlemon!

Time for yet another question from Reykjavik :D.

I have a bit of a posture problem (I tend to hunch) and I was also in a car accident in 2005 where my car was hit from both sides and spun to around, so there was a lot of torsion in that accident.

I notice that a spot in my back, on the erector spinae, that sometimes hurts. Especially if I do improper lifting, or if I do my gym exercises improperly; but sometimes with no reason (except probably the bad posture).

I got a massage recently (on our short trip to the US) and the masseuse mentioned that the muscle was "fibrotic" (or something like that) in that area, that it had lost some elasticity and gotten stiff. She said I would need to get that area massaged quite often to release that stress over that area; also the chiropractor that was there mentioned something about cross fiber friction. Does that sound right to you? Any ideas on how much massaging is needed there?

Thanks!

Redlemon

ive had a stiff neck for a few years now. its not so stiff that i cant move it, but i always need to crack it as the day goes on. i feel that if i dont crack it it would stay tight.

i try to massage it with my hands, but its quite difficult.

i assume i know part of the problem is. i sit in bed with my laptop with usually my head arched forward towards the screen. the other part is stress.

i also find that early in the morning my neck is the least tense, but as the day goes on it gets more tense.

a related problem i also have is that if i arch my neck back as far as i can i get pain in my spine around my shoulder blade area.

ive had massage to my neck previously, but by the next day im all tensed up again.

what would you reccomend?

Awesome thread idea! And congrats Redlemon! :)
I have a question or two for you:

In the winter I experienced sharp sharp pains, that were unable to be confirmed as kidney stones (ultrasound was apparently not clear enough, and done too late).
I was in so much pain, I desperately scheduled an appointment with a registered and licensed massage therapist. It helped for as long as the massage worked, and maybe up to an hour later.

Anyways, my question was, are there any massage techniques that help "soothe" the kidneys?

I also found it really really hard to relax my shoulders during the massage, making it tough for the masseuse. But this made me notice I keep my shoulders tight regularly, even when I think I'm relaxing. How do I get into the routine of keeping them relaxed rather than all clenched up?

Last question: I have had chronic shin splints since I was 9 thanks to the sports I did. Something as lame as being inactive for half a day, then walking around the next half, can make my shins hurt like hell. I realize this is more like damage done to my bones growing up from the intense sports, but is there any sort of massage I could do to reduce shin splints?

Thank you, and best of luck with your new profession! :)

I'm breaking your question into 2 parts because it is worth noting this part. We call hunching "forward shoulder posture", and it is typically caused by hypertonicity (tightness) in the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles. Especially pec.minor; this muscle, when tight, will pull your shoulderblades around and forward. This then forces your back muscles to be constantly stretched tight, resulting in pain. Tight pec.major results in painful upper trapezius, and tight pec.minor results in painful rhomboids.

Sitting in front of a computer brings your shoulderblades around and forward, and holding the pectoral muscles in a shortened position for an extended period of time can convince them that they should remain shortened, and this leads to hypertonicity. There are some good stretches on the right-hand column of this page: Chest Exercise Menu.
Yes; it is what I was telling Abaya about above. Muscle fibers are all in line with each other (think about a chicken breast). In your accident, a muscle tore. Your body repaired the tear by laying down new muscle fibers; however, these new fibers were laid down randomly, not in line with the original fibers. This restricts the available range of motion for that muscle. Cross fiber friction will be a bit painful, because it will be breaking up those fibers that interfere with the muscle motion. It is important to then stretch that muscle as your body rebuilds the fibers, so that they are more in-line with the original fibers.

How much? I couldn't say. Until you feel better.

Joint manipulation, which is what chiropractors do, is outside the scope of massage therapy. Oddly, we never covered the question "why does my neck feel better when I crack it?" in our classes. I'll research a bit more and come back to this; I found the article Don't Crack Your Neck! by a chiropractor, but I'm not sure if it is a scare tactic or good science.

I recommend breaking your bad habits first; you already know that your computer posture is bad. Get a laptop stand or something.

Second, you mention pain between your shoulderblades; that's the rhomboids, which I mentioned to ktspktsp; follow the links for pectoralis minor stretches.

Massage can help you as well.

I can't think of any way to massage a kidney. I just checked my "Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology" (awesome book), and it doesn't have much to add regarding kidney stones, only that massage isn't that useful in the middle of an episode.

Since you noted that you felt better for an hour, then the pain came back, I'm thinking that you were "splinting", much like I told Abaya. Your body was spasming your back muscles to help hold your kidney from moving, and the therapist may have relieved the tension in those back muscles. Then your body decided it still needed the protection, and returned the spasm.
See my answer to ktspktsp regarding stretching your pecs. I try to do this a couple of times a day, and it really feels good.
Shin splints are not bone damage, they are muscle damage. It could be adhesions following muscle tears, trigger points, or a combination of the two. A massage therapist trained in sports massage should be able to help you.

Yeah, that makes sense. My back was giving me some pretty bad spasms when I was passing the kidney stone. And it was really focused pain, right in the flank. Damn kidney stones...
I'll have to give those exercises a try. I should be able to get back on track fast, I used to be a ballet dancer, and had to keep good posture. :P
I wonder, would it also be caused by sleeping positions? I'm only ever comfortable sleeping on my stomach, which is bad, I know. Perhaps the way I stretch my back muscles when I sleep, or compress them, is keeping my shoulders so tight.
Wow, I didn't think shin splints were so muscle damage focused. I always figured I had chronic shin splints because I had osgood slaughter disease growing up, and never really gave my lower legs and knees the rest they needed.
The next time I get a massage, I'll see if she can massage the shins.
Thanks for all your advice, you've been very helpful. :)

Consider a cylindrical pillow (bolster) under your ankles when face down; we use that on the massage table to add some slack to your lower back muscles.

I turned my pillow around so that my neck rested on the smaller hump (the opposite of this picture:
http://www.natural-beds-pillows.com/...ex_pillow1.jpg)
It feels a lot better, which would suggest that the contour pillow may not be the right shape for the way I sleep. My spine salutes you!

Thanks for the tips Redlemon! I will give those stretches a try soon :)

thanks for the advice and link redlemon. trying not to crack my neck at the moment but its hard to stop!

Bouncing my old thread, since "Ask a..." seems to be popular this week.

I have a question. Was there anything special you did to get yourself where your hands didnt wear out? It seems no matter how often I try to massage Dave my hands get SO tired after a very little amount of time

Sure... you are using your hands wrong. You are flexing at your fingers and wrist to provide your power. Instead, you want to get the power from your legs. This is why we have the massage table or massage chair; it puts the client at the right height for you to get a mechanical advantage.

It is more difficult to use this method when it is the two of you both sitting on the couch, and probably both turned to the side. (The other thing that the massage table does is discourage the client from using any of their muscles. If you are sitting up, some of your muscles are in active contraction.) Try working with Dave in a chair, and you standing behind him. Rather than grabbing his back muscles, push into them by holding your arm out and shifting your center of balance towards him.

Also consider using your forearms (not your elbow, until you know what you are doing) for additional force.

well usually he's laying on the bed and I'm straddling him lol

Yeah, you won't get that much leverage that way. Try standing beside the bed instead.

I will give it a go, but Im pretty sure the bed isnt high enough to keep MY back from hurting while doing it lol I have short arms lol

Bend from the knees, not from the back. Again, it's all leg power.

red,

i have shin splints that flare up whenever i up the intensity of my running, but long distance trekking is generally fine.

my feet pronate quite a lot and ive had orthotics since i was 13.

ive been told that my shin splints may be partly due to tight calf muscles. what do you reccomend?

my shins flare up just after i run, its not distance related. apart from brufen and ice, what do you reccomend in terms of massage and stretching to keep my shin muscles flexible and loose?

do you come across these sorts of issues often? your thoughts would be helpful

dlish - I haven't done much in the way of sports massage. I hope to expand my "medical massage" knowledge in the future. Other MTs could certainly help you with this.

thats ok red..what would you reccomend in terms of keeping them loose? whats the best way to self massage a calf?

I'm thinking of getting a massage at a student clinic of the prominent massage school here in Toronto. It's $37 for an hour with a student vs. around $80 for a registered massage. The relaxation massages (vs. therapeutic) are done by first-year students. There is instructor/student interactions during this, as it is, of course, a teaching clinic. I'm okay with that.

Is this a bad idea?

Thank you for answering the underwear question. I had actually planned to see an RMT for the first time and I wasn't exactly sure what the underwear protocol was.

Not at all. For one thing, all students have to go through clinic, so someone has to be the recipient. Also, they have probably already taken a practical exam on the techniques that they are using, so you won't have to worry about proficiency. The clinics are mostly about gaining a comfort level with massaging people that you don't already know.

I can think of two possible disadvantages; one, at least at our school, there were about 8 tables in a room, divided with those ceiling curtains you find in hospitals. If one client is chatty, it can affect the other 7 tables. That school may handle it differently, however. Two, you will probably have to fill out a written evaluation form at the end of the session.

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You might consider one of those vibrating tools. However, don't work too long or deep on the calf; they can be prone to cramping when overworked, which sucks.

Redlemon, what's your opinion of shiatsu?

Several years ago, I had a free 10-minute sample at a vegetarian food fair and I found it quite interesting in terms of technique. I recall them working out some serious tension in my back. (I have bad posture.) A year or so later, I had a professional massage of some kind for about 45 minutes I think. I don't quite recall how I felt about it. I'm sure I was really relaxed afterwards. I do recall thinking that I should get more regular massages but not really being able (or willing, I guess) to afford it.

Just out of the blue today, I decided to seek out a shiatsu place near me. I have seen them around, and there are a few places. One place I found had prices listed clearly on their website (not all places do this). They also had walk-in options. The difference being that appointments start at 30 minutes and go up from there, while walk-ins start at 10 minutes and go up in 5-minute increments and are a bit cheaper.

So basically for $20, I got a 15-minute shiatsu that focused on my back (again with the bad posture). Beyond some expected back work, there was some interesting arm/shoulder blade manipulations that felt incredible. Like he was really getting in there into the deeper muscles. Then he worked on my neck and stretched my back a bit and he was done.

Yeah, so when I stood up it felt like I just woke up from a kick-ass cat nap where someone snuck up while I was sleeping and injected me with some really good painkillers.

That said, I now like the idea of spending a mere $20 once or twice a month to get a 15-minute shiatsu as a stress/tension buster.

What do you think?
Shiatsu okay as a technique?
Frequency/duration/price okay?
Suggest alternatives?

I guess I like the idea that these people are registered therapists and not students. I also like the idea that they're a 20-minute walk from my place, they take walk-ins, and are open 7 days a week. However, there are other options in the neighbourhood; I'm just not sure of the full details.

The shiatsu place I went to also does Swedish massage.

B_G: I'm totally sorry, I fell off TFP for a few weeks there. Life got busy, and the longer you are away, the more time you need to set aside to catch up. So, now I'm here.

I do not know Shiatsu. I work entirely in the Western area of massage, as meridians and energy fields do not make sense in my mind. That's not to say that they don't work; it is just my (current) decision.

Sounds like you found something that works for you, and that's awesome. I'd probably recommend a few sessions at once per two weeks, then back it off from there once they can work all the initial junk out. The price is certainly reasonable as well.

Hey, no worries. I know that many TFPers have cyclical participation here, and so I was simply patiently waiting your response.

I too am not too sure about the whole meridian/energy field thing; however, there is no denying the very real impact the massage it had on me. I also realize that shiatsu bases its therapy on the same principles as acupuncture (it's essentially "acupressure"), which, although not without its controversies, is supported by several prominent organizations as an effective treatment for various conditions (pain and stress being two obvious ones).

Even if it's all bullocks, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it. I assume superficially that it's similar to deep-tissue massage, with a bit of stretching. So if that's all it is, then I'll still take it.

Thanks for your feedback. I was thinking of perhaps doing once every two weeks or a single longer session once a month.

Similarly, while I don't do reflexology (which is treating all the body organs through spots on the feet), I know that anytime my wife has a sinus issue, she always has the same sensitive spot on her feet, and working there hard makes her sinuses drain.

My basic viewpoint -- science can explain everything, eventually. Just because we don't have the science yet doesn't mean that it isn't true. But, I need to be able to envision what is happening before I get comfortable with it.

Redlemon - do you have any experience with scoliosis? Other than rods in spine or back braces which apparently dont work once they are off - is there anything you can think of? An trying to learn to swim again - thought maybe better muscles might help. Mine is from being driving a fiesta when some sicko pervo truck driver tried to mount it. No not one of those strage men who has sex with cars - he was driving his truck at the time. For lower back pain the nice and naive lamb they threw to the slaughter, Yve - he was demonstrating the pelvic thrust from the timewharp. He had to show us several times, as we ladies were having problems wagtching his first demonstration. Maybe we would all be healthier if we all took up tap dancing everywhere - the world would most certainly be more colourfull. I am affected lower back and neck. Any sound advice would be most welcome.
Baraka - think lay lines. They feel for a 'glitch' and then work on smoothing it out so power flows freely along these lay lines. I work with sick/elderly/dying rescued dogs mostly, and use similar. It does make a difference to my poor old mates.

cc: funny, one of my hands-on case studies in Massage 3 was a guy with such severe scoliosis that he had to have some ribs removed, otherwise his internal organs would have been crushed. I hadn't heard of accident-induced scoliosis before your question.

If you came into my office and presented this case, I probably wouldn't work on you today. I'd want to talk to your medical team to ensure that I wouldn't be causing any damage. You might want to find someone who specializes in pure medical massage to have a look at you.

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Today's tip for men receiving massage: Don't wear boxers. Boxers are wicked annoying. They prevent me from accessing the top end of your thigh muscles. If half of your leg is covered, there's not much that I can do.

As I've said before, I prefer for clients not to wear underwear at all, but if you must, something in the bikini or brief category, please.

So I have recurring issues with my left trapezius. It gets really tight and painful every once in a while, to the point that it will freeze up and I won't be able to move or lift my left arm without pain. I know it's my trapezius because after my husband works on it for a bit, it will loosen and relax. My husband taught himself some massage techniques out of various books from the library. Are there any techniques you would recommend for a novice such as my husband to use on my trapezius? I also try stretching it, and stretching the rest of my back and legs so that nothing is pulling on it to make it tense. If there are any stretches you know of that might help, please share those too.

I'm assuming you are referring to the upper trap, 'cause that's where everyone has their issues.

Here's a top-secret move for you, Snowy: positional release.

The theory behind positional release is to shorten the muscle past the point where it can hold a contraction, keep it there for 2 minutes while the muscle forgets that it was holding a contraction, then slowly bring it back to the original position.

Crazy, isn't it? But it really works.

Lie on your stomach on your bed, left side facing the edge of the bed, and face right (because the trapezius is a contralateral rotator).
Have your husband lift your left shoulder slightly with his left hand, and push the entire shoulderblade towards your ear. Not a painful push, just shorten it up as much as he comfortably can. I often use the elbow as a push/stabilization point for this.

Hold for two minutes.

Slowly (say, a count of 10) bring the arm back to the original position. Then you can do any stretches that you have come across.

The same move (without the head rotation) can also help your levator scapula, which is another muscle that frequently spasms in that area.

Thankyou Redlemon. Guess if I wasnt so lazy, I should be time wharping all over the show. Always the fear of the twilight home for the mentaly incompetent beckoning in the distance.