For the first time in over a year I can lie on the floor and bring my arms over my head. You are a magician. I will see you again! – Thank you
– Susan
“I am as good as you are with a needle.”
– Dr. Victoria Wexly – L.A. (trigger point doctor)
Your massage was great and I appreciate the extra care you took by extending the time period and showing me techniques to work on myself. You do great work. If you know someone down here in this area that does massage close to as well as you, please let me know.
– Philip – San Diego, CA
After our session I made massive progressive in my recovery from a back injury. Your work was both professional and helpful.
– Jeff
This is what I do.
- Relax the muscle area, group
- Release muscle by using Trigger Point and/or Deep Tissue techniques
- Friction tendon when appropriate by applying Sports Massage
- Compression of broad area through Thai/Barefoot techniques
- Stretch
- Self-care using Tennis Ball
- Stretch
- Relaxation with gentle, long strokes using warm stones and Esalen massage
Self care:
- Learn to use tennis ball to work on trigger point, Pilates on the mat to get stronger core muscles, Stretches
- Use You Tube to learn self care
Books:
- The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies
- Fix Pain by John Harris & Fred Kenyon
- The Frozen Shoulder Workbook by Clair Davies
It is not difficult but very confusing to deal with soft tissue pain and discomfort. In lower back muscle pain, for example. It is specially hard when we can’t sleep as we lie down to one side (we compress the area) and the muscle trigger fires. We turn to the other side (we stretch the top area) and when we are almost getting to sleep the muscle trigger fires again. We put the pillow between the legs (we lighten up the stretch). Now we face up (pillow strategically placed to give the body support). And we think to ourselves: “If I get a picture taken (MRI, X Ray) it will show a degenerative disk and the next step will be the knife”.
Sometimes people freeze in mid air as they reach for their shoelace or even get stuck on the massage table face down. Sometimes it is as if the muscle forgets to release and get back to its flexible position so we get constricted in our range of motion and sometimes people don’t even realize the muscle is on and holding non stop till asked to consciously let it go and/or by getting it tighter before breathing and letting it go.
Some of us are so afraid to go under the knife that there is wonderment and a tremendous sense of empowerment once the pain lets go of its grip on the body and the person realizes: “It is only muscle”.
I pushed on the right spot on a few minutes before I was out of the door on my Servas host outside of Frankfurt and he exclaimed as his adductors released: “I will take you to the airport”.
My Servas host in Adrspach, Czech Republic turned to her husband and said: “Tell him I will bake him another cake”.
I hope you find someone to work on your body and facilitate you into your aha moment so you realize it is only muscle and feel empowered to do the self care.