Ask the Massage Therapist

I got put into an awkward position today. A client asked, "Does reflexology work?"

Had I been in my own office, I would not have hesitated to answer freely. However, I was not in my office. I have recently taken a part time position in a spa and the spa offers reflexology treatments. I have twice been called upon to do reflexology treatments and even though I do not believe in reflexology as it is defined by most practitioners, I think a nice foot massage is pleasant and see no harm in it. In both cases, the clients had no expectations other than an extended foot massage and I am quite capable of that. But today I was asked a direct question and I definitely felt put on the spot.

If you keep up with the world of therapeutic massage, you will eventually notice that there are some new ideas and terms going around. Evidence based massage. Evidence based practice. Evidence informed practice. Science based medicine. What does it all mean?

True to my commitment to being evidence-based, my thinking about trigger points has changed a bit since I first wrote this article. For now, I'll leave it as it was first written, but some time in the future I'll write about some new information about trigger points that challenges the ideas of Travell and Simons. As a result, my approach has altered a bit and has allowed me to work even more successfully with clients without making them sore like I did in the past! After 22 years in practice, I'm still learning and evolving. I wouldn't have it any other way.

You can now buy Massage-St. Louis gift certificates online using your credit card or PayPal account and print them out immediately. It's simple and easy. Purchase gift certificates any time of the day or night and have them ready right when you need them. Gift certificates are good for one year from date of purchase and are available for one hour or half hour sessions.

If you'd like to have a regular paper gift certificate mailed to you or to a special someone, you're still welcome to call and we'll be happy to take care of that. You can also call ahead and arrange to come by the office and pick one up.

During the month of February, we're offering a special promotion of $10 off gift certificates for one hour sessions. If you need a gift for Valentine's Day or any other special occasion or just want one for yourself, take advantage of this offer. Sign up on our FaceBook page and you'll be advised of other special promotions in the future.


 

A reader asks:

Will sitting at a computer all day and leaning to one side cause poor posture and ultimately pain?  Linda 

Absolutely! A large percentage of my clients have postural and pain problems caused or aggravated by sitting in front of the computer for long hours. This bane of modern life can lead to lower back pain, upper back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and pain in the arms, including carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

Sitting itself can cause poor posture when it is done repeatedly for long hours. When we sit, the curve in our lower back tends to flatten our and this forces the head forward. Head forward posture is a very common problem in our sedentary society. When the head is moved forward, it's tendency is to look down. However, we don't usually want to look at the floor so we tilt the head upward. This creates a state of chronic tension in the muscles at the base of the skull. One way to minimize this problem is to use a small pillow to support and maintain the curve of the low back.

Update on 4/5/13: Oddly, this has been one of my most popular articles. Apparently a significant number of people are looking up swelling and inflammation after massage therapy on google. Maybe massage therapists need to ease up a bit.

I might need to revise the language of this just a little, but my answer is still essentially the same. My clients don't seem to complain of this and while the reader insists the pressure was not too hard, I suspect it was either more than the body tolerated well or it was treated for too long. I'm not sure what else to say.


A reader asks:

I received a great massage about a week ago but the next day my lower back was swollen. Why would this happen? The massage was perfect pressure and she never hurt me at all. Can you please help me understand this?
 

If you want to get and stay fit, how often should you hit the gym? There's good news for those of you who want to exercise but have a hard time working out two or three times a week. Research accumulated over the last ten to twenty years shows that once a week may be enough.

Science writer Paul Ingraham has just published an article on the the subject. He answers the question, "How often should I exercise?" It's easy to read and well researched. I recommend it.

Don't let this be an excuse not to exercise! If anything, it should help you get to the gym knowing that you don't have to hammer away at it as often as we've been led to believe. Get your body moving! It's one of the best things you can do for yourself.

A reader asked the following question:

It felt like I bruised my tail bone during the last few months I was pregnant with my daughter. The doctor said the pain should go away within 3 months. It's going on 8 months and the pain is still extreme depending on how I sit. Any suggestions?

The first thing I would suggest is if you have not asked your doctor about this recently, ask again and see what he/she has to say about it. Ask them what they think is causing the pain, why the pain has persisted so much longer than expected, and what can be done about it?

An Oxymoron?

Painless deep tissue massage. Some people think it's an oxymoron. Many clients and therapists alike believe that in order for a massage to be therapeutic is has to be painful, that harder means deeper and better and more effective. They believe that the only way to affect deeper muscle tissue is to use a lot of pressure. I once thought this myself.

I am here to deliver some good news: massage does not have to be hard and painful to be effective and one does not have to inflict pain on the client in order to effect the deeper muscle tissues. In fact, the opposite is true. Too hard of pressure creates resistance in the body and pain only causes a stress response. I thank my Russian Massage teacher Zhenya Kurashova Wine for teaching me how to work effectively without causing discomfort to the client and how to do painless deep tissue massage.