Self Care Awareness: How does Massage Help with Pain?

If you were to look up the definition of pain in the dictionary, you may find something like this,

In other words, pain hurts. We often experience pain from something obvious like a car accident resulting in whiplash and neck pain or after a weekend of gardening we may experience back pain from overuse or improper lifting. Other times pain appears with a less obvious onset, like reaching to grab your coffee and your neck “goes out.” But
sometimes the pain that we experience is not from a physical injury but an emotional injury like when the words you hear about the death of a loved one “hits you like a ton of bricks” or when we realize “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” isn’t true when we hold onto those words and they misdirect our life;
preventing us from going to an interview, showing up on a date or ending our life too soon all together.

It’s all pain and it all hurts. September is Pain Awareness Month and it’s a perfect time to talk about your pain, with family, friends, and with your doctor. Talking about your pain is the most important way to start your path to finding treatment. According to American Massage Therapy Association, across the massage industry, 90% of massage clients are being referred to a massage therapist by other clients who are receiving the promising benefits of massage therapy. Also 61% of physicians are more likely to recommend massage for pain relief.

So really how does massage help? There are a variety of answers to this question;
​I have included just a few: 
1. Receiving massage for structural imbalances which causes pain due to joint restriction and nerve compression will help to reduce tension within the muscle tissue, re-educate the muscle by increasing its resting length and stop the trigger of pain. By interfering with this process of pain, we can interfere with the compensatory pattern that created it.

2. Increasing circulation to all parts is the most basic yet biggest benefit (in my book) of even relaxation massage. When massage can move out stale circulation loaded with lactic acid and other bi-products of doing life and welcome fresh nutrition, it not only feeds the muscle but the underlying bony and visceral tissue as well! When we sweep away inflammation from joints and soft-tissue we can also increase mobilization of the joints. Mobility leads to movability and pain-free people move!

3. You may have experienced a time on the massage table when your body begins to unwind and you experience the urge to laugh or cry. Or the pressure that builds up under the still hands of your therapist becomes and overwhelming sense of anger or triggers a suppressed memory. Or your therapist breathing with you and giving you permission to let go of the tight muscles and that unseen pain inside creates unexplained tears. Maybe you talk about this reaction during your session or maybe it passes as quickly as it appeared, but either way you experienced an emotional release that may have been contributing to the pain you have.

No matter what type of pain you are experiencing, don’t ignore it! Pain is a fire alarm for your body that tells you when something is wrong! So don’t avoid it. Don’t cover it up. Ask for help. Back to Basics has a variety of therapists with a combined 83 years of experience who are happy for the opportunity to work with you and provide a safe and 
​non-judgmental space for you to receive advanced massage therapy for all types of pain relief.