Throughout my years as a practicing Bodyworker, I have continuously run into a couple of interesting perceptions about bodywork: 1) You must experience pain in your massage or it’s a waste of time and money; or 2) If you aren’t experiencing pain, you don’t need a massage. From my viewpoint, both of these are gross misunderstandings of bodywork – at least in my world. Let me explain.
First of all, I’m in the stress reduction business more than I’m in the Bodywork or Massage business, and it is my firm belief that much of the pain people experience, that is not the direct result of an obvious injury, is the result of stress. Then, the stress induced pain creates more stress and so on until it becomes a vicious cycle. Let’s say you schedule an appointment with me because you have a terrible pain around your scapula (shoulder blade) and you want Deep Tissue because you always get deep tissue. Perhaps you’ve been educated by your previous therapists that it’s the only way to fix knots and tight muscles; or, over time your body has become so desensitized after so many years of pain and deep tissue you’re convinced nothing else is as effective. You tells me it hurts for a couple days after a Deep Tissue session, but then the pain doesn’t come back for a couple weeks or more. Instead of complying and giving you a fist pounding, teeth gritting, screaming out loud deep tissue session, I’ll first ask you a few questions. What kind of work do you do? Do you play sports? Yes? How often? Do you drive a lot? In what kind of chair do you sit when you watch television or read? What’s going on in your life, etc. In every instance after literally thousands of bodies under my hands, I’ll find that you probably spend hours and hours in front of your computer, or commute three hours a day, or you’re going through a family crisis, or you sleep on your stomach, or you’re now doing the work of two people and so on.
Once I determine what’s likely causing your discomfort, then the work to alleviate and hopefully eliminate completely your pain will begin. If I comply with your request for deep tissue work without asking these questions, and give you a typical Deep Tissue massage, I very well may add to your stress, and only alleviate your pre-massage pain for a short amount of time without addressing WHY you have this problem. I have convinced clients very insistent that they needed Deep Tissue because it’s the ONLY thing that’s ever helped before, that my approach gentle Deep Tissue is actually more effective and longer-lasting.
To illustrate my point, I used to work in a very posh 5-star spa where many famous and rich folk still go, and the massage was in Deep Tissue. We did many couples’ massages where I, with another therapist, would massage a couple in the same room at the same time. Some couples just can’t bear to be apart for even an hour. Nonetheless, being one who believes in warming and preparing muscles for deeper work I was always rather taken aback when some of my associates would immediately dive in to the guest’s back with their elbow and begin a literal torture session. At the end of the session, their client would get up, quite obviously relieved their session was over, saying they still hurt “but in a good way,” while mine practically floated out of the room in a blissful haze, amazed their pain was gone and how incredibly relaxed they felt. While both guests paid the same amount and had the same length of session, I like to think the one who floated out got more from their big bucks than the one who was relieved the session was over.
Furthermore, let’s suppose I throw everything I know and believe in out the proverbial window and I acquiesce to your painful Deep Tissue request and give you temporary relief (though your stress level will undoubtedly have increased) – what about the initial cause of your pain? If it’s not addressed, you will begin a cycle of pain, Deep Tissue, pain, Deep Tissue… Digging into and ripping across tight, sore muscles can certainly affect and bring temporary relief to the immediate situation to a degree, but I would submit not in a positive, long-lasting way. Muscle pain is essentially caused by abuse and overuse, but for those who say, “I wasn’t doing anything and it just started to hurt,” let me briefly and simply explain the process.
As a muscle contracts (flexing) it creates waste (blood, lymph and spent nutrients), and when it relaxes, that waste is swept away to be replaced with new blood, lymph and nutrients. When one’s muscle(s) contract for long periods of time without relaxing, there is a build up of waste. Over long periods of time, that waste that has not been able to flush out of the muscle turns into congestion, or more commonly referred to as “knots.” Those knots and resulting pain eventually cause other muscles to now work harder as you shift your body to accommodate the pain, creating yet more knots and congestion. Sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time without resting or changing position is a classic cause of pain in the scapular region. Undue stress can cause unrealized clenching of muscles for long periods of time, especially in the shoulders and neck and always prompt the “I wasn’t doing anything and it just started hurting” claims. It’s a very simplistic explanation, but hopefully gives you a better understanding of how muscle pain can begin.
Now, to address the misconception of not needing a massage because you don’t have any pain. I have massaged people who are in so much pain but do not have any the obvious physical signs such as knots or extremely tight muscles; and I have also massaged people who are one massive collection of tight muscles, knots, zero flexibility who have no pain whatsoever. Going back to the circular concept of stress causes pain and pain causes stress, I propose that those who don’t have any obvious pain but have obvious physical characteristics of muscle stress, will eventually have pain or injury. Not only that, but tight and congested muscles asked to function properly in that state are prone to injury and also contribute to the body’s overall stress. It’s like asking your car to run on dirty oil for years and years. It will run, but not as long as it should and when it finally breaks down, it will most likely require major repairs rather than a simple, low-cost oil change. There are so many reasons to receive regular bodywork from overall well-being, increased blood and lymph circulation to stress reduction and everything in-between. A reason to not get massage is not the lack of pain.
Going back to the car analogy, we spend thousands and thousands of dollars for a new car, have regular maintenance, wash/wax it, rotate the tires, etc. If we don’t, we find ourselves buying yet another car much sooner than we planned. Think of your body in terms of your car and massage as your regular maintenance. We all want to live long, healthy and prosperous lives and we don’t really have the option of buying a new body when the one we were given gives up too soon. Take care of yourself, love yourself and consider your whole body as opposed to focusing on that one little spot of pain and the immediate relief of it. Instead of thinking of regular massage as a luxury you can’t afford, perhaps considering the concept of it being a necessity you can’t afford to miss. By receiving regular sessions you’ll find you are more productive, have more energy, feel healthier and in some cases, are more patient and loving with those around you. No pain, no gain? No pain, no reason? In a word: no.
