you don't get no happy ending; this isn't about feeling good, it's about feeling better

[lagilman]

So, after my last massage therapist left town in late 2011, I sulked, and avoided, and waited until I was totally tied up in knots before I finally broke down and tried someone new. And I am pleased to say that my new massage therapist is no Trini, Mistress of Pain*, but she's the closest second I've found in years.

This is a good thing, yes. Also, she scolded me for delaying so long to come to her, and rightfully so. I really need to go every quarter, minimum. I let myself forget that, the past year. Which explains why, for the past week or so, my right arm has been giving me so much pain, to the point where I couldn't work for more than an hour at a time. Ow, and other words of annoyance.

so Yay! for being beat back into shape.

I know many otherwise right-thinking people hear "massage" and they think "oh, naked, and a stranger touching you...that has to be awkward. Or sexual. Or awkwardly sexual." I blame bad 1970's porno films for much of this. But a proper massage, especially a therapeutic or deep tissue massage, is no such thing. It's like a gym workout more than anything else - when you're done you will be dehydrated, and sore, and your muscles will bitch at you like nobody's business. And you might even feel worse the next morning, if you were really knotted up.

(and oh dear god i was knotted. All my stress and tension, lodged under the right scapula. As usual.)

And then the day after that, if your therapist did the right things, suddenly your body will remember how it's supposed to move. And pains you were so familiar with you didn't even notice any more will magically disappear....

Right now, after a 50 minute deep tissue workout, yeah, everything hurts, particularly my right shoulder and arm, where most of the trouble lay deep underneath the surface. BioFreeze and a lot of water, and early to bed will put me mostly to rights. And then I am under strict orders to come back next week for another 40 minutes, and then she'll re-evaluate where we are. Like a coach? Exactly like a coach, yeah.

So if you're achey, or your body's not moving right - especially if you have a job that requires a lot of, oh, typing, or drawing, or other repeating motions? You might want to try a massage therapist. Don't let your preconceptions keep you from feeling better!


And me? I have a cheeseburger, and a glass of red wine, and everything's just dandy....


*the therapist I saw when I lived in New Haven. She was Jamaican-born, about 4'1", with arms like steel and fingers that could dig every last knot out of your body, and a voice that could terrify Marines, and she had me running like a fine-tuned machine for two years.

Comments

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

Nothing like a little celebration of National Cheeseburger Day to finish the day off.

A massage therapist is different from a chiropractor, correct?

[lagilman]

The short & easy answer is that a chiro works with the hard tissue like your spine, while a massage therapist works the soft tissue of muscles. A massage therapist won't "adjust" your spine or crack your neck, or any of the things a chiro is trained to manipulate. A massage therapist will, however, work out the adhesions and knots that lead to things like migraines and muscle stiffness.

The two tend to, um, badmouth each other a lot, traditional vs non-traditional, which is, IMO, a shame.

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I kinda noticed the two don't get along, which is why I asked.

[brandietarvin.livejournal.com]

Actually my chiropractor has several massage therapists in his office. He's also a nutrionist and does some minor physical theraphy work. They don't seem to have a problem getting along. I'm like EllenMillion. Massage then adjustment. Works better than the rolly-table thingie or the hot packs.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

My massage therapist and chiro are in the same office, and the recommended therapy is a 60 minute massage followed by adjustment - loosen up the muscles, THEN adjust the spine. It's a wonderful match. Got rid of my migraines that way and discovered that it wasn't SUPPOSED to hurt to do over the shoulder checks. I'm due for a visit...

[madkestrel.livejournal.com]

My massage therapist is five foot nothing and doesn't weigh enough to keep from flying away in a stiff breeze. She's a tiny little miracle worker!

[lagilman]

I've already been working at the laptop for an hour with no pain. This makes every penny spent, worthwhile. :-)

[ckd]

Last time I saw my usual massage therapist, she gave me a bit of good-natured grief about having waited so long to come back. I should really just look at my work calendar and schedule an hour after every on-call week; I can afford it, and it makes the week's built up tension much less of an issue.

[brandietarvin.livejournal.com]

Here's a thought: Hot stones + neuromuscular. OMG. Talk about heaven.

My massage therapist knows exactly where to find knots I don't even know exist.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I go for osteopathy, not massage, but really it comes down to the same thing: this helps. And that is always good.