Why Your Last Massage Didn't Help (And Medical Massage Might!)

So you’ve been hurting. Your Upper Back has been so tense and sore that it’s giving you headaches. Or perhaps it’s your Low Back this time. You bent over to pet the cat and almost couldn’t straighten out again. It’s usually better by now. It’s been weeks.

The painful area is the symptom, not necessarily the issue.

You had a relaxing massage of your full Back. You felt great for approximately 2 hours until the kids got home, or until you had to fight traffic on the freeway. Your relief was short-lived. How could the massage have worked so well, yet so briefly?

Massage of only the painful areas often misses the mark. That is because the painful area often isn’t the problem, it’s the symptom.

For instance, Upper Back pain is quite frequently caused because the Pectoralis muscles of the chest overpowers the Rhomboids and other Scapular muscles of the Back. Treatment of the Upper Back alone stretches these already-stretched muscles even farther. Their only recourse is to spasm back up.

Likewise, Low Back tension often stems from an imbalance of muscles around the pelvis. Tight Hip Flexors in the front rotate the pelvis forward and increase pressure through the Low Back. Weak Gluteus and Core muscles compound the issue, unable to provide the support they’re designed to. Treatment of the Low Back alone loosens muscles already weary from holding on. Like the Upper Back Muscles, they must tighten back up to prevent the opposing muscles from pulling even farther forward. They’re tight for a reason. In the body, everything is connected.

While symptom relief feels great at first, only treating symptoms may worsen the problem. Repeatedly stretching already over-stretched muscles and tissues can intensify existing imbalances, which could lead to an increase, not decrease, of symptom severity over the long term.

In contrast, medical massage therapy doesn’t always make you feel like a million bucks the first time. Treatment-based massage plays the long game, looking to correct imbalances that likely took years, perhaps decades, to incur. Things won’t be fixed in an hour. Sorry.

So how can you actually tell if the massage treatment you’re receiving is constructive? Here are several things to consider:

• Thorough treatment should include an interview, and muscle testing or other assessment before the massage even starts. This provides the information to then treat multiple body areas: the causal area(s), painful area(s), and the compensations.

• After the treatment, you should be encouraged to actively participate in the treatment plan through assigned homecare (specific stretches or exercises).

• With treatment massage, there should be a plan. There should be assessment. You and your Massage Therapist have discussed your goals and are working towards them. Under the guidance of an experienced Massage Therapist, you should have a sense of direction, even if your condition is chronic and you’re goals are just maintenance.

Assessment helps drive the treatment plan.

Be patient with your progress. Just as misuse took time to manifest in pain, proper use will take time to manifest in wellness. However, while each case is unique, working with a thorough therapist using a comprehensive plan gives you a better chance at reaching your wellness goals. Pick a Massage Therapist who is curious, and engaged; someone who asks lots of questions and treats not just symptoms but looks for the roots of your dysfunction.

There is something wholesome in committing to the long term process, if you lean into it. You’re on a journey to something worthwhile. You are committed. You are awesome!