Ever had a massage treatment where you felt a lot of pain but not a lot of gain? Where you came out feeling worse than when you went in?
You’re not alone! I hear the same story from many of my clients.
Trying to find relief from back, neck or shoulder pain, muscular soreness, tension headaches or other muscular related problems, they end up paying for massage treatments that are not very helpful, and either downright painful or annoyingly light and not fixing problem areas.
If you want results, you have to treat the cause of the problem, and to do that you have to work with the body, not against it.
What happens when someone gives you a poke in the ribs? You jump a little, right?
How about if they poke you really hard and it hurts?
You don’t just jump, you flinch, you tense up, your muscles tighten, the body’s natural response is to oppose the pain by tensing the area.
Exactly the same thing happens if you have incorrect pressure during a massage, either too hard or too soft, the body’s natural reflex is to oppose it. You are working against the body, rather than with it. The result is painful or ineffective massage treatments, that can leave you sore or unsatisfied with the outcome.
The secret to getting good and lasting results in a massage is to find the correct pressure for the individual person, so that their muscles are in a relaxed, responsive state.
In this way massage techniques are most effective in getting in at a deep level to help relieve muscular pain, tension, release toxic build up, and promote health and relaxation.
A good therapeutic treatment should involve:
Deep tissue work Release of toxic areas and lymphatic stimulation Warm down and balance -
It is true in some cases, after a treatment, a person can feel some pain or tenderness as the body balances, adjusts and eliminates toxic build up. But it will generally only happen if there is a lot of toxicity within the muscle, if there has been complicated injuries or surgery to the area or if the treatment is inappropriate for the person.
Under normal circumstances, with healthy individuals, if the massage pressure is at the right level for the person, the technique is appropriate and the warm up and warm down is adequate, there should be very little, if any, discomfort and immediate improvement in problem areas.
So don’t be sucked in to the ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality!
Everyone is an individual, with different needs, different pain tolerances and different problems. Experience the difference of massage that is specifically catered for your individual health needs.
Massage that works with the body, not against it, feel the difference and see the lasting results.
A few comments from clients…
- I had suffered with back and shoulder problems for the last 12 years, which caused me a lot of pain in my work as a manual labourer. I felt improvement from the first treatment with Alicia Luck, within 3 treatments I felt better than I had in years, the pain was entirely gone and I had more flexibility. Her advise on correct lifting and work posture has been invaluable for improving my productivity and energy. I now just see her for maintenance treatments to ensure my back stays feeling so good.My sincere thanks for all your help, Alicia. (David W. Huskisson.)
- As a Mum with 4 children I felt I didn’t have time for massages. My husband gave me a gift voucher for a full body treatment for my birthday. The massage was great, I had no idea how tight and tense I was until I had the first session. I felt fantastic and so much more relaxed. I am totally hooked now and wouldn’t miss my massages for the world. Not only am I feeling better physically, but I feel much less stressed, no longer impatient or short tempered with the kids and my husband tells me I’m like a new woman.(Natasha C. Sanctuary Point.)
- Alicia Luck’s deep tissue massages are in a league of their own. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a good therapist. (John M. South Nowra)
The ‘No Pain No Gain’ myth of massage uncovered…
Warm up
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