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Medical / Orthopedic Massage “UnGrumps” Grumpy muscles for relief from:
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Chronic Headache
- Migraines
- TMJ
- Neck Pain
- Shoulder Pain
- Frozen Shoulder
- Hip Pain
- Frozen Hip
- Low Back Pain
- Knee Pain
- Pain or Tingling in Leg
- Plantar Fasciitis
- “Grumpy” Muscles
Orthopedic, or Medical massage is usually the best treatment for all of the above symptoms. For example,
Pain is frequently diagnosed as “Tendonitis”. “Itis” means inflammation. By definition, Inflammation means Pain accompanied by Redness, Heat, Swelling, and Loss of Function. Do you have Redness, Swelling, and Heat at the site of your pain? Lack of any inflammation may be the reason your anti-inflammatory is not providing relief. You may actually have Tendinosus instead of Tendinitis. Tendinosus means damage to the tendon, without inflammation. Two common causes:
1. Overuse, (a carpenter banging nails all day)
2. Constant over tension (like a guitar string tuned several notes too high). For example, the pain / tension between your shoulder blades is usually caused by short, tight pectoralis muscles.
In both cases, effective treatment involves lengthening and softening appropriate muscles while tonifying weak inhibited muscles. It is usually the weak, inhibited, and stretched too long muscle that hurts. This is accomplished by pain free massage, pain free stretching and light exercise to tonify inhibited muscles. Stretching to the point of pain always results in protectively tightening. Don’t do it. For pain between the shoulder blades, stretch the pecs and strengthen the back. In fact, traditional massage, starting you face down and relaxing the back, may ultimately make your symptoms worse.
A muscle “strain” or “pulled muscle” results in connective (scar) tissue being laid down in a disorganized fashion. You are able to put one finger exactly on the source of pain when you contract that muscle against resistance. If there is no inflammation at the pain site, the scar tissue can usually be realigned and made pain free within one session.
You are responsible for your healing. I cannot fix you. I can help your body create an internal healing environment. For lasting results, and pain free full range of motion (ROM) spend 10 minutes a day doing a few gentle, expert recommended, stretches and exercises.