TOP 10 Massage Complaints and SOLUTIONS

These are the most common complaints I as a massage therapists encounter on a daily basis. Most complaints are caused by muscular problems relating to postural imbalances, injuries, trigger points, etc.
TOP TEN COMPLAINTS
  • NECK PAIN
  • LOW BACK PAIN
  • ACHING BETWEEN THE SHOULDER BLADES
  • HEADACHES
  • PLANTAR FASCIITIS
  • HAND/ARTHRITIS
  • CARPAL TUNNEL SYMPTOMS
  •  FIBROMYALGIA
  • TMJ
  • DIGESTIVE ISSUES/SCIATICA
COMMON STRUCTURAL ISSUES AND MOVEMENTS INVOLVED
One of the largest complaints, low back pain has moved into the #2 slot with NECK and SHOULDER PAIN coming in at #1. Computers, smaller cell phones, video games, just to name a few have increased in the number of users over the years. Most problems are a result of years of wear and tear on our bodies that can be avoided early in life had we known…Not too many adolescents have osteoarthritis, low back pain, heart and cholesterol problems. “It sucks getting old.” Old? If your knee is out of alignment because your IT band is too tight, how long can you walk on it before it starts to hurt? How many years of pain pills can you take before it needs replacing? Is it just getting old? Just as a cars front end would be off how long before your tires wear out? Now I’m not saying there could be a million other things going on and again, these are strictly observations from a muscular point of view.  Lets take a look at how to remedy some of these common areas.
NECK PAIN, HEADACHES, ACHING BETWEEN THE SHOULDER BLADES
The computer
Large corporations understand that improper working environments that are not ergonomically correct result in huge losses in revenue annually due to sick days employees take off from simple things like headaches, back and neck pain. This common position is responsible for numerous issues, one more reason getting up and moving frequently is a huge help.
Sitting at a desktop computer.
The keyboard and mouse should be as level as possible to the height of your elbows. The chair height needs to be adjusted high enough to allow the shoulders to hang naturally and relaxed letting the elbow bend comfortably to type and operate the mouse. This means your desk will be a little higher than your belly button!  Like that’s ever happened. This avoids raising and “holding” your shoulder up, in which we have no idea we do. The monitor should be eye level. Looking down makes us lean forward, tensing the back of the neck to hold up the head . Looking up tenses the front of the neck and can possibly pinch the sweet little vertebrae. Unfortunately the desk manufacturer doesn’t know the chair manufacturer and nobody knows who made the mouse, my point being most of these things don’t work together. You may have to remove the arm rests from your chair which are probably not in the right position for you in the first place. We are all going to eventually look like Larry King, I swear his ears are going to permanently attach to his shoulders someday. “Love you Larry.” Elevate your monitor using something thick and sturdy enough to not shift. I use the extra phone books I seem to get every year. If you are writing and typing work more on looking down with your eyes instead of wrenching your neck forward. This helps to exercise the eye muscles and helps with strain.
Staring in one position too long.
Watch your position, if you are not relaxed the muscles are tensed. How long can you hold a 10lb. weight up before your arm gets tired? That’s what your neck is doing, holding our 10lb. or so cranium out over our lap for hours at a time. These contracted muscles contribute to low or higher pressure in the head causing headaches. The fixed gaze also weakens eye muscles contributing to vision problems.
One solution idea:
Pay attention to your position. Is your neck relaxed and balanced over your shoulders? Try moving your head around slightly forward, backward, side to side and find that “balance” point when the muscles are relaxed. Stop every hour and stretch your neck sloooooowly, turn your head side to side and stand up, lay your head ear to shoulder, touch your toes and just hang there for a minute. Moving muscles that have been in a fixed position too long too quickly results in injury, so don’t do it. If you stretch at sloth speed just a few times you’ll be amazed how much looser you feel. No pre-game warm up routines. Change your depth of perception. Focus on something close up then far away, close up, far away you get the idea. This helps exercise those little eye muscles and limit eye strain.
Laptop computers
My take on laptop computers is that they are the best thing that happened to the business world next to cell phones but they are an ergonomic nightmare! Too high and your shoulders are cinched up, too low and your neck declares an all out war on the “lap box”.
One solution idea:
Again, find a position that relaxes your shoulders and arms, adjust the screen and look with your eyes not your neck. One more reason I am opposed to the “glossy” screens that creates nothing but glare and poor adjustments, constantly looking for the best spot with the least view of the crap behind me. Although, in some sort of James Bond way I guess that could be cool. Headaches be gone.
LOW BACK PAIN
Low back pain contributes to billions of dollars lost annually in ER visits, workers compensation claims, sick days, medical claims and so on. The pelvis region is the fulcrum point of the body and along with the legs it helps create balance and stability.
When this alignment is off problems arise. This diagram shows a particular case. NOTE: All cases are different person to person but show many similarities, notice the zig zag pattern in the body. It’s function is to stand upright therefore it will always seek balance, The YELLOW signifies areas of reported pain, the RED tight muscles, a plumb line identifying center and arrows showing direction of structure. When the pelvis is forward and our back muscles get too tight they may pull or pinch the vertebrae together.  Another cause of sciatica. Keeping the muscles stretched keeps us in balance and helps avoid possible injuries to our joints.
HANDS/CARPAL TUNNEL SYMPTOMS
We all know the downfall to repetitive movements. Unless you’ve been diagnosed from a physician with carpal tunnel syndrome you may be experiencing pain associated with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. According to Wikipedia the two main causes are those in motor vehicle accidents, computer users or those who sit in “non-ergonomic postures for extended periods of time.” Mainly affected are the scalenes, those wonderful muscles at each side of our neck that pop out when we make the lizard face. The help stabilize the head when too far forward. Tightening of these muscles compresses the nerves and blood vessels going to the arm. Pain usually starts with tingling fingers, aching wrists moving up the arm.
One solution idea:
Stretch the scalenes. Slow neck rolls do wonders.
Massage the wrists, top and bottom using small circular motions. No oil is needed. This is a “needing” action not a gliding action. Compress with the thumbs. Open and close the hands very slowly. Joints require fluid to move smoothly and freely. Moving a joint too fast and repetitively can “dry up” this fluid. Moving slowly encourages more fluid to seep into the joint. Do slow wrist circles.PLANTAR FASCIITIS/FIBROMYALGIA

Both conditions have similar issues in that they both affect the fascia tissue. In 99% of people their bodies feel as thought the plastic sheeting on a waterbed has become too tight. The water inside is still “water” and feels of water but the casing has become taught. I can always tell when my clients are having a flare up. Massage with little glide helps loosen this tissue as does stretching. The plantar fasciitis shows similar textures and although the muscles in the feet are much smaller, deeper, no oil movements loosen this tissue. Makes me wonder if the fascia has become adhered to the muscle fibers. Reflexology works well on plantar fasciitis, the usual method being no oil. 

One solution idea:

For people with Fibromyalgia warming the tissue first seems to help. Try saunas or Jacuzzi’s to warm the body then stretch. Plantar Fasciitis is helped by a hot foot bath, massage, and stretching; not only of the feet but both sides of the lower leg. Pointing the toe, you should feel a stretch along the outer side of your shin. Flex the foot up to stretch the heal up to behind the knee.

TMJ (Temporomadibular Joint Disorder or TMD)
TMD is associated with pain in the jaw and characterized by the “pop or click” when the mouth is opened. Most causes of this disorder involve the muscles that allow the jaw to move. Of course a dentist or medical professional is able to diagnose the exact cause of your TMD. These muscles can and should be massaged and although we are trained to do this most people are not comfortable with our fingers in your mouth. Teeth clinching and grinding tighten these muscles so the jaw can not move smoothly.
One solution idea:
Wash and dry your hands first. With your left hand, use your pointer finger and thumb to pinch the area just behind your molar. Your pointer finger should be in your mouth with your thumb on the outside. You may need to open your mouth, insert finger, (no pun intended) and close your jaw. When you bite down you will feel this muscle tighten. That’s it. Slow circles is all your after. At first this will be uncomfortable as the muscle is tender and probably tight. Massage both sides and the outside alone with the pads of your four fingers.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR