Pain and relief

[Melanie]

I recently had a massage, and I am in considerable pain!!! My left shoulder blade area was not an obvious sore spot, I had a massage that was not one of those probe with fingers of steel. I am not suggesting the masseuse is to blame, but why or why is it so painful? I cannot find a comfortable position.

Any ideas on how to avoid pain from massage, what is normal and what is abnormal?

 

[just-want-peace]

Could one say that "You were rubbed the wrong way?"

(OK, pure corn I'll admit!)

 

[DiamondLady]

Deep tissue massages can be painful, but they are a blessing when you have fibromyalgia, arthritis, back problems, etc. It can bring minimal bruising, and should ease within 24 hours. I find that hot, hot baths (or showers, but not as much) and heating pads generally ease the muscular pain from a deep tissue massage.

If you did not have a deep tissue massage then there shouldn't be any pain or bruising. If you have it then the masseuse DID make an error and you should report it to the spa.

 

[Benjamin]

I recently had a massage, and I am in considerable pain!!! My left shoulder blade area was not an obvious sore spot, I had a massage that was not one of those probe with fingers of steel. I am not suggesting the masseuse is to blame, but why or why is it so painful? I cannot find a comfortable position.

Any ideas on how to avoid pain from massage, what is normal and what is abnormal?

Hmm, it’s hard to say, it could be so many things. Maybe the muscles holding your shoulder blade (rhomboids, middle traps, serratus anterior) were stiff and/or atrophied and the increased blood flow and stretching from the massage caused a kind of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Also if they were tight and are then relaxed and stretched while you were laying on your stomach to the point that your pectorals (which may still be tight) are now continuing to pull your shoulders more forward than they were and the imbalance may still be applying a stretch to those muscles on your shoulder blade and not allowing them to relax thereby causing some pain. In that case you might try some of these (doorway stretching, 3 times, 30 second stretch) to stretch your pecs and help allow your shoulder blades to come back together in the middle:

And you might try some external shoulder rotation strengthening exercise if it can be tolerated without aggravating your shoulder more which will help pull those shoulder blades pull back together but try not to stretch the shoulder blade muscles even more while in extension (bringing the weight down; IOW's do keep your shoulder blades back and together in the middle) (you can use a can of soup if you don’t want to break out your heavy dumbbells :smilewinkgrin:

Sorry to hear that your massage caused pain. STM (Soft Tissue Manipulation) is what we call it physical therapy can be pretty rough and cause considerable muscular adjustments but is usually very beneficial. It has proved to have some of the most remarkable positive results from my experience but it is usually part of a plan to treat an isolated area. Some pain could be normal but usually I just get praise of being some kind of a miracle healer afterward. I don’t know what kind of a “massage” you were getting and what the purpose was to begin with.

 

[Melanie]

Thank you for the posts!!! The wretchedness of pain radiating down my left arm into the elbow for crying out loud and numbness and tingling in my hand is making me quite irritable!!:smilewinkgrin:


Well, look at that.....I have hit 2000 posts!!!!! Yipee.

 

[Benjamin]

Thank you for the posts!!! The wretchedness of pain radiating down my left arm into the elbow for crying out loud and numbness and tingling in my hand is making me quite irritable!!:smilewinkgrin:


Well, look at that.....I have hit 2000 posts!!!!! Yipee.

Ugh! That's different than the shoulder blade issue. Were you leaning on your forearms during the massage? What you are describing now sounds like ulnar neuritis (can be caused by leaning on forarms or traction injury of the ulnar nerve at the shoulder muscles in the back) and it's best you have a doctor check this out as serious nerve damage can result!

Although, I can give some personal training advice I'm sorry but I can not diagnose nor prescibe or suggest a treatment for such a thing regardless of being aware of how it might be treated, you really need to see a doctor, I'm serious! You have described classic and common symptoms of that condition. Let me know what you find out.

 

[Melanie]

Thank you Ben!!! I had a really miserable night and was determined to see a medical person. I did, and was advised it was likely to be a pinched nerve and have been prescribed a non-narcotic analgesia and an anti- inflammatory medication. In combination I am now no longer in quite so much pain, thank goodness.

I appreciate your input and the advice of going to the doctor. One tends to shy away from them when it is a significant cost, but almost a week of distress certainly seemed to warrant it.

Hopefully, it will settle....I will let you know.

Again a big thank you, and a spiritual bouquet to you.:thumbs:

 

[Lessie Lara]

Massage therapy are meant to relive pain, not create it. People with chronic pain often go for a massage therapy to get relieve naturally. Well, you can ice or heat those sore areas to help get rid of tenderness.