Oftentimes, many of us truly believe – If there’s no pain, there will be no gain. Therefore, we go on living with chronic pain and hope for relief.
For many years, my father has been living with chronic back pain. After several successful back surgeries, his doctors have informed him that there is nothing else they can do to relieve the related pain. He was told, “You will just have to live with it.”
Recently, the pain has increased to the point of waking him up at night and depriving him, (and my mother) of a good nights sleep. Discouraged and exhausted, my mother insisted on taking my father to his neurologist and orthopedic surgeon seeking out possible solutions to relieve his pain. His doctor’s have suggested cortisone injections and pain medications to assist in managing his pain.
When I heard this, the first thing that came to my mind was that these are just temporary solutions and can sometimes cause other challenging issues or side effects. It’s very possible that my father has many active trigger points in his body that are causing this chronic pain.
As an advanced neuromuscular therapist and health educator, I shared with my Dad that trigger point therapy (a form of massage therapy) can not only play a big role in managing his pain but it can get him out of pain, create better blood flow, greater range of motion, less stress, and a better nights sleep for both he and my mother.
If you’ve never stretched or worked on trigger points before, you may feel a bit tender after your first session. But you’ll notice the difference in a week, with increased flexibility, decreased pain, and ease of movement.
You see, active trigger points restrict blood flow to the muscle – making it easier for waste products like lactic acid to build up.
Clearing that may be a bit uncomfortable at first, but in the long run you’ll be much the better for it.
The AMTA (American Massage Therapy Association) provides research and articles related to your health along with a Massage Therapist Finder to locate therapists in your area who can help you get out of pain.
Click Massage Therapy Has a Role in Pain Management for more information on gaining your life back with much less pain.
If you are living in the Bay Area and living with chronic pain contact Gary at The Massage Garage to schedule your session and give your body the tune-up it deserves.
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