No Pain, No Gain?

You might be familiar with this idiom, which, according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary expresses that:

‘It is necessary to suffer or work hard in order to succeed or make progress’.

Is this what it’s really about? Is there no other way than for someone to suffer as justification that they achieved something?

As a Massage Therapist, my attitude to working with my clients is by saying

‘No Pain, much Gain!’

The key for this treatment approach unfolds in two aspects:

• Some people assume that if they want effective relief from muscle-tensions, deeper must be better. Hence, deep-tissue massage may have a stronger ‘model of belief’ built around it than the slightly lighter Swedish type of massage. The assumption is not entirely correct; it is as naïve as assuming that for music to be effective, it needs to be loud. The relaxation of muscles is largely not a result of massage pressure; it is the result of the nervous system turning off the message for the muscle to be tight.

• The fact, however, is as a Massage Therapist to work with more intelligence, more sensitivity, more anatomical clarity, and therefore generally less force. Therefore, the way of thinking that only deep massage is good massage, is false.

• A muscle release technique, which I apply during massage to areas of my clients’ body, which they specifically describe as being painful, achy or in discomfort. The affected muscle or muscle area receives a gentle communication through holding points administered by light finger touch, encouraging the muscle to put itself back into its natural state. This is comparable with someone speaking gently to a person, asking them to do something, instead of commanding them to change in order to achieve required results. Our bodies do understand both ways of communication; some of which respond more effectively to a gentle approach.

• My integrated muscle release to massage reflects this soft, tender ‘voice’ to my clients’ painful muscles, encouraging them to reset themselves during a massage treatment. A gentle, though powerful, approach to therapy.

Moving beyond the belief that deep means effective, while less-deep means less effective will help create a future in which the best possible results of massage therapy are realised for both client and therapist.

If you have any questions or need any information then please get in touch on 01635 791 301 or visit the contact us page.

Warm wishes,

The Total Health Team