“If this whole massage thing doesn’t work out for you, you could get a job with the CIA torturing people.”
“You have elbows of a sadistic angel!”
“This is rough, man! And I’m paying for this pain!!”
These are only a few of the things I hear from clients when I’m causing a bit of pain. I know that many of you might dread coming to see me or you might not tell me things that hurt for fear of grinning and bearing the imminent pain that I would be causing.
I’m here to tell you that pain is a good thing!! Now, I want to make something clear: I want to cause pain, but I do not want to hurt! There is a difference! Pain tells your body that there’s something not enjoyable going on and you should be aware of it. Hurt tells your body that something isbreaking down or degenerating in your body!
Pain is important! It tells us that the burner is hot. It reminds us that we can’t lift a car with one arm. It tells us when something isn’t functioning right! So why pain when receiving a massage? Because your Massage Therapist is preventing it from feeling that way all of the time!!
The human body has only 13% of nerves that feel pain! This is one reason why I think that it “hurts so good” when I’m pushing on you. The pain sends receptors to your brain telling it that something isn’t quite right. Your brain, then, sends in more blood to take care of the problem! When you have a knot or a trigger point, it is preventing fluid, effective blood flow to that area of the body, making activities or tasks difficult. The blood helps eat away this build up and allows for an easier flow of blood.
But here’s a key that you all need to know: If it is too painful for you, you HAVE to let us know! It’s okay to need less pressure or take a break. It’s okay if an area is too tender for that amount of pressure!
That’s it in a nutshell! So next time you’re thinking that a massage is the most painful experience in the world, just remember that it’s not stepping on a Lego kind of pain.