Gut health is a key indicator in overall health and, as this study shows, may also be linked with the pain we feel. Our gut microbiome consists of many different healthy flora and bacteria. When it is balanced, we feel calmer, happier, and healthier. Out of balance, we experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, and a host of digestive problems. Deficiencies in the gut microbiome are also related to autism and Parkinson's disease. This research published in Anesthesiology

Sometimes waiting to get to your LMT is not an option! Here’s how to work out that annoying trigger point wherever you are. Trigger points are a protection response triggered by mechanical stresses in the body. The absolute best way to release a trigger point is to discontinue the activity that caused it in the first place. However, life does not always roll that way. Which is why we have massage! And when we can’t get in to see our favorite massage therapist, we have self

If you’ve been stretching and foam rolling your IT Band for days but it still feels super tight and your knee still burns, then it might not be your ITB that’s the problem. The iliotibial band, also known as the iliotibial tract or ITB, is a stretch of connective tissue along the outside of your thigh. It assists in abducting the hip, but its primary function is to support the knee. If we stop to think and think about it for a minute, that’s pretty amazing! A structure th

It feels like sciatica. But it could be SI joint dysfunction instead! Sciatica is a (literal) pain in the butt! One that you want to be to of ASAP. In a previous article, I outlined how piriformis syndrome can mimic sciatica symptoms and what you can do to help yourself at home. But what if you don't have piriformis syndrome? SI joint dysfunction could be causing your symptoms. Your sacroiliac (SI) joint is the connection between your sacrum, the beautiful triangle shaped bon

It’s easy to assume that the awful tingling pain running from your low back down the back of your leg is sciatica, but it could actually be something much easier to deal with! Chances are you are already familiar with the concept, if not the actual experience, of sciatica. Sciatica is an irritation of the sciatic nerve due to some dysfunction in the lumbar spine such as herniated or degenerating discs, fractures, or arthritis. It can radiate burning/tingling/sharp pain from

As I have mentioned in previous posts, chronic pain - whether of the pelvis or another area of the body - is multidimensional and complex. Learning about your condition, your body, and your available tools to recover is an essential element to navigating that maze and managing your pain. That is why I place such a high emphasis on client education and teaching self care techniques for my massage clients. Health education consists of two parts to be effective. The first par

Getting a massage is a wonderful, relaxing, therapeutic time in our routines! In the midst of our bliss or startling at the sound of our own snores, we can think of “getting a massage” as a completely passive act. But active participation in the experience can rev up results and add another dimension to the work. One of the most (hopefully) obvious and encouraged forms of active participation is telling your therapist when you feel especially tender or painful areas. Even

In the last few months, I have seen a number is clients whose pain stems from trigger points. Lots of them. While it is common for trigger points to be a pain source, I have started to notice an interesting pattern as to when they illicit pain. Trigger points carry a few points of debate because they are difficult to study. Imaging techniques such as X Ray and MRI cannot see them leaving the mechanisms behind trigger point pain obscure. And direct palliation, the most reliabl

People are like ogres are like onions. This is something I've started saying often to describe a particular aspect of pain recovery through bodywork. Moving pain. Pain that moves can be scary, frustrating, or make you feel crazy! After all, pain is supposed to be a signal that something is wrong, right? So if it starts to roam around, we can start to imagine that we are jacked up being repair or that multiple malfunctions are occurring at the same time. (Or worst case, we sta

Are you a woman who experiences pain during penetrative intercourse? It’s a “normal” or acceptable amount of pain, right? Or maybe you feel like some strange anomaly? Either way, what can you really do about it? Well, I’m here to assure you you’re not alone, it isn’t normal, and you have options! In this post I’m going to be referencing a survey by Herbenick et al. done in 2012. It has some limitations, including that it analyzes only penile penetrative sex and only consi

In the care-giving world there is a term that describes the ability to be completely present for another person without judgement, open to whatever the other needs in that moment. It is called “holding space.” This is an element of therapeutic care that most professionals strive to achieve for their clients. But recently I have come to realize how important this type of openness is to give to yourself. In fact, I believe it is possibly the most essential tool we can have

Not long ago, a regular client came in complaining of shortness of breath as was as her usual pain. With a history of asthma and sinus issues, this wasn't super unusual. But the symptoms were becoming so pronounced, my client was concerned with the possibility of a hospitalizing asthma attack. Because she remained composed and there were no audible or visual signs of distress, I was unaware of the extent of the situation. (Side note: please, please, please let your therapist

Low back pain. The World Health Organization estimates that as many as 70% of adults in industrialized countries will present with this enigmatic, draining problem. Draining because it can quickly eat your finances, comfort, health, and joy as you work to resolve it. Enigmatic because often low back pain is determined idiopathic, or of an unknown cause. When a cause is suggested, it can range from psychological to structural. Structurally, the usual suspects are herniated

Dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia. Big words for extremely painful menstruation and painful sex during penetration, respectively. In other words, cringe-worthy conditions that are complicated, frustrating, and emotionally draining. For women living with these issues, massage therapy is one of the treatment options that can significantly improve your symptoms and your quality of life. Preliminary research performed in 2004, 2010, and 2011 all strongly indicate manual therapy has

Massage therapists have a saying: the issues are in the tissues. Looking at this phrase, clearly it is applicable to a profession that releases stress and relieves pain in the soft tissue structures of the body. But it is not often that we refer to physical ailments with this rhyme. Most often, we are discussing trapped emotions and memories. “Memories are stored in the brain. How in the world could an emotion be stored in the body?!” you might be wondering. In a 2014 re

When it comes to uterine position, most health professionals are concerned by prolapse (the uterus descending through the vaginal canal), severe retroversion or anteversion (the uterus tilting too far backward or forward), and anteflexion or retroflexion (uterus folding forward or backward). All other versions of off-center are are considered “normal” because they are common. Well, getting a cold is common, but that does not mean having one is “normal” or healthy. Malposit

Pain is complex with environmental, social, physiological, and psychological components. All of these elements come together in an effort to prevent further harm, but sometimes the body can be overzealous in its guardian duties. One example of this overprotective nature is called central sensitization. Central sensitization is defined as changes in the brain and spinal cord that create a heightened reactivity to noxious or potentially noxious stimuli. In other words, your

We’ve all heard the phrase “It’ll get worse before it gets better.” Many times we apply the phrase to difficult life situations, but it can also be especially applicable to the healing process. Medically, the period of “worse” is known as the Jarisch–Herxheimer Reaction and is also referred to as a Healing Crisis colloquially. This is a time in the body’s healing where a client may experience an exacerbation of their symptoms as toxins (dying bacteria in the case of diseas

Hopefully Part 1 and Part 2 have primed us to reframe this statement. Now when thinking “I can handle the pain,” instead of hearing a phrase loaded with resignation, overwhelm, and gritted teeth, the connotation has shifted to one underlain with positivity and a clear plan of action. When that action includes massage, often clients come to looking for “deep tissue” massage because they have heard or have experienced that as the only type that provides relief. Asking for dee

Remember that final fight scene from The Matrix? The one when Neo is able to see the world for the hologram it is? What if I told you that is how your mind sees your body?! Okay, not exactly, but pretty close. Most of us have been taught the Cartesian model of pain. This theory concludes that pain results directly from tissue damage and in proportion to the extent of the injury. As research has progressed and we have struggled to explain phenomena such as chronic low