1) Do your prescribed remedial exercises!
The majority of people that receive massage therapy treatments only do so about once a month. While some types of treatment can seem miraculous, there is only so much a therapist can do in 1 hour compared to your other 671 hours in that month. If you are being proactive and practicing the specific stretches and strengthening techniques the therapist gave you, you are working towards the same goal they are during treatment.
I sometimes hear different people complain about how physiotherapy didn’t work for them. I always like to ask whether they were doing their specific exercises at home that the Physiotherapist gave them. I usually know the answer to my question before I ask it.
Doing your remedial exercises at home is by far the most useful thing you can do to further your goals.
BE AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN YOUR HEALTHCARE JOURNEY!
2) Fill out your intake forms thoroughly
Most people don’t like filling out forms, but when your health is the one the line it is worth making the time. Answering honestly and thoroughly can help the therapist better understand your current state of health and how you ended up here. Information like past surgeries and injuries are the most helpful and your list of current medications and supplements are especially important.
While you have been prescribed medication with good intentions, there are many that can actually cause pain throughout the body or can mimic musculoskeletal pain. Always let your therapist know if there have been any changes to your medication plan.
3) Consider switching up your massage therapy schedule
Many people who receive massage therapy treatments do so on a regular schedule. While this is a great method for maintaining your current state of well being, there are some situations in which altering that pattern may be beneficial.
In my experience, certain conditions like nerve entrapments show better results when treatments are performed closer together. After a few back to back treatments with some good results, the appointments can be scheduled further apart.
A good Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) should recommend a follow up treatment schedule but if they don’t mention it feel free to ask what can be changed to get better results. After all, if you still dealing with the same old nagging pain and massage is only helping a little, then something has to change.
4) Being open to treating different areas of the body
When most people feel pain, it can be easy to assume that the area they feel the pain in is the issue at hand. In reality the body does some weird things when it comes to pain. With nerve issues, the area in which you feel the pain/sensations are usually not where the issue is at all. Take numbness and tingling into the hands for example. There are at least 5 main areas between the neck and the wrist that can cause this sensation and only treating where it hurts may not be the most effective approach.
Outside of nerve issues, there is also something called “Trigger Point Referrals”. The mechanism for why they occur is not well understood but the patterns of pain referral are well documented. Many different muscles of the body have patterns in which their pain spreads out into other areas. Treating the muscle that is causing the pain is essential for success.
So, if your arms have been aching and your massage therapist has been asking to treat your neck and back, there is probably a reason!
5) Pay attention to your body
While a lot of this info is covered on a thorough intake form, sometimes you will notice things about your body after your first conversation with your massage therapist. Be sure to listen to your body when it is sending you signals throughout the day. Focus on where you feel the pain or numbness and think about what specific actions are causing it. If there are any patterns you notice throughout the day be sure to bring them to your RMT’s attention at the beginning of your next appointment.
RMT’s do countless hours of education specifically to learn how to investigate and determine where pain patterns are originating, but we need you as clients to help give us the clues to lead us down the right path. The right information about your pain combined with a few targeted orthopedic assessments can have you on the right track in no time.
I want to help you take control of your health!
Call our clinic at 519-275-2187 ext. 5 or Book Online to take the next step towards your health goals.
*BONUS*
….. Do your Remedial Exercise!