Unraveling the Mystery

People often come to my office who are in pain.  Many of these people have been to the doctor.  They've had X-rays or MRIs, but the doctor can find nothing wrong - no breaks, no tears, no pathology.  It can be very frustrating because the patient wants a diagnosis.  "If there's nothing wrong, why does it hurt?"

Great question:  If there's nothing wrong, why does it hurt?  That's where I come in.  I trace the pain to its source.  I find the patterns.  They are called "referral pain patterns", patterns that mimic something serious, but are, in fact, not medically serious at all.  This process is called Trigger Point Therapy.  It's one of my main modalities.

Here are a few real-life examples:

• A woman in her 50's came in with tight neck and shoulders.  Nothing she did got her any relief.  I myself worked her neck and shoulders with no noticeable result.  Then I checked her jaw.  It was tight.  Very tight.  And it was not tracking well, pulling to one side when she opened and closed her mouth.  She told me that she grinds her teeth at night.  So together we gently worked the jaw.  It began to release.  Then I rechecked her neck.  It had become soft!  She was amazed and very happy.  Here was a case where the tightness in the neck was a direct result of tightness in the jaw.  A perfect example of referral pain patterns.  
• A man in his 60's came in with low back pain.  He told me that it started after he had picked up a heavy load in his garden.  (I hear the same story from nurses who lift patients.)  In this man's case, his low back pain was coming from his belly muscles.  Those muscles got strained and tight from overuse, then sent pain to his low back.  The remedy was to gently release certain belly muscles - the psoas and iliacus.  This we did, and to his delight, the back pain was gone.  This is an example of a common referral pain pattern.  
• An active man in his 50's came in with knee pain in his left knee.  He was about to play in a golf tournament the very next day, so we needed good results fast!  The knee especially hurt when he walked down steps.  We traced the knee pain to his left groin muscles.  I told him that he must have had a groin pull.  He told me that he indeed had - 30 years ago!  We released those groin muscles.  Then I had him walk up and down a staircase.  Voila, no pain.  A great example of a released referral pain pattern from an old injury.

Referral pain patterns often masquerade as something serious.  I've seen clients cry tears of relief when they realized that their pain was simply referred from an active trigger point, and not from cancer or something else just as serious.  Of course, I'm careful to be on the lookout for something that may actually be medically serious; I do refer some clients to their doctor.  Still, according to The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Claire Davies, 75% of pain is due to myofascial trigger points.

If you have "mystery pain" that is baffling to you or your doctors, you might look into Trigger Point Therapy as a possible solution.

Effortless posture: it really is effortless!

Would you like to stand up straight without even trying?  You can.  I see it every day in my practice.  A client comes in somewhat bent forward, and leaves my office standing up straight.

After their treatment, I have them walk down the hallway so we can both see our handiwork.  As they pass by the hallway mirror, I have them look at themselves.  They're amazed.  Their shoulders are back, their head is on top of their shoulders, and it's happening with absolutely no effort on their part.

Superficial Frontal Line.

In the Myofascial Release world, there is something called the "Superficial Frontal Line".  The term was coined by Thomas Myers, a Myofascial Release guru. www.anatomytrains.com.  It is a line of muscles and connective tissue that runs from the neck down the front of the body all the way to the feet.  These muscles often shorten when we are bent forward.  Repeatedly bending forward, these same muscles can become stuck in that position.   They become like tight rubber bands, pulling us forward.

Our society bends forward. 

We bend forward to look at our phone.  We bend forward to look at the computer.  Children bend forward when they carry their backpacks.  (We older folks had lockers, but that's another story.)  Our bodies get used to this position, then the muslces and fascia get locked in this position.

A string pulls the head up?  Really?

Young ladies are told by their mothers to imagine that there is a string fastened to the top of their head, and the are to pretend that the string is pulling her head up.  This is supposed to correct the posture problem.  It does help - for a second.  But as soon as she stops thinking about it, her body bends forward again.  That's because of 'muscle memory'.  These muscles and fascia act like tight rubber bands.  They are actually pulling the body forward.  As soon as you stop thinking aobut it, bingo, the body is pulled forward again.  

What can be done about this?  Simply put, release the muscles and fascia in the front of the body.  The neck muscles, the pecs, the rib cage muscles, the belly muscles.  I use three techniques to make good posture effortless:  Myofascial Release, Trigger Point Therapy, and Ortho-Bionomy.  These three help the body release the tension in these 'rubber band-like' muscles that make up the Superficial Frontal Line.  Once they are released, voila, the body simply straightens up on its own.  No effort, no thinking, just good posture.  Effortless posture.

For better posture, better health, and even a better golf game, please contact me to see how this might help you and your friends and family. Roberts Massage (760) 826-3220  

Robert Sherman is a state certified massage therapist in Carlsbad, CA. He specializes in treating old injuries and surgical scars with Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, and Ortho-Bionomy which includes Phase 7 Healing. ​

Scar Tissue Pain Relief!

There is a highly effective process known as Traumatic Scar Tissue Management that rids people of pain and restriction due to the aftermath of surgeries.  In case you're not familiar with this topic, millions of surgeries are performed each year, and current statistics estimate that over 50% of post-surgical patients will experience scar-related complications.  If you are one of those people, this information may help you get relief.

The term "scar management" may suggest the beautification of a scar.  But I am concerned with what is happening underneath the scar.  Many people suffer from pain and restriction even years after their surgery.  This applies not only to knee surgery, breast surgery, C-sections, and removal of organs such as the gallbladder and appendix, but also surgeries related to injuries.  

There is a very effective process that can give immediate relief, and in many cases, permanent relief, even after years of suffering.  This process involves working with the fascial tissue that is directly below the scar.  By releasing the stuck tissue that surrounds the scar, freedom of movement can be regained, and long-standing pain can be eliminated.

A success story...

Several years ago when I was volunteering at the San Diego Cancer Research Institute in Encinitas, a lady came in who complained that she could only lift her arm up to shoulder height; that if she tried to go higher, it hurt.  It turns out that 6 months earlier she had lymph nodes surgically removed from under that same arm.

I immediately felt the scar tissue under her arm where the surgery had taken place.  It felt like a wad of chewing gum under her skin.  I worked the area using myofascial release techniques, and after only about 30 minutes, she had a complete range of motion.  She could lift her arm all the way over her head.  Even better, there was no pain!

Apparently, this restriction was due to the surgery itself.  After any surgery, the cut skin and fascia need to grow back together again.  Of course, with skin, there are stitches to help the skin grow back together in a healthy way.  But with fascia, there are no stitches.  It often reconnects itself haphazardly, causing adhesions and other stuckness and stickiness.  This then binds on nerves and blood vessels causing pain and restriction.

Fortunately, there are ways to work with scars to release adhesions and other stuck tissue that brings freedom of movement and relief from pain.  This woman experienced it herself.  If you are experiencing pain and loss of movement after a surgery, even years after, please contact me to see if this type of bodywork might get you the relief you are seeking.