I have the privilege of working with a lady in her 80's who had gotten a bit fuddy-duddy in her thinking after an accident several years ago when she injured her shoulder and back in a nasty fall on an escalator.  When I began working with her she was using a cane and was very unsure-footed when walking.  After just a few sessions she was walking without a cane which impressed her doctor and friends.  However, one thing remained:  she was still a little 'loopy' in her thinking - not quite all there, as she put it.

A few weeks ago I visited her at her house with my massage table, which I had been doing every other week for some time.  Just prior to this visit I had attended an advanced workshop on Ortho-Bionomy, a type of bodywork that helps the body come into balance.  "Ortho-Bionomy" literally means 'the correct application of the laws of nature'.  It is gentle and non-invasive - perfect for those who like pain-free bodywork.

In this class I learned a new way to work with the shoulders: a gentle twist here, a little tweak there - all going by what feels good to the client.  I learned how to work a particular part of the upper shoulder that is usually painful to the touch.  Sure enough, hers were painful, too, so I took extra care to be extra gentle.  For part of this session she was face up on the massage table; for another part she was face down.  Usually she is 'loopy' after being face down on the table, but not this time.

As she sat up after the massage work was done, she was surprised at how clear-headed she was - no fuzziness or sensations behind her eyes that she usually experiences after being face down.  I spoke with her a few days later.  She reported that the day after that session she got so much done!  She was clear-minded, clear-headed the whole day - something that was unusual for her.

I saw her again just last week, and did a little more of the same kind of work.  Same result:  clear-minded with no 'fuzzies of the brain'.   She is happy!

Wondering why she got this result it occurred to me that the nerves and blood vessels at the base of the neck going out to the shoulders most likely had been pinched all this time since her spill on the escalator.  The gentle movements of Ortho-Bionomy evidently were able to release the tissues - muscles and fascia - that were impinging the nerves and blood vessels that feed the brain.  With free flow of blood and nerve impulses, she regained her clarity.  And the clarity has stayed put.  Now she not only has relaxed shoulders, but mental clarity as well.

A few months ago I had two female clients with the same issue.  They were both in their 50's, and they each had pain in one of their breasts.  One had had breast augmentation many years ago and recently had that checked out by her doctor who said that everything was OK, no problem as far as the operation was concerned.  The other thought the pain may have been there becuase she needed breast reduction.   The outcome for each lady after one treatment each was no pain.  The solution for each was actually quite easy.

Upon assessment, in both cases, I found that there were Trigger Points on the side of the shoulder...the same side as the painful breast.  When I would press on the side of the shoulder near the underarm, the pain in the breast would become activated.  In the world of therapeutic massage, that's an AHA.  So in each case, I simply used Trigger Point Therapy and Myofascial Release techniques to gently dissolve the tightness in the muscles and connective tissue.   The result in each case was no pain.   And three months later they are still both pain-free.   One commented how nice it is to not think about it!

It still amazes me how simple these solutions are when trigger points are involved.   A trigger point is a place in the muscle or connective tissue that refers pain somewhere else.   Trigger points can cause pain that seems very serious, and masquerades as all kinds of maladies and prognoses.   I've had people on my massage table actually cry with relief that the pain they had been experiencing was not cancer, but just a place in a muscle that was causing the pain.   JFK's doctor in the White House and the creator of Trigger Point Therapy, Dr. Janet Travell, used to say that 75-80% of all pain is due to trigger points.   When I do my work I am the "pain detective", always wondering where the pain may actually be coming from.  And when I find it, AHA!

I've been working with a lady who has a little-known condition known as POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome).  When a person with POTS stands up from a lying down position he/she gets lightheaded due to a sudden change in blood pressure and heart rate.  Often a person with POTS will also experience leg cramping due to poor circulation of the blood.

My client came to me this week experiencing severe leg cramping along with heartburn on the right side.  She was very tired from not sleeping due to the leg cramps at night.  Nothing was helping - magnesium, tissue salts, electrolytes.

As I was assessing her condition I found that her belly area was rock-hard on the right side of her belly (psoas muscle).   Often when the belly area is tight a person will experience lower back pain and sciatic-like symptoms down the legs.  So with great care I worked at softening this area.  As I worked, she reported strong sensations in her lower back and legs.  As the muscles in her belly softened, the referred pain in her back and legs lessened.  Perfect Trigger Point Therapy!

After the treatment she stood up from being on the massage table.  The leg cramping was gone and the heartburn was almost gone.  She looked much more relaxed and at ease.

The next day she reported that she had had a very restful night - over 6 hours of undisturbed sleep with no leg cramping, and her heartburn was gone.

I do not know if this kind of work would help others with POTS, but I sincerely hope that those with this condtion will find a competent massage therapist and give it a try.