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March 14, 2006

Massage Following Trigeminal Neuralgia Surgery

A long-time client with trigeminal neuralgia finally got surgery for the condition. Surgical options for them came down to endoscopic microvascular decompression or stereotactic radiosurgery (usually known as gamma knife surgery).

Their surgeon encountered the best case scenario which qualified my client for endoscopic microvascular decompression. The operation, a major surgical procedure which includes general anesthesia in an operating room, is described as follows:

A small incision is made behind the ear. Then, through a small opening made in the skull, the trigeminal nerve is directly inspected with the aid of a microscope. If the surgeon sees an artery in contact with the nerve root, he or she directs it away from the nerve and places a small Teflon pad between the nerve and the artery to prevent contact with the nerve.

My client had immediate relief. Their surgeon cleared them six weeks after surgery for massage. They have a scar at the base of the skull where the surgeon had to cut neck muscles. My client was sore across the shoulders and upper back, especially between the shoulder blades. I decided to work the affected neck muscles, such as levator scapula, only at the lower attachment and insertion sites.

The exquisite muscular aches that my client sought relief from reminded me of a previous client who had suffered an aneurysm (See April 23, 2005 post). It makes me wonder about the connection between direct insults to the brain and the physical fallout in the form of muscle aches.

tags: massage massagetherapy wellness massage+therapy bodywork health

Posted by linda at March 14, 2006 10:38 AM