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March 3, 2006

Working Out Muscle Strain

It doesn't take much to strain your back. Kicking a heavy box out of the way or even sneezing can get you in trouble. One of my regulars did just that this past week. Luckily, they had an appointment with me, so we spent the entire session on that.

Their pain seemed located in the lower left lumbar region near the spine. They were so tender that I couldn't use much pressure. I pulled up my chair (a pneumatic rolling office chair I got at a thrift store for $8 that I took the back off of) and hunkered down for some slow and gentle massage. It was a nice break from my usual "routine."

I started in the low back and followed a clear line of tension and inflammation up the left side of the back to the top of the shoulder. I went back to the lower lumbar region and followed the tension down into the hip. At this point I requested that the client remove clothing to expose access to the hip muscles. This way I could be more thorough with my work. I stepped out of the room and when I returned, the client said they could tell they were moving better already.

Following tension down into the hip, I found gluteus medius and gluteus minimus were caught up in the strain pattern. Tensor fascia lata had mild involvement. From the greater trochanter of the hip, the tension line moved inward to the tailbone. I had expected the strain to go all the way to the gluteal fold and into the hamstrings, but this was not the case.

To finish, I worked on the right side where there was also pain, but this tension was localized to the lumbar region. Upon completion, the client reported much more mobility though they were still tender. I expect they would continue to be sore for several days until the muscle fibers begin to heal.

My follow-up call the next day found my client in good spirits. They confirmed that they continued to be sore but their mobility was better, as was their pain level. I expect when I see them next week that they will still have some areas of strain and we will work the last of that out.

tags: massage massagetherapy wellness massage+therapy bodywork health

Posted by linda at March 3, 2006 8:00 AM