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December 4, 2007
Answering Mail
I have a comment field where readers can contact me with questions in add input to topics I've blogged about. Following is a conversation I've decided to share from a post I made about titled Nagging Knot In The Shoulder from June 24, 2005.
Original comment: I also have a knot in my shoulder, but it is in the front of my shoulder near the apex of the collar bone. I can exercise, and move my arms just fine...then I will move my left arm a certain way and I get hit with a terrible sharp pain in that same area. It will go away, then come back again with the same intense pain. I have been doing ice/heat treatments, but have no idea what the problem is?
My response: Thanks for reading. Without being able to get my hands on you, it would be hard to tell you what the problem is. However, if I'm correct in imagining what you've described, you may be having trouble at the attachment site of one of your chest muscles. It's a small muscle just under pectoralis major called pectoralis minor and it hooks into the shoulder blade (scapula) just to the front of the collar bone (clavicle). Take a look at this picture and then go to a professional to get the problem checked out: http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/PectoralisMinor.html Let me know how it goes.
Their response: Thanks for getting back to me so soon...I really appreciated it.
My background in health care as an RRT provides me with an understanding of body structure, but not much help in dealing with my ongoing aches and pains relating to muscles and tendons.
From what I have been reading my current problem involves my deltoid and rotor cuff muscles. I bought the book, "Trigger Points", (which I hope will help), and am looking for a good Therapeutic Massage Therapist. Most in my area seem to be CMT's, and cater more to relaxation then to therapeutic massage...so I am still looking. I do martial arts, so it will benefit me if I can come up with a way to deal with the ongoing aches and pains that accompany the practice.
My final response: If you need a locater service, AMTA has search engine: http://www.amtamassage.org/
as does ABMP: http://www.abmp.com/home/index.html (at the bottom of the page).
Also Massage Today: http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/home.php
along with the Upledger Institute: http://www.upledger.com/home.htm (these folks will have choices for advanced bodywork and you may have a better chance of finding what you need when cross-referenced with one of the two associations above). Good luck finding the practitioner you need.
PS: Don't forget to get that shoulder checked out by a doctor if it's a rotator cuff problem--better safe than sorry.
I decided to post this because the information I shared with this reader may be useful to a lot of people. It also illustrates the importance of not falling into the diagnosis trap which is outside the scope of practice for a massage therapist. Always keep your comments limited to observations about what you know and avoid giving any pain syndromes a specific label.
tags: massage massagetherapy wellness massage therapy bodywork health massage ethics
Posted by linda at December 4, 2007 7:10 AM
