client in pain after massage - help is it normal.

[deep]

Newly qualified and need a bit of advice. My very first client has complained of pain following my massage, just want to check this is fine - The massage was on Saturday. She is a dancer who has been dancing a lot recently and did not feel any tightness in her calf muscles when she came for the massage.They did feel rather tight when I massaged them and she was surprised to feel a bit of muscular pain during the treatment. She has an old injury which I dont think healed properly - she danced throught the pain rather than resting (lots of fibrous scar tissue built up) so worked quite a lot on that area. Her legs felt fine on Saturday after the massage but when dancing on Sunday her calf muscles felt quite stiff and sore. I think that this is perhaps quite normal as there will be quite a lot of lactic acid build up being released plus the massage was quite deep. What do you think - is this quite normal? I am just quite nervous as i am quite new to this.

H

 

[Hollister69]

Hello and welcomehazie to HP!!!

Firstly, congrats for being newly qualified

Dont worry too much,its perfectly normal for a client to feel pain the next dayafter massage. She may have been unawareherself that she was very tight in her calf muscles and when you worked on theseareas it brought to light that there was obviously alot of lactic acid buildup and also as you say..scar tissue. Usually where alot of tightnessis found the client may experience soreness and pain for a day or 2, this is perfectly normal and your client should feel alot easier after a couple of days, with much of the tightness/tension disipitated.

Hope that helps.

 

[Mukesh]

Hi Hazie
its not ideal to be treating old injury/scar tissueat a time when your client has recently been over exerting herself as the tissues involvedmay already be suffering some micro trauma.
Ask her to come back at a time when she is in a rested condition. This should avoid any riskto overworking the tissue and causing pain. When working deep into the tissue the processes of theraputic inflamation should be explained to the client so thatany soreness after treatment isfelt/understood as a positve part/start of recovery.

I take it you did mention to her to ice the areas after treatment?

Scar tissue removal is some of the most rewarding work a sports/remedial massage therapist can do as alot of other therapysarn't effective.

As its early in your career, you need tobe wary of trying to do to muchin one session especially in situations whereyour experience or client demands become tested.

Regards steve

 

[climbitalltheway]

Hi Hazie

Treating someone who dances a lot is quite a challenge until you get used to the fact that they have to use their muscles quite extensively following a treatment, they often will be dancing within a couple of hours of a treatment, saying that it is quite normal for a muscle to require a couple of days to recover or adjust to the treatment.

As Stephen has correctly pointed out it is not advisable to over work an area in these circumstances, just pace the treatments and explain that due to them needing to use their muscles it will take a little longer to sort them out.

 

[karen t]

This is where sports massage therapists make their money as we have a toolbox of great techniques tobreak down scar tissue & conditionmuscles (especiallythe calf muscles)which don't leave them feeling sore. These are often used for pre & post event work.
My advice to you would be to refer the client to a decent SM therapist (look at the SMA & ISRM websites)but still offer your general therapies to this client. It will improve your credibility with your client & show your professionalism. This after all is how complimentary therapy works &will help youbuild a referrall network.

 

[Lucy Anna]

Hi - spotted this posting and I have had exactly the same outcome from a treatment on Monday evening! I have some experience and tend to tread very cautiously! You will see other related detail on a posting on Lymph Drainage Massage!

Essentially a friend who was involved in an accident months ago came for treatment and she manifest several areas of sensitivity as I was performing an extremely superficial massage - outcome was brilliant! Two weeks later (Monday past) she returned and to our mutual satisfaction all the sensitivite areas were 'green light' (OK!) but this time in treating her a cautious approach was once again adopted - a light touch and definitely not deep or with overworking of areas - next morning she awoke with a stiff neck! Yes I did work the area - across scapula and also around armpit where she alerted me to a slight peculiarity which I suspected to be lymph-related but on touching the area I believed it to be muscular.

So i'm in a similar situation to you Hazie!

As a cautious therapist i'm unhappy to assume overworking as I dont believe I did; also I dismiss the outcome as 'haeling crisis' type, but what do I do?

Regards
Anxious

 

[iGo Hard!]

Hi Anxious

If you give someone a gentle massage this won't cause what you are describing, it sounds like they slept in an awkward position to me.

 

[yen]

Paul

Agree with your opinion - client has been to a physio and been told, yesterday, she has myofascial pain so I can only assume it is associated with sudden trauma to musculoskeletal tissues following a car accident about 3 months ago, but why the pain should only manifest itself now is a puzzle for me

REgards
Anxious/Noel