Going deep: Massage helps heal muscles, relieve stress - Quad-Cities Online

[massage]

Two weeks before I prepared to run the Quad Cities Marathon last September, my piriformis muscles (located underneath the gluteus maximus) weakened because I was running every day.

Each buttock felt like there was a bowling ball inside of it, and I was in excruciating pain.

Recently, I learned how massage therapy could be used to heal injuries, and how important relaxation and breathing techniques are in relieving stress. I discovered their benefits through Dino Hayz, a massage therapist, reiki practitioner and Black Hawk College instructor, and decided to give massage therapy a try.

Hayz recommended massage therapist David Clevenger, who had experience using deep-tissue massage to improve sports performance. He works out of Shipman Chiropractic, across the street from UnityPoint Health — Trinity Bettendorf.

Deep-tissue massage relieves muscle tension by massaging deep into the muscle, Clevenger says. Tension develops from adhesions that form in muscles, tendons and ligaments, which block circulation to the area. Deep-tissue massage breaks down the adhesions to relieve pressure and restore movement by working with pressure points throughout the body.

When I arrived at my first appointment, I was greeted with calming music and dim lights.

Clevenger’s hands awoke achy muscles beyond my legs and piriformis muscles. I suddenly felt achy in my arms, the sides of my waist, the center of my back, neck and shoulders.

At first, it was difficult to relax because the massage caused so much pain, but as it continued, the muscles relaxed, releasing built-up lactic acid. Drinking a lot of water after the massage would be the key to remove the acid from my body.

During the massage, Clevenger used pressure points and stretching to relieve the tense areas that weren’t as mobile after I had overworked the muscles from my sciatic area to my Achilles tendon.

“When someone tells me what is not working, I can work the muscle with massage and stretches to deactivate the tension,” he says.

Clevenger says deep-tissue massage can be used to ease the pain of fibromyalgia, migraines, arthritis, sports injuries such as mine and more. He says people should consult their physicians before seeking deep-tissue massage, especially for those who have severe illnesses or injuries.

Clevenger says anyone suffering from muscular tension or other ailments related to tension and pain should give deep-tissue massage a try.

“I have had great success with people with chronic pain,” he says. “Everybody’s body is different and the body is complex, but working with the person to relieve and treat the root of the cause and find the muscles causing pain helps with pain control.”

During a massage, Clevenger recommends using meditation and deep-breathing techniques to relax. “You almost have to train people to relax. Overall, healthy results come from the combination of a good, balanced fitness program, relaxing through breathing and massage and moving more.”

To work thoroughly on an area of the body and locate pressure points, deep-tissue massages work best when the client is undressed and laying beneath a sheet. The sheet is then raised and pulled to the side to expose the particular area the therapist will work on.

Sessions can last up to 90 minutes, Clevenger says, and it’s not recommended for any longer because it can cause bruising and more injury. Clients typically return for more therapy until they feel better.

Massage therapy as a whole works beyond muscle pain, too. “Massage de-stresses the body, whether to promote circulation or just relaxing muscles,” says massage therapist Ron Thiele, who travels to several Quad-Cites locations to make massage more accessible.

Thiele offers chair massages at the Freight House Farmers’ Market in Davenport, The Grape Life, Family Care Chiropractic, C. Noelle Salon and several retirement communities.

“Touch is such an important part of life,” Thiele says. “We have the privilege to touch people to relax them. Stress causes a lot of health problems, and with the healing touch of massage, we can help others.”

Two weeks of whole-body and deep-tissue massages that focused on pressure points helped me finish the marathon. I have seen significant improvement in my mobility, and am swimming, cycling and walking until I can return to running.

Martha Garcia is a regular Radish contributor.


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