How massage helped Thomas with his headaches

Thomas is a 60-year old accountant who enjoys fishing, gardening, and baseball. But as tax season approaches and Thomas becomes very busy at work, he doesn't have time for his outside activities, and he notices that he gets more headaches that are more intense.

In February, after spending the weekend working on a new large account, he can't think clearly because of a very intense headache and stiff neck.

Thomas calls his regular massage therapist to schedule an appointment. The therapist suggests a combination of clinical trigger point therapy, myofascial release, and relaxation massage.

After the session, Thomas feels a sense of relaxation because his headache is completely gone. He has the energy to go back to the office and complete working on the account. He calls his wife to say he is coming home to take her out to a movie and dinner.

The therapist suggests that Thomas come in once a week throughout his high workload period to counter the effects of stress, sleep loss, and long hours on the computer.

How massage helped Martha reduce her pain

Martha is a nurse who has worked 25 years in the public school system and now manages the school nurse program. Her work is extremely stressful because budget cuts have reduced services, and Martha and her employees feel that they aren't meeting the children's needs.

In addition, Martha's elderly mother is ailing, and Martha is largely responsible for providing her care. However, Martha has tremendous physical pain that reduces her ability to care for her mother. She cannot lift or help transfer her mother in and out of bed because of low back pain that radiates down her leg. When she finally goes to a doctor, the diagnosis is sciatica, a type of nerve pain that affects the lower back and legs.

Martha initially goes to a massage therapist to address this pain. The therapist suggests the following types of massage: Swedish relaxation, neuromuscular, myofascial, and trigger point therapy.

The massage therapy sessions bring Martha relief from the physical pain. She finds over time that she is able to assist family members in taking care of her mother. In addition, as she becomes comfortable with the setting and therapist, Martha finds that her massages are a safe time to share her thoughts and feelings.

This time to reflect helps Martha gain energy to make some changes in her life. She finds motivation to make self-care a priority, adds a physical therapist to her health care team, and begins pool therapy to increase her strength.