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I like to tell these kind of stories, because I think they are important to our profession. I'm not trying to brag... Trust me, I'm on my 3rd wife and I'm broke all the time...lol    Anyway I had a new client the other day.. A registered nurse that had been suffering from right hip pain for over five years ... She has seen several practitioners for her problem.. All offered little to no relief..  She told me she is currently seeing a chiropractor but her hip is slowly getting worse now...And someone told her to see me...  Now the medical people have ruled out all the mean and nasty stuff , like cancer tumors and so on.  I keep saying in here... That once any underlying pathology is ruled out.. Its soft tissue work all the way...So she was the perfect client for me.. I also know that few health care practitioners actually palpate their clients to see if they can touch the pain.. Well I do....... I palpated a trigger point in her SI joint area on her right hip...A really intensely sore trigger point in her Piriformis, again on the right side...That was the worst spot by far...She also had another bad one again on her right side but up around T12 on her erectors...And another really bad one in her medial hamstring on the same side...she complained of the pain going down her leg at times.  Those were the three main ones for her problem... She also had a trigger point on her right upper trap...Also her right gastroc and anterior tibialis were tender in general compared to her other leg....She also had tenderness in her masseter muscles both sides....but no headache problems...Never the less, they shouldn't be sore... Now no body palpated those tender areas before?...Hard for me to believe, but thats why she has had that problem for five years..Just weird to me.....  After the 80 min. session for all practical purposes she was pain free...I was able to eliminate all those trigger points and down grade those tender areas...  She will need a follow up...but her problem is history.. She tipped me huge, and was like super happy...Her problem was not that difficult.. No one really touched her pain.   And once any underlying pathology is ruled out..Its soft tissue work all the way. I know that anyway..Seems few others do though?..  On top of  that.. I also had another new client...a surgeon with shoulder pain from all her work...She had a few trigger points in her upper thorasics and upper trap that I was able to work out...Both were very happy and rescheduled..  Regular clients now...  I do a lot of massages for people that are just burnt out or come in because its their birthday and someone is treating them to a massage...And thats all good...but it feels really good to help someone out of pain, especially if they have been suffering for years..Really good...  At times this massage is hard difficult work, and I've felt like quitting.....But there are few jobs more rewarding.  Just thought Id tell you guys.  We have a High Art. 

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lol    Gosh its starting to get cold her now...Just beginning.....This place is like another planet in the winter.

Linda LePelley, RN, NMT said:

One of these days, Gordon, I'm coming to see you in Alaska!

So when I come see you I'll come in the summer! :)

Gordon, I'm constantly amazed at what you can do for people!

Well those people had real obvious sore spots that I was able to make go away..  It was not some kind of mystery pain...She had gotten massages before, but the work was not specific I guess. Simply pressing on those sore areas with the right pressure would have helped tremendously....But some how, no one did.

Therese Schwartz said:

So when I come see you I'll come in the summer! :)

Gordon, I'm constantly amazed at what you can do for people!

I had another new client today... She has been dealing with low back pain for two years...She recently went to a physical therapist for six weeks. Whatever they did gave her no relief.  None.  I saw her for an hour today.. I palpated a very tender sore spot on her spinal erectors at L5.  None of the other health care providers or physical therapists touched her there... I did... She left pain free.. It was one trigger point. That's all....She was very happy... She paid a lot of money for all that other therapy that did her no good. And for six  weeks... She was pain free in one massage session.  I would never have someone come in to see me at any frequency for six weeks with no improvement after each session... Never..  If I massaged her today, and she was still hurting after... I would tell her that I'm sorry, I cant be specific for her problem...I can always give you a good massage, but I cant help you for your specific problem..  Politically we are 3rd tier providers...In reality, we are often 1st tier.  You new therapists....Keep studying... Within our license..  WE HAVE A HIGH ART.

I can't believe it...Today was an even better healing day.. gosh....  I had a new client today...Fifty-two year old male...He told me he has been a hockey player his whole life...35 years ago he sustained a bad shoulder injury that never recovered..Constantly hurts... He said he is a wimp when it comes to massage...People work on his shoulder and he has to stop them because it hurts like hell... His sister is a Rolfer, and she couldn't help him with his shoulder problem...He also hurt his hip playing hockey last march that he was thinking about seeing a doctor for... I had him for an 80 min. massage today.... I palpated one really sore trigger point in his right gluteus medius.. And two really sore trigger points in his right rhomboids, one near the spine the other near the shoulder blade.. After the massage his hip pain was completely gone..No sign of it..and his shoulder pain that he had for 35 years was 80% better!  He was one happy man...His wife was with him after the massage..They were both very happy, and we talked a while...He is coming in next week for a 25 min. follow up session, only for that shoulder...We will see what condition his shoulder is in then...I think I can wipe it out...He had a big smile on his face...He said this was one of the best days in his life...Its weird, I fix everyone else s problems but my own...lol  

Great job, Gordon! What other job can provide that kind of gratification, for both you AND your client?
 
Gordon J. Wallis said:

I can't believe it...Today was an even better healing day.. gosh....  I had a new client today...Fifty-two year old male...He told me he has been a hockey player his whole life...35 years ago he sustained a bad shoulder injury that never recovered..Constantly hurts... He said he is a wimp when it comes to massage...People work on his shoulder and he has to stop them because it hurts like hell... His sister is a Rolfer, and she couldn't help him with his shoulder problem...He also hurt his hip playing hockey last march that he was thinking about seeing a doctor for... I had him for an 80 min. massage today.... I palpated one really sore trigger point in his right gluteus medius.. And two really sore trigger points in his right rhomboids, one near the spine the other near the shoulder blade.. After the massage his hip pain was completely gone..No sign of it..and his shoulder pain that he had for 35 years was 80% better!  He was one happy man...His wife was with him after the massage..They were both very happy, and we talked a while...He is coming in next week for a 25 min. follow up session, only for that shoulder...We will see what condition his shoulder is in then...I think I can wipe it out...He had a big smile on his face...He said this was one of the best days in his life...Its weird, I fix everyone else s problems but my own...lol  

Well ultimately all this jubilation I'm experiencing might be destroying my liver...I'm drinking an extra beer tonight...

Linda LePelley, RN, NMT said:

Great job, Gordon! What other job can provide that kind of gratification, for both you AND your client?
 
Gordon J. Wallis said:

I can't believe it...Today was an even better healing day.. gosh....  I had a new client today...Fifty-two year old male...He told me he has been a hockey player his whole life...35 years ago he sustained a bad shoulder injury that never recovered..Constantly hurts... He said he is a wimp when it comes to massage...People work on his shoulder and he has to stop them because it hurts like hell... His sister is a Rolfer, and she couldn't help him with his shoulder problem...He also hurt his hip playing hockey last march that he was thinking about seeing a doctor for... I had him for an 80 min. massage today.... I palpated one really sore trigger point in his right gluteus medius.. And two really sore trigger points in his right rhomboids, one near the spine the other near the shoulder blade.. After the massage his hip pain was completely gone..No sign of it..and his shoulder pain that he had for 35 years was 80% better!  He was one happy man...His wife was with him after the massage..They were both very happy, and we talked a while...He is coming in next week for a 25 min. follow up session, only for that shoulder...We will see what condition his shoulder is in then...I think I can wipe it out...He had a big smile on his face...He said this was one of the best days in his life...Its weird, I fix everyone else s problems but my own...lol  

http://www.triggerpoints.net/triggerpoints/glut-med.htm     His medius trigger point was TrP3 in the pictures.  Lateral high on the hip.   That's an interesting site by the way.

Gordon J. Wallis said:

I can't believe it...Today was an even better healing day.. gosh....  I had a new client today...Fifty-two year old male...He told me he has been a hockey player his whole life...35 years ago he sustained a bad shoulder injury that never recovered..Constantly hurts... He said he is a wimp when it comes to massage...People work on his shoulder and he has to stop them because it hurts like hell... His sister is a Rolfer, and she couldn't help him with his shoulder problem...He also hurt his hip playing hockey last march that he was thinking about seeing a doctor for... I had him for an 80 min. massage today.... I palpated one really sore trigger point in his right gluteus medius.. And two really sore trigger points in his right rhomboids, one near the spine the other near the shoulder blade.. After the massage his hip pain was completely gone..No sign of it..and his shoulder pain that he had for 35 years was 80% better!  He was one happy man...His wife was with him after the massage..They were both very happy, and we talked a while...He is coming in next week for a 25 min. follow up session, only for that shoulder...We will see what condition his shoulder is in then...I think I can wipe it out...He had a big smile on his face...He said this was one of the best days in his life...Its weird, I fix everyone else s problems but my own...lol  

Had another new client today... She came in complaining of low back pain. She said her right side was a little worse then the left..  The MDs have her on a non steroid anti-inflammatory of some kind.  She was seeing a chiropractor three times a week for six months, with no help what so ever... He told her that massage would make her condition worse. Which is the main reason I'm even mentioning this in here...After all the time with no improvement.. She decided to get a massage..She randomly got me... All she had was three trigger points... One on each side of spine at L5 on her erectors. And another in her right gluteus medius..    She got up off the table pain free.. She was ecstatic. She told me Its the first time her back has been pain free in two years.. A very happy lady.  That chiropractor obviously doesn't know what he is talking about.   We have a high art.

Thank you for sharing Gordon. You made my day. Reminded me why I do what i do. Massage is a High Art and fun! Just did 2 hours of chair massage yesterday and the glazed look of ecstasy on some of the faces does it all for me.

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