WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF MY CONSTANT PAIN?
This is the most common reason why people are seeking massage. What is causing the chronic pain that most of us suffer from?
During a session, I ask a lot of questions to clients about their daily lives and their past. Did you ever suffer from an accident? Do you have any reason why something you have done in your past may have caused an injury? Why do I ask? SCAR TISSUE!!!!! One of the worst culprits for causing chronic pain!
One of my clients had a shoulder issue that has been causing her pain for several months. Why??? After relaxing her and just having some one on one discussion about her daily life, I found out that she has a 65 pound Lab she walks who is not always under control. The jolts and tugging just from the walks with her Lab had caused some torn muscles in her shoulder! SCAR TISSUE DEVELOPED!!! PAIN!!!
Let me explain how scar tissue can cause horrible and constant pain.
Scar tissue is the fibrous connective tissue which forms a scar; it can be found on any tissue
on the body, including skin and internal organs, where an injury, cut,
surgery or disease has taken place, and then healed. Thicker than the
surrounding tissue, scar tissue is paler and denser because it has a limited blood supply; although it takes the place of damaged or destroyed tissue,
it is limited in function, including movement, circulation, and
sensation. Other than with minor cuts and scrapes, scarring is a common
result of any bodily damage.
Scar tissue
in the skin is inferior to healthy, normal skin for several reasons:
sweat glands are damaged or destroyed, hair does not grow back, and
there is less resistance to ultraviolet radiation. Skin scars are
normally flat and pale, illustrating the history of the injury which
caused them, yet often a body will produce too much fibrous tissue, resulting in an extra thick or raised scar.
HYPERTROPHIC SCARS form as red lumps on the skin but stay within the confines of the original wound. KELOID SCARS may cover the original wound but then continue to grow, causing a type of tumorous growth. Hypertrophic and Keloid scars can occur in anyone, but are more common in younger and dark skinned
people. In rare cases, keloid scars form without warning or injury.
Now, think back to your past or present and say to yourself, what could I have done to injure myself, no matter how minor the injury may have been????? As traumatic as a car accident or as minor as walking a 65 pound dog, a horse back riding fall, or playing golf?
Christie works with a technique in her practice to break up the scar tissue. This technique will bring much needed blood flow to the affected area and help to give you back more fluid movement and less pain. The technique is referred to as Gua Sha. This is an ancient technique that can easily break up the affected tissue with Gua means ease. This technique is very effective and
can break up the scar tissue in several visits. There may be some
minor soreness and bruising, but that is normal. We actually want the
bruising to occur, because that is what floods the tissue with blood so
that when the tissue is broken up, it can begin to heal again smoother
and with less bulk.
Gua Sha is an East Asian healing technique. Gua means to
scrape or rub. Sha is a 'reddish, elevated, millet-like skin rash' (aka
petechiae). Sha is the term used to describe Blood stasis in the subcutaneous
tissue before and after it is raised as petechiae. Gua Sha is one technique
that intentionally raises Sha rash or petechiae. In Vietnam the technique is
called Cao Yio, in Indonesia: Kerik, in Laos: Khoud Lam.
When is it recommended to use Gua Sha?
Gua Sha is used whenever a patient has pain whether associated
with an acute or chronic disorder. There may be aching, tenderness and/or a
knotty feeling in the muscles. Palpation reveals Sha when normal finger
pressure on a patient's skin causes blanching that is slow to fade. In addition
to resolving muscular skeletal pain, Gua Sha is used to treat as well as prevent
common cold, flu, bronchitis, asthma, as well as any chronic disorder involving
pain, congestion of Qi and Blood.
Is Gua Sha Safe?
Gua Sha is a
completely safe technique, but it is serious medicine. Knowing when to use it
and what to expect from treatment is as important as good technique. People who
live in chronic pain often erect emotional defenses to cope with it or can feel
completely hopeless. Having that pain ‘touched’ and relieved can be unsettling,
even shocking. It is good to be moderate in activity after treatment, even
rest.
Where is Gua Sha used on the body:
Sha is raised primarily at
the Yang surface of the body: the back, neck, shoulders, buttocks, and limbs.
On occasion, Gua Sha is applied at the chest and abdomen.
How is Gua Sha applied to the body?
The area to be Gua Sha-ed is lubricated with oil. The skin
is then rubbed with a round-edged instrument in downward strokes. One area is
stroked until the petechiae that surface are completely raised. If there is no
Blood stasis the petechiae will not form and the skin will only turn pink. Christie starts the session with some relaxation, warm, moist towels to the affected area. When you are relaxed, warm stones are used to soften the tissue. The tissue becomes softer when heated. Once the tissue is soft and pliable, Christie uses a tool to rub along the scar tissue in a "friction" motion to break up the scar tissue.
The color of the Sha is
both diagnostic and prognostic. Very light colored Sha can indicate Deficiency
of Blood. If the Sha is fresh red, it is of recent penetration. If the Sha is
purple or black, the Blood stasis is long-standing. If brown, the Blood may be
dry. Dark red Sha can indicate heat.
What are the benefits of Gua Sha?
In most cases the patient feels an immediate shift in their
condition particularly in their pain or sense of constraint. Gua Sha moves
stuck Qi and Blood, releases the Exterior mimicking sweating, and moves Fluids.
In a modern medical construct these fluids contain metabolic waste that
congested the surface tissues and muscles. Gua Sha promotes circulation and
normalizes metabolic processes. It is a valuable treatment for both external
and internal pain, and facilitates the resolution of both acute and chronic
disorders.
Within the first session, you will notice a tremendous difference in your movement and pain. With several sessions, you will be making your way back to a better, less painful life!
Give Indigo Blue Massage & Wellness a call to set up your appointment. This will be the beginning of feeling better!
