Hurts So Good

People get massage for many different reasons.  Some like Swedish massage for relaxation.  Some like hot stones for the deep penetrating heat.  Some like therapeutic massage to iron out the kinks.  If clients are not there strictly for relaxation or they ask for specific treatment for pain relief, the chances are there will be some discomfort at one point or another in their massage session.  Bodywork that targets painful areas is generally considered therapeutic massage.  Therapeutic massage should not be an unpleasant or overly painful experience.  It should be what I like to call a "good hurt".

So what exactly is a good hurt?  I like to explain it as how the body should feel after a nice workout session and I don't mean the "no pain, no gain" kind.  The muscles should feel like they have been stretched and moved in a positive way.  There should be a slight ache when the muscles are engaged and although it is not truly painful, it is not exactly comfortable either.  Clients should be aware of what muscle the therapist is working and clients that receive regular bodywork can usually work with the therapist and feel the physical release as the muscle relaxes.

Now, how does the therapist know if they are at the good hurt level or if they have went too far?  Communicating with clients is essential.  Check in with the client to see if your pressure feels good or if you need to adjust or modify your treatment.  Ask if they feel like they need more or less pressure.  Ask if you need to back out or if they want to continue.  Encourage the client to speak up at any time if they are uncomfortable and explain what you are doing in terms the client will understand.

Watch for physical cues as well.  If the body tenses or the client holds their breath, it most likely is associated with pain.  If you see fingers and toes curl or the client grimaces, these are also good indicators that the client is experiencing discomfort.  As you are working, encourage the client to breathe through the deeper work and to try to relax as much as possible so that you keep the client's focus on healing instead of pain.  Announcing strokes that you think might be semi-painful allows the client to prepare for the possibility of pain and helps maintain their overall relaxation.  When the client is not relaxed and subsequently leaves the good hurt zone, their pain receptors will respond automatically and attempt to alleviate the pain.  At this point the body works against the therapist and massage can possibly do more harm than good.  An example of this is the trigger point therapist that leaves bruises on the client. 

A good therapist knows that the good hurt is not for everyone and sometimes we have to glide on over that golf ball-sized knot even though every fiber in our body is begging to drop an elbow.   We need to be mindful that one person's idea of a good hurt can be very different from others and that the most we can do is be present and focused on our client's desires as well as their needs.  Then  armed with this wisdom, let us follow the words of  John Mellencamp.....Come on baby, make it hurt so good.