Six months before I decided to stop being a classroom teacher, I had developed hip pain. Nothing seemed to help. Not yoga, not working out. Nothing. A few months before I began my training as a massage therapist, I could barely get in and out of my Highlander.
I wondered what sort of massage therapist I would be with chronic hip pain. Clinical Massage was my very first class in massage school. That’s where you learn all about how to treat various muscle maladies that may contribute to a person’s pain and range of motion. It was during the course work of the gluteal region that I began to notice some improvement with my hip the day after my classmates gave me deep tissue massage in my general hip area.
Then, it hit me that massage is more than pampering and making someone feel like they are floating in mid-air. It’s more than a day at a spa. Massage can really help with chronic pain!
This still didn’t “fix” my hip problem though because as soon as we moved on to learning about other areas of the body and massaging those parts, my hip problems came back. However, when Clinical Massage was over and I began to take Swedish Massage, my life completely changed. I was able to get 2 full-body massages a week for 2 months! That’s a lot of massage!
And this is what I noticed: My hip pain was gone in a matter of weeks. I got my full range of motion back and it no longer hurt to get in and out of my vehicle. I was perplexed because no one was giving really deep pressure.
They were just relaxing massages for the most part. I began to realize the importance of frequent bodywork when someone has lower back or hip pain.
Through all those hours of massages I received, my muscles were slowly being ironed out so to speak. Then one day, my Swedish Massage class was over. I no longer got two massages per week. And you know what happened? It was okay! As long as I paid for two massages a month, my hip pain did not return.
I know that most people cannot commit to two massages a week. The vast majority of people do not need bodywork that often. However, most people can fit a few massages a month into their budget, and I wanted to tell you from experience that it does really help. For me, it’s well worth being able to get in and out of my car without pain. Regular massage has helped me feel like the Wonder Woman I am.
If you’re suffering from lower back or hip pain, piriformis syndrome or sciatic nerve pain, give me a call. We can see if my sciatic nerve package is right for you!
