No Pain No Gain. Or is it?

One thing that seems to pop up from time to time is the common perception, that a good Remedial Massage or Myotherapy treatment is supposed to be painful. Like you just left a heavy gym session with nothing left in the tank. This is not the case…

Don’t get us wrong, we are more than happy to cater to your preferred level of pressure. We get it, firm pressure feels great! But is there such a thing as “good pain”? For the purposes of dispelling any myths and perhaps increasing the benefits of your sessions with the team, please read on!

It is important to understand that pain is the body’s alarm system to warn against weakness or injury. When pain is felt by the body, your brain responds by firing off messages to the muscles to tense up around the local area, in order to protect against further injury or harm. Although pain is necessary and a normal neurological process, it is not always helpful in the clinic room. We don't need your body trying to fight us, but rather work with us to optimise results of your treatments - both on and off the treatment table. By reducing discomfort felt during certain manual therapy techniques, we are able to effectively target the tissues without the reflexive tensing. Or causing further pain sensitivity, inflammation or aggravating nearby muscles or joints, which essentially prolongs the problem we are trying to resolve.

So, as a guide to manage your pain during a massage or myotherapy treatment, breathe through the slight discomfort and focus on allowing the tissues to adapt to the pressure from your practitioner, consider this as a better level of “good pain”. Similarly, if you find yourself holding your breath or muscle guarding, it’s a good sign that the tissues aren’t ready for the amount of pressure being used. Finally, we will always communicate to you and ask for feedback but listen to your body’s signals so we can reach your goals effectively and comfortably!

Written By Melanie Beel