Wait time before working on muscle injury/soreness

[<<KAY>>]

New to board and somewhat intimidated by all the knowledge some of you out there have. I was licensed about four years ago but have only really practiced mainly on friends (mostly Swedish/Relaxation) and rather infrequently as I had a full time office job up until recently. Now that I need to get more into my massage, I feel a little rusty and am beginning to question just how good my massage training has been.

I know that soft tissue injury of a certain degree needs some time for inflammation to subside before massage would be indicated. But what about a client who egages in some physical activity that causes some minor soreness either later that same day or the next day.

A client called and said she was vacuuming earlier that morning and now feels a soreness in her shoulder. Nothing really bad, just a soreness that developed shortly afterward. It was something that she had not felt before when vacuuming and would like a massage that afternoon. Would massage on the affected area so soon be of benefit or does any soreness indicate inflammation that should be allowed to subside?

Another client called and said he had lifted weights the day before and wanted me to "work out the tightness" in a particular area that had just developed from the previous day's workout. Over the phone these conditions sounded minor and I want to keep my clients happy, so I guess my question is "does it really matter how soon massage is applied in cases that seem to be minor"? Is massage at this point beneficial, of little or no benefit or contraindicated?

Thanks for your input

 

[Pompal 09.]

These don't sound like injuries to me. Just the normal aches/pains/tension developed from activities of daily life. Massage is very beneficial, and there's no need to wait.

If you feel underconfident in your massage training, I suggest taking a continuing education class to pick up some new knowledge and skills. It sounds like you're comfortable with swedish techniques but insecure about sports/rehab massage protocol. There are some great classes out there. I don't know where you live, but you could call your local massage school for information on continuing education programs in your area.

Good luck!

 

[Nikita]

I would have to agree with Bliss, these are all relatively minor aches and pains on a daily level and shouldn't be a problem. If one of them had said they were in a some what serious automobile accident this morning, THAT'S a different story!

I would also have to agree on brushing up with some classes. You will probably be surprised how much you remember once you get your hands going again! If you still have your books, you could also review that way, just to take a little of the rust away. Great to have you on the boards!

 

[carla c]

Wait time before working on muscle injury/soreness

I know that soft tissue injury of a certain degree needs some time for inflammation to subside before massage would be indicated. But what about a client who egages in some physical activity that causes some minor soreness either later that same day or the next day.

A client called and said she was vacuuming earlier that morning and now feels a soreness in her shoulder. Nothing really bad, just a soreness that developed shortly afterward. It was something that she had not felt before when vacuuming and would like a massage that afternoon. Would massage on the affected area so soon be of benefit or does any soreness indicate inflammation that should be allowed to subside?

Another client called and said he had lifted weights the day before and wanted me to "work out the tightness" in a particular area that had just developed from the previous day's workout. Over the phone these conditions sounded minor and I want to keep my clients happy, so I guess my question is "does it really matter how soon massage is applied in cases that seem to be minor"? Is massage at this point beneficial, of little or no benefit or contraindicated?

Thanks for your input

It sounds as though you are referring to DOMS/delayed onset muscle soreness....
Approach it normally and remember to not use heat.
Throw in a little cryo therapy if you feel the need.

Robyn

PS
Welcome to the board.

 

[Secret]

Thanks for the responses.

Nybor7, I think you are right about it being DOMS. I Googled the term (delayed onset muscle soreness) and found a ton of articles pretty well describing what I was talking about. Most articles seemed to indicate there was little evidence to suggest that massage therapy was effective, although anti-inflammatories and ice would help, with the soreness usually resolving in 3-7 days.

 

[highperactive]

Back when I was in college and throwing javelin, the Athletic Trainers would use dixie cups that had been filled with water and frozen to "massage" my lower back. Worked much better than just plunking a bag of ice on it for 20 minutes. I had asked my MT if she would be interested in doing that for me on those days my lower back acts up. Unfortunately she doesn't have any way to keep something frozen at her office. Have any of you done this?

 

[L.T.M.]

Igloo ice chest...large or small.
If I had no access to a fridge that is what I would be using.
I already make use of a small one to keep my micrwaved towels hot.
They are zapped before client gets there and kept warm in a small igloo.
Ice cups could easily be frozen at home and transported by her to her office.

Robyn