12 September 2008

Therapeutic, my @$$...

It an attempt to ride myself of the final vestiges from last week’s neck injury, I decided to get a referral from my doctor for some massage therapy. Thankfully, the bulk of pain dissipated throughout the week, however I still found that my neck and shoulder muscles were tense and would seize up in the evening and early morning. Seeing as I am fortunate enough to have a healthcare plan than covers prescribed massage therapy, I decided to see if a good rub would make any difference.

Being a complete massage virgin, other than the quick and ‘unenthusiastic’ occasional rubdowns that I get from hubby, I walked into this experience not knowing quite what to expect. I was under the impression that I would spend 45 minutes being soothingly and blissfully massaged into a pool of contented mush. I did not, however, imagine that pain would be involved. In particular, I did not enjoy the sensation of writhering tendons, finger prods (jabs) and the post-massage tenderness that I am feeling today. The R.M.T. did warn me that I would experience soreness, but it never registered that the actual process would be uncomfortable. I think I naively assumed that this would be something akin to a relaxing spa massage. Instead, therapeutic massages are quite firm and used to isolate and loosen certain muscles. To the masseuse’s credit, the hard knot in my muscle has loosened significantly. I have no doubt that she knew what she was doing; it just wasn’t what I had originally expected.

Once again, it seems that the old adage, “No pain, no gain,” reigns supreme.

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