Most people can tell you exactly where they hurt without comprehending exactly why they hurt. Understanding why we hurt can be vital to our health and wellness.

I feel it is important as a massage therapist, to provide my clients with an explanation on why they hurt and what they can do to prevent or at the least limit this discomfort. For instance, I have found that most clients complain of pain or discomfort between their scapulas, which is not surprising since most of our daily actions and exercises are done in medial rotation and flexion. Most pain and discomfort comes from over stretched muscles, causing them to become weak and inhibited due to repetitive stress movements. This is why I find it imperative to give my clients ways to counter balance these muscles through stretching or strengthening exercises to keep them feeling great long after their bodywork session has ended.

My experience has taught me that if you release the muscles that are shortened and contracted that it will help significantly with the pain and discomfort that the client is experiencing even before the area of pain is addressed. As we educate ourselves on how our bodies work the most important question we need to ask is “why?” do we hurt. Only then can we keep our bodies aligned and relatively pain free.