Massage Early and Often: Don't Wait for Pain

By Kate Fruchey, LMT

It seems to be pretty common knowledge these days that massage is a wonderful and effective tool for addressing tension in our backs, necks, and shoulders. And it is! In fact, getting some bodywork to address general, achy, tension in these areas before it becomes downright painful is one of my favorite self-care tips. That general discomfort is a signal that something is off, an imbalance of some sort is affecting your body’s ability to work efficiently.

Posture, repetitive movement and fatigue are all likely suspects in these cases, and it is important to remember they rarely act alone. Usually it’s a combination of such factors working together that, if left unheeded, gradually become chronic neck and back pain. One of the biggest players in this scenario is often overlooked is stress. Anxiety and stress can lower our ability to modulate pain, potentially allowing minor aches and pains to escalate into major problems. Have you ever noticed your back pain gets worse when work/life gets particularly stressful? 

While experiencing stress is inevitable, chronic stress can be a real problem. It’s the type of problem that makes other problems feel worse by disrupting sleep, negatively impacting digestion, dampening our mood and resilience, and triggering physiologic processes that affect our immune system and the health of our tissues. And, as you may have guessed, that is where massage comes in. Research has shown that massage therapy can have a positive influence with the issue of stress and improving quality of life. Taking time out to alleviate stress and address those minor aches and pains just might help prevent some major issues down the road.