How Can Massage Help With Post-Operation?

I always find that I thrive and aim to go above and beyond with the most challenging cases! Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to share one of my client's story with you. 

In June 2019, I had a client who used to come to see me on a regular basis for weekly Remedial Massage treatments. It wasn't until August this year that she told me that she was due to have a Discectomy operation. It is a common medical procedure where a portion of the disc in the lumber is removed to reduce the pressure on the nerve root.

After a month of allowing herself to recover from the operation, she returned in September to ask whether I would be able to help her rehabilitate from her surgery. I was very eager to help her as she has always been very committed to maintain her health and well-being.

I do admit, it wasn't without trial and error when I was trying to create a treatment plan that was best suited for her. I remember I spent a good hour before her first session back trying to re-arrange the table to make it more comfortable and figuring out the most appropriate massage techniques. Thankfully, I had a really comfortable pregnancy belly pillow which worked like a charm as it helped alleviate the pressure from her lower back when she was lying in the prone position.

Communication is always the key when it comes down to Remedial and Deep Tissue massage. At first, I was a little reluctant as to how much pressure she was able to tolerate and I had to be mindful of the region where she was operated on. Luckily, this amazing young woman has an AMAZING pain thresh-hold that most people probably couldn't tolerate. And as a bonus, she put her faith and trust in me.

The first two sessions seemed to have worked well enough to allow some temporary relief for her lower back. Still, I felt like the massage just wasn't enough for her. By our third session, I felt pretty confident to take it to the next level and suggest for us to add in Cupping and Dry Needling during her treatment. She was a little unsure as to what to expect at first,

but after having explained the therapeutic effects with these additional modalities, she was happy to give it a go!

A few weeks later, she sent me a message which moved me to tears:

"Hey lovely, I just wanted to send you a message to say how much your massages worked for me. I have noticed a massive difference from when I was coming frequently! Your treatments made me feel so much better and so much less pain in my day to day life. You are a magical person. I appreciate all the effort you have put into my treatments after my 2 surgeries and I hope to be back soon to get back into it."

After having read this, I had to take a moment to stop and acknowledge just how FORTUNATE I am to have a gift which makes a difference to other peoples lives. Massage Therapy is truly a healing art. And at the end of my working day, if I can help just one person, then that's all that matters to me. That's what counts.