In the last two decades since I have become teaching the healing arts most of our understanding of joint and muscle pain has changed. Initially practitioners were taught the gate theory of pain and then fascia came into fashion and now we talk about the neuromatrix theory of pain. What will the next decade bring?

It is rare that a practitioner will keep up to date with the latest literature on pain and healing. Most massage therapists are looking for the next technique that is in fashion. I have done this as well. Learning myofascial release, neuro-muscular therapy, and deep tissue massage. Continually educating myself, trying to find the technique that is going to help everybody.

Now, looking back my intention has changed. I recognize now that everyone is different. Every client that comes to see me needs something slightly different. There are patterns that I see and ways that I like to treat neck and shoulder pain or back pain, but no treatment is ever the same. Just like no person is the same.

So all of that learning and knowledge wasn't in vain. It created the foundation and the literacy to be able to embrace and learn from the research that came next. Today, in 2019 I understand muscle, tendon, joint, and ligament pain as primarily mediated by the brain. Yes, there is something happening locally at the tissue level, but that is being interpreted by the brain and the brain's interpretation is protect. The best way to protect something is through pain.

So much of what I do as a massage therapist is to change the information coming from the skin, joint, muscle and tendon so that the brain can find a new relatinship to that information. Prefereably one that does not require a protective pain response.

​Just like death and taxes it is rare that an individual will be able to go through life without experiencing pain. We have seen medical sciences spring up in every ancient culture and continue to grow until our modern medical model has been developed to treat pain. In both the ancient and modern systems hands on healing has always been an integral part of these treatment protocols.

As our modern understanding of pain grows from the early 19th century and the discovery of morphine’s effect on pain to the many types of anesthesia and analgesics that are used today in medicine we sometimes forget that massage has always been a part of pain management and treatment. In order to understand how massage can benefit pain it can be useful to uncover what we currently know about pain. It should be noted that most of our current understanding is theoretical and although evidence based the evidence is still incomplete. Read More

How to Heal a Trauma in the Neck

By Noah Volz

It happens. You may get rear-ended, crash your bike, face plant on your skis or get hit by a kayak. Whiplash may come in many forms and if not treated wisely it can become a long-term problem. Massage and bodywork can can be a primary or adjunct therapy for the pain and discomfort that come with whiplash.

Understanding Whiplash
The term "whiplash" says it all. The head whips forward when their is sudden impact and the muscles of the neck contract to try and slow the forward momentum. This contraction to slow down the momentum of the head can cause micro-tears to the muscles, tendons or ligaments in the neck. Read More

By Noah Volz

There are multiple causes of low back pain but in this article we will look at one common cause which is ligament injuries. By having a deeper understanding of how they occur, what the common symptoms are, and how to pinpoint the structure that has been damaged we can learn a lot about the treatment of pain in this area. 

What Are They?
Sprains are microtears in the ligaments that connect bone to bone and when they cause low back and hip pain they are most often found along the lumbar vertebrae from L1-L5 or along the sacral ligaments. Because of their structure they do not receive good blood supply and when damaged adhesive scar tissue will often form. Ligament pain is often considered to have a similar pain pattern as nerve pain. It is sharp, burning and powerfully painful. Read More