In the past, my complete understanding of what remedial massage was that it’s what athletes or other active people need, especially after pulling a muscle during exercise or sport.

Because I was one of the least sporty people ever, I never really imagined myself ever booking an appointment for remedial massage. In fact, as I sat in that myotherapy clinic’s waiting room, I was wondering what I can get out of it.

The Story Behind My Pain

The reason why I ended up in that clinic is my bad back pain. It wasn’t always so painful and I managed to ignore it for many years.

At times, I would try out some short-lived treatment like a relaxing massage, a pain-relief cream, and even some painkillers when I was not on the mood to deal with the pain. None of them really provided long-lasting relief, and over time, the pain just got worse.

I didn’t really understand why and what caused my pain. I certainly wasn’t overusing my muscles or even overstretching them. My life was work and home. I believed that my lifestyle was as good as avoiding injury as possible, but I realized how wrong I was after I met with an experienced myotherapist.

I was truly astounded to learn that he had seen many cases like mine, that he didn’t even bat an eye as I described my symptoms and my lifestyle. It seems inactive people like me also suffer from non-sports injuries.

He believes that mine was due to problems with my posture, which is not helped by my daily 8-hour session in my office chair. In fact, my inactivity was making back pain worse, because my muscles are not getting worked up during exercise.

Why I Need Remedial Massage

The pain is the end result of issues that need to be addressed. First and foremost, there is the problem with my bad posture.

When I slump in my computer chair for most of the day (and on the couch at night), I might be overworking certain muscles. On the other hand, other muscles are not used so that they become tighter, shorter, and weaker.

Over time, poor posture can have serious consequences. My spine and my joints can become misaligned, while the overstrained muscles can become very painful.

In fact, I have had pain so bad that it had debilitated me and left me with no other choice but to medicate. I decided that I was not going to live this way anymore and looked for a permanent solution.

My Way To Relief

As the myotherapist explained it all to me, how bad posture can lead to pain, what the consequences are, and what the symptoms are, it was like seeing the light. I finally felt like I was with someone who truly understands and who can really offer me a solution. 

We discussed during that first visit how we would go further with the treatment. The first thing was to do a proper diagnosis, looking into my posture and identifying which muscles are causing the pain.

While dealing with the aching was a top priority, eliminating the causes of the hurt is a bigger goal. My myotherapist told me that remedial massage will work on those muscles that have been suffering due to poor posture, he will also work with me to correct my poor posture.

Because remedial massage is not the same as your usual spa massage appointment, he informed me that I should be prepared for the pain. I admit, the first time he laid hands on my sore muscles, I had to stifle a cry. 

But after those first few moments, I started feeling good, like someone was finally working on muscles I didn’t even realize existed. The careful massage relieved the sore muscles and led me on the road to recovery.

After further work, correcting my poor posture and incorporating some stretching exercises to prevent sore muscles, I could finally see that my back pain was history.

Remedial massage was certainly not the solution I imagined back then, but now I am eagerly recommending my myotherapist to anyone who mentioned back pain. Life without it is not a dream, but it can be a reality.