Shoulder injuries are very common injury in the world of sports (& everyday life). Thankfully, research fully supports massage therapy as an effective & efficient way to relieve your pain, improve mobility & speed up healing. Anatomically, the shoulder is a ‘floater’, but what do we mean by this?

Standing up, most of the joints in our body are stacked with a scaffolded type of structure, except for our shoulders. They are a joint from our main skeleton that is supported by a complex weaving of muscle, tendon & ligament. When muscles are out of balance, it’s easier to create a climate of injury in the area.

The reason for our sore & achy shoulders varies but to name a few…

Sports related trauma, car accidents, repetitive strain & ergonomics can contribute to shoulders feeling sharp with pain or just plain achy. How can massage help?

One study (Liza et al., 2023) determined that massage can work by releasing nerve tension and improving localized blood flow. When your massage is therapeutic, measured & there is meaningful communication between the patient & therapist better healing can occur. This study profiles sensation based language to ensure that the therapists’ pressure feels effective for the patient.

What might that language sound like?

How does that feel? How’s my pressure? Does this feel therapeutic? Is this valuable? Do you want less pressure or more? Tell me when it starts to feel productive? How are you doing? Can you rate the pressure out of 10? Does the technique I’m using now feel like it’s helping?

Your massage therapist should be prompting for your feedback throughout your treatment. So much of a good treatment comes down to communication (& I’m not talking about sharing the latest Netflix series you happen to be binge watching). Think of the massage treatment as an experience you co-create with your RMT. When we practice saying literally what we feel in an objective manner, it helps propel the healing journey so that good things can happen to our mind, spirit & sore spots too.

#rotatorcuffrehab #rmt #deeptissue #cupping