Massage: A Path to Better Understanding & Managing Pain

Pain is a complex sensation that can vary in intensity and duration. While it’s often viewed negatively, understanding the different types of discomfort can help us navigate our experiences more positively, especially when considering the benefits of massage therapy.

The Eight Common Types of Pain

According to Mikki Williams, the LMT here at Rassel-Daigneault Holistic Health Center, there are eight main types of pain:

• acute - from specific incidents
• chronic - lasting more than 6 months
• inflammatory - caused by fluid pressure on nerves
• neurogenic – from nerve tissue damage
• neuropathic – from lingering injury or trauma
• nociceptive – activated by tissue damage or immune response
• somatic – in tissues like skin, muscles, and bones
• visceral – related to internal organs

Serving As a Helpful Signal

While pain is often seen as something negative, mild discomfort plays an important role in healing as it alerts the brain to promote more blood flow to that area, according to Mikki. She aims to keep levels between 3-4 on a scale of 10. “Pain is not an indicator of damaged tissue, and damaged tissue will not always show up in the form of pain,” she said.

Handling Discomfort During Massage

Mikki uses various techniques to manage discomfort during massages, including pain neuroscience education and distraction techniques. “Distractions such as small talk, foot tapping, getting a client a stress ball, or even a snowglobe or something else to distract them is very helpful, ” she said.

No Pain, No Gain? Not Quite

Pain isn’t necessarily an indicator of progress. “Many of my younger athletes, especially the guys, will say, ‘No pain, no gain.’ They actually want the massage to hurt because they think that’s where they’re getting the progress. But actually, pain is just one tool in my toolbox to help people heal. And I have lots of tools for that,” said Mikki.