At massage school, the
relationship between front and back of the body was emphasized from the
beginning. If you have back pain,
pay attention to the front; the abdomen.
If the pain is in the upper back, work on the chest. It is an amazing concept, and it has
been so true.
When I work on clients, I never forget the front/back
relationship and always work on other than painful areas, but I almost forgot
to apply it to myself! Just a few
days ago, I threw up in the evening (not food poisoning or stomach flu,
thankfully), and I woke up next morning with the pain all over my back
(mid-back, ribs, and low back).
First, I thought I slept too long, but if that happens, pain is normally
limited to a specific area, not all over my back. I massaged every possible trigger point in the back with a tennis ball and a Body Back Buddy and used a heat pack. It got a little bit better for a while, but the pain came
back. I knew I was not doing
right. As a massage therapist, it
was frustrating not to know what to do with my own pain.
Then, I remembered that distressed internal organs could
cause pain in the back, so my attention shifted from the back to the
stomach. And finally, I remembered
the trigger
points and referred pain of the abdominal muscle (rectus
abdominis), the “six-pack.”
This muscle plays a role in childbirth, vomiting, urination and
defecation.
 |
| Trigger Points |
 |
| Referred Pain in the Back |
I started massaging the upper trigger points just below the
ribcage. There was definitely a
tender spot in the right side. I
also massaged along the muscle side to side and the lower trigger points for
low back pain. Not long after, the
pain subsided, and I finally felt comfortable.
This episode is self-anecdotal, but it definitely reinforced
the importance of the front/back relationship.