QuestionHaving just read your reply to Darcy about her ankles swelling after a massage, I'm asking about a similar experience.
I was quite ill with norovirus last month. The dehydration that I experienced caused my B/P to plummet and I passed out twice upon standing. My lower back has given me grief for years, but it's usually responded to chiropractic or massage. After the falls, I was in serious pain, but I'm reluctant to take prescription pain meds and the OTC meds weren't giving much relief. I decided to get a 30 minute Swedish massage from a masseuse I've used previously.
My back felt much improved immediately afterwards, but by that later that evening I was getting sore again. Sitting on the couch watching TV, I reached down to scratch my ankle and discovered that both ankles were quite swollen. I drink a lot of water daily, and was drinking more than usual due to the dehydration of the previous week so I couldn't understand why my ankles & feet were so swollen. I even drank a large glass of water before going in for the massage.
During the massage, she worked on some really tight areas - knots - in both my lower back and my glutes. Could working on them cause some reaction or release something into my system that caused my feet/ankles to swell? Should I avoid going back for another massage? I've pulled out some old physical therapy notes of exercises to do, but it's slow going as my back is stiff and the muscles are so tight back that it's hard to do the stretches effectively.
My ankles were still a bit swollen the next day, but went down completely in a couple of days. Any advice?
AnswerHello Elizabeth,
Good question! The only thing I can think of right now is that pressure into the gluteal muscles may possibly have temporarily prevented fluid movement and therefor some swelling.
But I have never seen this or heard of this. More commonly, lymphatic drainage massage is used to get rid of swelling. I couldn't find a reference to massage causing swelling.
Long distance thoughts: Salt food intake more than usual before or after the massage?
Massage advisable? I would guess yes because it may not have been the cause of the swelling. But do mention it to the therapist so she can put it in her notes. If it happens again, she may be able to make a connection to working in a certain area or the length of time she applied pressure.
To relax your back: Lie on your back with your calves propped. Either prop them onto a chair or footstool if you can get onto the floor or with several pillows or quilts if you have to lie in bed. Stay in that position for at least 15 minutes. It will take pressure off your back from the iliopsoas muscles.
Ask you therapist if she knows how to release the psoas (iliopsoas) muscle (the "p" is silent; so-as) Lots of times the psoas is what's causing back pain and stiffness. It attaches to the spine from the front of the body and is accessible through the abdomen and on the inside of the hip bones. If she doesn't know how, perhaps she can refer you to another therapist who does.
When the benefits of massage only last for a few hours it often means that we have missed the target (the cause) and only treated symptoms.
Stretches? May be most beneficial if you stretch the front side of your body rather than the back. Keep drinking lots of water to keep your muscles well hydrated so they can function their best.
Also, there are lots of articles that may be helpful to you at http://SimpleBackPainRelief.com
Hope this helps you feel better quickly and get rid of your tight back muscles.
Kathryn Merrow
The Pain Relief Coach
