QuestionMy husband had spinal fusion surgery 1 year ago. This past January through march he was finally feeling better and was mostly of off all pain meds. He went to his pain mgt Dr and relayed this to him. The Dr then said "let's do nerve block injections". I was against this, feeling that if he was feeling better with each month why do the injections. But, my husband decided to do the injections. There were 3 sessions of these over a 12 week period. Last month, June, he decided to go to the massage therapist he had seen before surgery and this gave him some relief. Enough so that he started getting 2 to 3 massages per week. Also, going to another massage establishment other than the original therapist.
After a month of 2 to 3 massages per week he is now in terrible pain and back on oxycodone. My question is could these massages after the injections be harmful? He does nothing in moderation, was it too many massages? His original massage therapist works with patients such as my husband and she is very good. The other establishment he went to is a chain and he went as a walk in.
Thankyou for any input you may have.
AnswerHi Nina,
Thank you for your question. Spinal fusion surgery is quite serious and does entail a long recovery time. I'm not sure what type of injections your husband received - though blocks aren't typically used in a situation unless there's a ton of very acute pain. I am not personally a fan of this type of treatment (injections for pain that isn't overly severe) because it only treats symptoms and doesn't help solve why the pain exists, or prevent it from returning. It can also cause a lack of sensation which may allow the patient to think that they have recovered enough to do strenuous activities, which they may not be.
A licensed therapist should have avoided any deep pressure on areas that were in recovery, especially if there was numbness or a lack of sensitivity because of these injections. If he didn't realize how much pain/injury his body was experiencing, an unlicensed/inexperienced therapist may have unknowingly made the situation worse. I can't stress enough how important it is to frequent massage studios that employ a Health Intake Form prior to sessions, detailing any surgeries, injuries, allergies or health conditions and medication being used. A responsible and concerned therapist might have requested a doctor's note to clear him for massage therapy - with my patient's Ok I have personally phoned several doctors as needed to consult about a patients health. If he was under the care of more than one therapist, there is always room to stray from a valid treatment plan that's been OK'd by a Doctor, especially if the establishment was less than clinically professional.
I hope that this has been helpful and that he recovers soon!
For more information about Nerve Blocks and injections here's a great site: http://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/pain-management/spinal-injection-nerve-b...
Warmly,
Rachel Beider, LMT
Owner, Massage Williamsburg
www.massagewilliamsburg.com
