Remote Massage

This is weird. I'm going to try it again tonight.

I have severe pain in my sacrum and coccyx which tends to get really bad when I'm in bed. I woke up last night with burning, throbbing and pins and needles. I'm no contortionist and didn't attempt to massage myself. Instead I started massaging my face and head. It's all I could reach comfortably. It was soothing. Then suddenly I felt my back melting into the bed and the pain disappearing. It was bliss. The more I massaged my face the less pain I felt in my back.

Is this the flip side of giving yourself acute pain to confuse the brain? Or have I had my lower back massaged so much my body just associates massage with relaxing the lower spine?

Whatever the reason, Whether its effective will need to be based on more than one event. Will post again after a couple of weeks to let you know the outcome.

[hamble99b]

sometimes stroking, with two fingers, the part of your face at the side of your ear is very relaxing, it is a good way to get a baby/ child to relax and go to sleep. glad what you did helped, must try it.

regards, sandra.

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I'm passed hissy fits because I can't sleep. Would rather do something more productive. Thanks for tip, next time I'm looking after fractious baby, will try it

[Shemadee]

Sounds a bit like diy reflexology! The lady I saw showed me various ways of doing reflexology on what part of the body that affected another. May be worth getting a book out of the library?

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Its really bizarre, maybe I do need to investigate it more

[teadrinker]

I went to a reflexology session years ago (back in the day when I thought chronic pain was something only other people got - ha ha) and what you are saying kind of makes sense. I know people who are trained to do acupuncture and they talk about different pressure points on the body having an effect elsewhere. I also know from my own pain that pressure in one area leads to pain somewhere else - for example today, there's a sore bit on my shouder blade that when touched is making the inside of my jaw ache. If I have those bits injected the pain in my face reduces. Weird how we're all wired up, isn't it? May be I need to be re-wired?

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Teadrinker, you are a star for jogging my memory. I went to a crainiopathist as my very first alternative therapy. That was nearly 10 years ago. He often manipulated my skull and neck, he never touched my face though. I had the same feeling of weighlessness and melting into the table then.

So back then my brain must have made the connection between head massage and lower spine pain relief. Now, its remembered that connection.

I stopped going to the crainiopathist (is that their name looks odd to me) because it stopped making a difference. Maybe its time to try it again.

[textiledesigner]

hi just joined i will have a go ,to avoid this excruciating lower back pain on the left side ,and tingling leg and feet and dull aches getting worse and worse ning excruciating buttock pain at night i hate nights awating an appointment with spinal specialists, takijng pregabalin 300mgs 3 times daily does not touch it, please anyone can you help!

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Well, thought I ought to report back as its been a couple of weeks. All I can say is that most often than not it has worked. I don't know if technique has anything to do with it but some nights were definitely better than others.

it is difficult massaging yourself trying to lie down so that you relax better.

There is a Japanese thing my daughter got taught at school which is meant to calm and relax you, and they do it before the start of each class to get focused. Not sure if it will help with pain but might help with anxiety and giving you a bit of freedom to think clearly.

All you do is slowly (its important to do it slowly) start at the top outer edge of your ear where it joins your face and gently roll out the ear edge and pinch. move a fingers width along and repeat the roll and pinch all the way along the edge until you get to the ear lobe. Then gently pull the lobe down 3 times and repeat on the other ear.