too much pressure on the suboccipitals

[Walter XI JPA]

hi, i'm a student who was massaging a woman Friday (warning, this is an unhappy cautionary tale!) her suboccipitals were quite tight, so i applied pressure to them (melting at insertion and origin) but i did not think with unusual depth. nevertheless, though she felt great all that day, yesterday they hurt her quite a bit, with I think the oblique capitis superior particularly inflamed (it hurt so much she couldn't touch it, she said). she applied ice and took ibuprofen, and they started to feel better by afternoon, but what do you think happened? and, gulp, might I have done real damage? I tend to work very cautiously and had no idea my depth was so severe.

This woman tends to prefer deep work generally and always takes an epsom salt bath after her massages, which seems to prevent soreness. Could it be her bath didn't reach the suboccipitals or am I giving epsom salt way too much credit for something this extreme?

 

[Sammzie]

I would say that the pressure might have been a little too aggressive for her or the area was worked too long. If she takes epsom salt baths after massages, it seems she might be getting work that is too aggressive for her most of her massages.

For me, after I have done a lot of deep work in any area, I like to do some medium swedish strokes and stretch the area. That seems to help (consistantly with many different clients) to help with any soreness that might occur.

A little soreness IMO, is normal. I experience it when I receive massages that are well in my tolerance range. She seems to have had a flair up. IME, that either means too aggressive or too much time spent on that area.

 

[SARAHH]

Yes, I would definitely agrree that the pressure would be the culprit here--be wary of a "pressure-w^o^^...They want a full experience at your student expense....try not to work too deeply,remember to take care of your thumbs and wrists--you are only giving a sample,not the whole meal here.Best of luck the rest of the way!!!

Namaste,
Johnny

 

[som]

Yes, pressure could be the culprit there. Or there could be some pre-existing inflammation that got stirred up by the massage. (Common in people who have been in MVAs.) You could recommend a cold compress. (Heat's only going to examassageplanetate the condition, isn't it?)
You might want to demonstrate to her the eye & tongue exercises for the suboccipitals I posted for Pandoras_Gift a while back.
From therapist to patient:
http://www.massageplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4006

 

[geekan]

While I think a bit too much pressure might have been an issue here, let me assure you that you almost assuredly did not do any damage

If she felt great all that day, and she seemed to enjoy the pressure DURING her massage (i.e. she was not spiking off your table during the session), then I'm not so sure you applied TOO MUCH pressure. It is entirely possible that this lady has never had her suboccupitals worked before, so they may be a bit more sensitive/prone to tenderness than usual. It is also possible that she didn't drink quite enough water after her massage (which is an even bigger issue considering the fact that she takes hot baths after a massage which both 1) increases inflammation--even though the epsom salts are good, and 2) dehydrates the body further due to sweating, thus increasing the need for water).

Next time, with the client supine, I might cradle her head in my hands and work gently for a few minutes, propping her head up with your fingertips and allowing the force of gravity to act on her head, providing the pressure for you. I would also suggest giving her the following formula for water intake: have her divide her body weight in pounds in half, and the resulting number is the number of ounces she should drink as a DAILY MINIMUM. If she drinks, smokes, is on meds of any kind, or has a high-salt diet, she needs to increase that amount. And of course she needs to drink extra when it's hot, when she exercises, after massage, and during and after hot baths.

Hope this helps! Don't worry, soreness 1-2 days after a deeper massage is normal. 3-4 days afterward is a little excessive but not unheard of and will generally not do any damage. Hang in there, you'll do fine

Hugs,
~Jyoti

 

[Caribou Lou]

thank you, very very very very much

hello!

to you who responded to my post about too much pressure on the suboccipitals, a much belated but very very real thank you. this was such a scary moment for me and I was amazed that I could get feedback from such caring and informed people so quickly.

I was waiting to hear how she was doing before I wrote back, then got caught up in a trip away...but the 'client' is doing fine, still talking to me, and even going to come back. Erk--a lesson.

Thank you so much.