Tonight we studied how pain, stress, and malaise can affect a person and what a Massage Therapist can do to help - or what NOT to do to try to help. It seems like common sense stuff. One thing that it seemed all of the class found unusual was that everybody has the same pain threshhold, but environment, upbringing, basic history, and the like is what actually affects people's tolerance for pain. That took a moment to sink in for everybody, I think.
We also talked about how malaise (depression) can be a downward cycle. For instance, if you become injured, you have to wait to heal, so you don't do what you used to do, so you become depressed. Once you're depressed, then your body becomes stressed and more pain happens, causing less ability to do the things done previously. I think this last year has been my malaise cycle, of which I think I've been slowly coming out. While my mood has certainly lightened, I'm trying to figure out where my physical limits or non-limits are, especially since I haven't been very active. It's hard to be active when I'm either sitting at work, the car, class, or laying on the table. I don't have time for much else, but this week I have gotten up early twice and done a 15 minute walking program with OnDemand exercise.tv. At least it's something.
And of course, we did more practicing on bodywork. Oh, the burden to be practiced on...
No comments:
Post a Comment