Integrative Pain Relief Through Massage Therapy
Experience the unique and effective approach to pain management at
Artisan Neuromuscular & Sports Massage Therapy.
Our team of skilled therapists is your therapeutic alliance and is dedicated to providing personalized treatments that address your specific needs and goals.
"We serve Los Angeles!"
Want to Do What You Love Again?
Feel Good. Move Better. Be Resilient. Today!
Something starts to hurt, so you tense the problem areas up. Then it hurts more, so the muscle tightens up more, perpetuating and escalating the cycle of pain. Any intervention that helps treat the pain and eliminate perpetuating factors can help break the cycle: rest, take a day off, trigger point therapy, stretch therapy, heat and/or ice, chiropractic or osteopathic treatments, deep tissue massage, homeopathy, biofeedback, cupping therapy, acupuncture, dry needling, counseling, and even analgesics. You need to break the pain cycle as soon as possible to help prevent the symptoms from getting worse or affecting other muscles and soft tissues.
Looking for effective massage techniques
to relieve pain?
Muscle pain with no reason & and injury will limit your activity, causing stress and frustration. The most common causes of muscle pain are tension, anxiety, overuse, and minor injuries. This pain is usually localized, affecting just a few muscles or a small body part. Still, some pain may refer to an unlikely part of your body, like deep dull achy spasms. Pain can be acute or chronic.
Almost everyone has had sore muscles after exercising or working too much. Some soreness can be a regular part of healthy exercise. But, in other cases, muscles can become strained. Muscle strain can be mild to severe - the muscle group has been stretched too much. Lifting heavy things in the wrong way can also strain the muscles in your back. This injury can be very painful and even cause chronic pain that will last a long time and make it hard to do everyday things. A group of muscles contracted repetitively or through repetitive motions used in jobs, or hobbies may cause stress-related muscle tension.
According to a 2018 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 50.2 million U.S. adults (20.5%) live with chronic pain, and 24.4 million (10%) experience high-impact chronic pain—pain that limits everyday life or work on most days. This burden is not just physical; it affects productivity, emotional well-being, and social connection.
Massage therapy is one of the most commonly used complementary approaches to manage chronic pain. In fact, 17.6% of adults with chronic pain reported using massage therapy, close to the usage rate of physical therapy. While the scientific evidence is still evolving, massage can offer relief from pain, muscle tightness, and stress, and support better movement and function.
Have you experienced Muscle Tension Pain?
What is Pain?
The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), the global organization that studies pain, has updated its definition of pain for the first time in 4 decades.
2020 revised definition of pain
The new definition states that pain is: “An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage,”
and is expanded upon by the addition of six key Notes and the etymology of the word pain for further valuable context: • Pain is always a personal experience that is influenced to varying degrees by biological, psychological, and social factors • Pain and nociception are different phenomena. Pain cannot be inferred solely from activity in sensory neurons. • Through their life experiences, individuals learn the concept of pain. • A person’s report of an experience as pain should be respected. • Although pain usually serves an adaptive role, it may have adverse effects on function and social and psychological well-being. • Verbal description is only one of several behaviors to express pain; inability to communicate does not negate the possibility that a human or a nonhuman animal experiences pain.
"Chronic pain resulting from orthopedic conditions, sports injuries, rehabilitation, automobile accidents, and work-related injuries can have a significant impact on one's quality of life, potentially leading to frustration or anxiety. If you reside in Los Angeles and experience acute or chronic pain, consider seeking appropriate treatment from a licensed massage therapist in your neighborhood. This may help alleviate your symptoms and improve your overall well-being."
OUR APPROACH TO
PAIN MANAGEMENT
IN LOS ANGELES
Personalized Treatment Plans
Recognizing that each individual’s pain experience is unique, our treatment plans are highly personalized. We consider various factors, including the nature of your pain, lifestyle, and overall health, to tailor a therapy plan that best suits your needs.
Collaborative Care and Expertise
I am a neuromuscular massage therapist based in Los Angeles. I can collaborate with a network of healthcare professionals, including primary care providers, pain specialists, and physical therapists, to provide you with comprehensive pain management. Through this collaboration, massage therapy can be integrated with other medical treatments to address soft tissue conditions. My expertise in this field, coupled with a deep understanding of the musculoskeletal system, enables me to offer highly effective treatments.
Common Pain Conditions Addressed
by Massage Therapy
Chronic Pain Conditions:
This includes chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS), fibromyalgia, and long-term pain resulting from injuries or traumatic events. Massage therapy can be effective in managing these conditions by reducing pain and improving quality of life.
Musculoskeletal Pain:
Common conditions like low back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain are often treated with massage therapy. These are prevalent issues, particularly in those with sedentary lifestyles or those engaged in physical activities that strain these areas.
Conditions Accompanied by Chronic Pain:
Older adults with conditions like arthritis, where pain is a regular accompaniment, can benefit from massage therapy. While it may not cure the underlying condition, massage can significantly improve the experience of pain.
Acute Injuries:
In cases of falls, accidents, or acute injuries, massage therapy can address the musculoskeletal components of pain, aiding in faster recovery and pain relief.
Post-Surgical Recovery:
Individuals recovering from surgeries, especially hip and knee replacements, often benefit from massage therapy. It helps in managing post-surgical pain and aids in the rehabilitation process by addressing soft tissue challenges.
Neural Entrapment and Unexplained Neuropathic Symptoms:
People experiencing neural entrapment, myofascial trigger points, or unexplained neurological symptoms, which might not be adequately addressed by standard medical treatments, can find relief through specialized massage techniques.
Pre and Post-Surgical Pain:
Besides aiding in recovery and scars management, massage therapy can also be beneficial before surgery to prepare the body and after surgery to aid in the healing process.
Stress-Related Tension:
Stress can often manifest as physical pain or tension, particularly in areas like the neck and shoulders. Massage therapy can be effective in relieving this tension and reducing stress-related discomfort.
What type of massage is best for Pain Management?
When managing pain, including chronic pain, various types of massage therapy can be beneficial; here are some commonly recommended massage techniques for pain relief:
-
Trigger Point Therapy: This specialized deep tissue technique focuses on identifying and releasing trigger points, which are tight knots or bands of muscle fibers that can cause referred pain in other areas of the body. By applying direct pressure to these points, trigger point therapy can help relieve pain and restore normal muscle function.
-
Myofascial Release: This technique aims to release tension and restrictions in the fascia, a connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles. Myofascial release can help improve mobility, reduce pain, and enhance overall muscle function by applying gentle, sustained pressure and stretching.
-
Thai Massage: This unique style of massage combines acupressure, passive stretching, and deep rhythmic compression. It focuses on improving energy flow throughout the body and increasing flexibility. Thai Massage can be particularly effective in addressing chronic pain, promoting relaxation, and restoring balance in the body.
-
Sports Massage: Primarily designed for athletes, sports massage can also benefit individuals with chronic pain. It combines various massage techniques to target specific areas of the body affected by pain or injury. Sports massage can help reduce muscle soreness, promote healing, and improve physical performance.
It's important to note that everyone's pain and individual needs are unique. Consulting with a qualified massage therapist or healthcare professional is crucial to determining the most suitable massage therapy approach for your specific condition and pain management goals. They can assess your situation, discuss your symptoms, and tailor a treatment plan that best addresses your pain experience concerns.
There is ongoing scientific research on the benefits of massage therapy. Some of the current findings include:
Pain relief: Massage therapy is effective in reducing chronic pain, including problem areas of pain in lower back pain, neck pain, migraine headache, myofascial pain syndrome, and osteoarthritis.
-
Stress reduction: Several studies have found that massage therapy can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. For example, a review of 17 studies found that massage therapy was associated with a significant reduction in symptoms of depression. Another study found that massage therapy was effective in reducing anxiety in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
-
Improved sleep: A systematic review of 12 studies found that massage therapy can help improve sleep quality in people with insomnia. The researchers concluded that massage therapy is a safe and effective intervention for improving sleep quality.
-
Improved range of motion and flexibility: Massage therapy has been shown to improve flexibility and range of motion, making it particularly useful for people with conditions such as fibromyalgia and myofascial pain
-
Improved athletic performance: Regular massage therapy has been shown to improve athletic performance by reducing muscle soreness and stiffness, and improving recovery time after exercise.
-
Immune function: A study found that Swedish massage increased the number of lymphocytes, which play a key role in the immune system, in participants. The researchers suggested that massage therapy could have a positive effect on immune function.
It's important to note that the benefits of massage therapy and types of massage work can vary from person to person and that more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms behind its effects.
Your go-to local Massage Clinic in Los Angeles :
Our Convenient Location and Address
Artisan Neuromuscular & Sports Massage Therapy
8000 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90046
At Artisan Neuromuscular & Sports Massage Therapy, we are dedicated to providing exceptional care and helping you unleash your body's full potential. Jesse Anoraj's expertise and deep passion for his craft ensure you receive the highest quality massage therapy.
Please don't wait any longer to experience the remarkable benefits of our specialized massage techniques for pain management. Book your appointment today and discover the transformative power of Artisan Neuromuscular and Sports Therapy. Your body deserves the best; we're here to help you achieve it.
Book Your Pain Management Massage Session
How we experience pain is very complex. All sorts of factors influence our experience, including our thoughts and feelings.
Nerves from all over the body run to the spinal cord, the first main meeting point for the nervous system. In the spinal cord, you might imagine a series of gates into which messages about pain arrive from all over the body. These gates can sometimes be much more open than at other times. This is important because it is through these gates that messages from your body pass toward your brain. If the gates are more open, a lot of pain messages pass through to the brain, and you are likely to experience a high pain level. If the gates are closed, fewer messages get through, and you will likely experience less pain.
So, what are the factors that make a difference in how open or closed the gates are?
Factors that open the gate
There are three main ways the gates to pain can be made more open so the pain feels worse. These have to do with how we feel about things, how we think about things, and what we are doing.
1. Stress and Tension: All sorts of emotional states can lead to the gates to pain being more open. These include being anxious, worried, angry, and depressed. Having a lot of tension in the body is a common way of opening the pain gates.
2. Mental Factors One of the most effective ways of opening the gates and increasing your pain is to focus all your attention on it. Boredom can also lead to the pain gates opening.
3. Lack of Activity Another factor that seems to open the gates to pain is not moving around, having stiff joints, and lack of fitness.
Factors that close the gate
In the same way as above, the way we feel, the way we think, and what we do can all have a part to play in helping to close the gates to pain.
1. Relaxation and Contentment Feeling generally happy and optimistic has been found to help close the gates to pain. Also, feeling relaxed in yourself seems to be a particularly useful way of closing the gates.
2. Mental Factors: Being involved and interested in life helps close the gates. Also if you concentrate intensely on something other than the pain (e.g., work, T.V., book), this can distract you from any pain, helping to close the gates.
3. Activity: Taking the right amount of exercise to develop your fitness can help close the gates.
4. Other Physical Factors You may also find that certain types of medication can help close the gates, as might certain types of counter-stimulation (e.g., heat, soft tissue massage, tens, acupuncture).
So, how can you apply the gate control theory of pain to yourself? The best way is to experiment with some of the ideas described above.
How might you be able to use the fact that emotional factors can make a difference?
Are there ways of becoming more relaxed, for example?
And what about mental factors?
Are there ways that you can get more involved in life?
Can you use distraction more than you have been doing?
And what about physical factors?
Could you increase your fitness and activity levels
And might you be able to make more use of counter-stimulation?
References
https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnac034
Meints, S. M., and R. R. Edwards. "Evaluating Psychosocial Contributions to Chronic Pain Outcomes." Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry 87, no. Pt B (2018): 168. Accessed April 5, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.017.
Our experienced massage therapists are here to provide solutions to the questions you commonly ask.
What is a pain relief massage? Answer: A pain relief massage is a specialized therapeutic technique designed to alleviate pain and improve well-being. At Artisan Neuromuscular & Sports Therapy, we utilize Soft Tissue Therapy, specifically Neuromuscular Therapy, to address the root cause of your pain, helping you maintain healthy muscles and enjoy activities with ease.
Which massage is best for pain relief? Answer: The best massage for pain relief can vary depending on the individual's specific needs and the nature of their pain. Techniques such as Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, Thai Massage, and Sports Massage can all be beneficial for pain relief. It's important to consult with a qualified massage therapist to determine the most suitable approach for your specific condition and pain management goals.
How does massage therapy help in breaking the cycle of pain? Answer: Massage therapy effectively alleviates pain by manipulating soft tissues to create a therapeutic and safe environment to release tension. Often, when an area of the body is in pain, we tend to tense up, leading to more muscle tightness and pain. However, with massage therapy techniques such as trigger point therapy, stretch therapy, and deep tissue massage, it is possible to treat the pain and eliminate the factors such as fear, stress, and anxiety that perpetuate it, thus breaking the cycle of pain.
What is the difference between acute and chronic pain, and how can massage therapy help? Answer: Acute pain is sudden and typically resolves within a certain amount of time, usually a few weeks to months. Chronic pain persists for three months or more. Massage therapy can be beneficial for both types of pain. For acute pain, massage can help encourage activity and return to normal activities. For chronic pain, regular massage therapy can help manage pain levels, improve mobility, and enhance overall well-being.
What is the Gate Control Theory of Pain? Answer: The Gate Control Theory of Pain suggests that our experience of pain is influenced by a series of "gates" in the nervous system. These gates can be more or less open, affecting the amount of pain messages that pass through to the brain. Factors such as stress, tension, lack of activity can open these gates and increase pain, while relaxation, distraction, and activity can help close these gates and reduce pain. Massage therapy can help close these gates by promoting relaxation and reducing muscle tension.
