In case you weren’t aware, there’s a whole lot of junk that gets stored in our muscles. I’m not talking about toxins here, I’m referring to the experiences, the emotions, and the thoughts that we don’t address and deal with everyday. That energy has to go somewhere right? Guess what? It goes into your body. You know that sciatic nerve that seems to flare up when you’re burning the candle at both ends? Or perhaps your low back gets achy when you’re not sure how you’re going to pay the electric bill this month.

Coincidence? I think not. Here’s an example of what can happen and how massage can help:

My fingers were trying to get these scalenes (muscles in the front of the neck) to show some sign of softness and life.

Rebar. These scalenes felt like rebar. You know, that metal stuff they put in concrete to stabilize it. Rusty rebar.

“My neck always hurts there! ” my client said.
“Would you like to get rid of it?” I replied.
“Yes!”

I believe a good resounding yes makes the transition from rebar to flesh much more likely.

“How long has it been there?” I asked.

“Seems like forever. At least 25 years” She said.

Did you have an accident or injury before this started hurting?

I have never ceased to be amazed whenever I ask this question. Clients who report never being hurt, the model of health, etc. will suddenly remember an accident they has been long forgotten. This sudden remembrance can come simply because we’re addressing the area where that memory has been stored.

This client with the rusty-rebar scalenes had a tale to tell.

She was driving down a busy street in her brand new SUV when she was suddenly T-boned driving through an intersection. Her vehicle was sent crashing into the sidewalk as nimble pedestrian jumped up the nearest light pole, narrowly escaping the prospect of becoming roadkill.

Soft tissue injuries aren’t just bumps and bruises. When someone has been involved in an accident there is a sudden cascade of hormones and chemicals unleashed by terror, anger, and frustration.

As the tale was told I felt the dense armor in her scalenes soften.

Intense, sure. I had a nice lie-down when I got home. I felt a bit of satisfaction that I was able to assist the client in processing the horrors of that day. Now it is a memory, not a cage.