Falling injury! I chose to go the organic route and used massage to facilitate healing.

The two culprits that made me fall!

Talk about learning a lesson first hand! I was born and raised in Chicago Illinois which of course can have pretty bad winters. I currently live in Texas and as you probably know this 2011 winter freeze did make it down south and we are not prepared for snow, at least that is my excuse for what happened to me and I am sticking to it.

I was out walking my two puppies and tried to be careful but stepped on snow that had ice underneath, you guessed it I fell on my behind. I used my hand to catch my fall, not to worry, I am fine. I got up and felt pain only around my wrist, ok that wasn’t bad and tried to forget that I fell. I was scheduled to go to Yoga the same day of the fall, I love yoga and go twice a week, I just didn’t want to miss it. At first I thought I better not because I know better but I didn’t listen and went. I was able to do all the stretches and strengthening poses no problem, right.

Lesson learned, I woke up the next morning in pain. Not around my wrist but my upper arm, my symptoms included a sudden pain at the back of the shoulder (deltoid and triceps muscles) and when I lifted or extended my arm. Listen to those aches and pains folks, now every time I made the same movement my arm felt weak. Did you know muscle strains are the most common injury to the shoulder and people over 40 are more prone to rotator cuff and tendonitis pain.

What I should have done was rest and apply ice (Rest Ice Compression Elevate).  I have an ice pack, I just had to keep ice compressed to the area with the ice pack for about twenty minutes at a time for the first 24 hours but no I had to ignore my knowledge and instincts. Most importantly I had to stop the  movement that triggered the injury.

Why it happened, my muscular imbalance: as a massage therapist, I have developed my upper front shoulder muscles (pectoral, front deltoid and upper traps) but have neglected to concentrate on the lower rear muscles (lower traps, rhomboids, lats and rear deltoid), this has created a muscular imbalance around my shoulder and to change it I need to balance the lower and upper muscles to prevent injury going forward. Where I feel more pain is in the deltoid muscle it’s a 3 headed consisting of the front, middle and rear muscle it’s situated at the shoulder stabilizes it and lift your arm away from your body.

How do I treat my falling injury?  I try not to take any over the counter medicine because this can mask symptoms and almost never deal with the real reason I am feeling pain. So I choose to go the organic route and use massage to facilitate healing.  My session went well I felt an immediate relief and was able to regain full range of motion in my arm.

To me massage is the most important step to any program by releasing endorphins that are known to relieve pain,  reduces inflammation and the appropriate massage will specifically treat individual muscles, adhesions and scar tissue while minimizing pain.  It’s the first step to recovery!

This gives me a good kick-start to healing and takes me to the next level that consist of stretches, strengthening. For my specific imbalance, for every push or press exercise I do, I need to incorporate a pull or a row exercise into the routine. It’s always about finding balance in everything we do!

Of course writing about how I fell because my puppies were not cooperating is a little humiliating so why write about it?  My little story about falling may help someone make the right choices if it happens to them.

I hope you don’t experience falling but here are some signs to look out for if you do! Including the signs I mention above here are a few more.  Bruises are one of the easiest signs to identify.  Look for fracture, bruising and swelling.  The inability to move an arm or leg is also a sign of a serious injury. According to the National Safety Council, falls are the cause of a significant percentage of injuries every year. Even if your injury seems minimal at first, you could have sustained something serious that is not yet evident. So please be safe and be careful and work on treating.

Everyone deserves a full recovery of any injury? Why not try a powerful ally in the clinical application of Neuromuscular Therapy to end your pain and gain your strength back!  

Thanks for reading my story and feel free to leave your comments, tell me your story you can subscribe to this blog and get the latest updates on tips, advice and information on muscle health.  If you want to learn information on improving your posture I post tips on www.facebook.com/maraiwantamassage.com.

Mara Nicandro NMT

If you have specific health concerns, consult your medical doctor. The information in this blog is for educational purpose only and is not intended to replace the advice of your personal health providers.