General Chat

I did tell my chiropractor when I got back from holiday and she was ok with it

Said a gentle massage would help unknot my back but tell them to stay clear of the lower back where I have the sacroiliac problem

I have my monthly chiro appointment next week so will get her advice again

I've only ever had 2 spa massages, but have been having physiotherapy on my back for almost 25 years.

My problem is spinal degeneration caused by arthritis, the spines on the vertebrae are almost destroyed in some areas, and that means muscle attachments are not as secure as they should be.

So we went down to Texas about 10 or 12 years ago, stayed 1 night at a Best Western hotel near the Austin airport before picking up a car to go to San Antonio for 4 or 5 days where we stayed with a friend, back to the Best Western for 1 night, dropped off the car and moved to the Marriott hotel right in downtown Austin.

My problem started with a hard bed on the first night, then very hot and extremely humid weather in San Antonio, an even harder bed back at the Best Western and then a lovely comfortable bed at the Marriott.

But I was almost unable to walk after one night there, so I decided to try the massage in the spa. A very nice young man, trained as a massage therapist. Gave me the deep treatment to get the knots out of my muscles up and down my back.

I felt a lot better, so went back for another massage the day before we left as we had a long flight home, turned out his wife was training to be a physiotherapist so he'd talked to her and consulted her text books to try to help me even better if I did go back.

He really worked on my lower back, including using his elbows to get rid of the knots in my buttocks.

So I get back to Vancouver, look at my back a day later, and my right side is bruised from my waist to just above my hip, and from my spine to my side.

I go to see my physiotherapist the next day, and he nearly faints with horror when he sees me, and then wants to know exactly what had been done.

Turns out that the massage was about the worst thing I could have had done, and it could have led to me being paralysed :-0

The only thing worse was when I had to see another physio in the company here, she didn't read my notes, decided I had one leg shorter than the other and that it was due to a slight hip displacement, so pulled on the shorter leg to straighten it.

My physio had fits when he learned about that one!


The moral being, be sure that the treatment you're being give really IS suitable for you!

No matter how good the massage therapy felt, I now know never to try it again!

Oooh yes, massage is great. I like the deep tissue massage, great for ironing out the knots.

Pleased you have found something that helps and you enjoy.

I had an 8 week course with the chiropractor and then 6 sessions of physio, not exactly fun lolol. We all try different interventions which may help with our mobility.

Your treatment sounds much better than mine :-D

Sue x

Good for you Shirley, I hope it continues to work well as it has now.

When we were on holiday last year the hotel had a spa and my daughter and I both had Swedish massages

I found it very relaxing and it helped with my walking without having to keep stopping and have a sit

Have tried to find somewhere locally since that has a female masseuse and no stairs to treatment rooms

Finally found one locally and today had a very gentle leg back and arms massage and it was lovely

Am all chilled out now and watching tv show love it or list it!

Soo the lady recommended I have a massage every two weeks midway between my monthly chiro appointments

I have made another appointment