Dr. Stoll:
I recently received two 15-minute chair massage sessions with a therapist due to a painful muscle pull in my right shoulder. The pain had slowly starting moving up the right side of my neck, which is why I finally sought out the therapist. During the first session, I was seated in a massage chair, leaning forward slightly. The therapist started working on several knots in my shoulder. I felt quite a bit of pain as she worked on it and suddenly I was overwhelmed by a feeling that I was about to pass out. I had to stop and put my head between my legs. I do not believe I was holding my breath at the time. During the second session the next day, I was lying on a massage table and had no such reaction.
Is this reaction something that you have heard of before and if so, what causes it? A friend of mine suggested that I see an accupuncturist for treatment.
Thanks for any insight you can give me!
Follow Ups:
Re: Reaction to Massage
Posted by Walt Stoll on January 25, 1999 at 11:02:10:
In Reply to: Reaction to Massage posted by Jennifer on January 24, 1999 at 11:45:33:
Hi, Jennifer.
I don't like anyone to get a "chair massage", at least if they REALLY need a massage, for exactly this reason. Those who REALLY need it, need to do a deep, total body, therapeutic massage 3 times a week for 2 weeks. THEN, a chair massage would not only be unnecessary but--even if one had one--this would not happen.
Walt