Mostly I teach you to wait for some kind of change in the tissue when you’re applying pressure. You maintain your weight on the spot you’ve found until you notice some change in texture – hopefully some kind of softening or the sensation that there is now some more space in the tissue.
That holds true for the majority of people.
But of course, there are exceptions. You may have even encountered an exception to the “rule”, where no matter how long you wait, there’s no change in the texture of the muscle.
Now, if you’re experriencing that with a lot of clients, I’d say you’re probably not waiting long enough. If instead you’re on a spot for more than 3 consecutive minutes (with the one touch) and there’s been no change, you might have found someone who breaks the rule.
In this instance I give it the full 3 minutes or so – and then, I leave it alone.
Yep, that’s right – I’ll give it what would normally be considered a generous hold, wait, and if nothing changes, then I leave it alone for a bit.
I’ll continue with the session and see how many other points I can find in the area and throughout their body, but for the time-being, I’ll leave that stubborn spot alone.
Why?
A few of reasons:
- We get nowhere we want to be by forcing the issue. You’ve given the tissue and the nervous system time, and it hasn’t responded in the way you were waiting for, so trying to force it to is definitely not going to be the best choice. Especially because those points usually are some of the more chronic and persistent points a client might have.
- If it IS one of those chronic and persistent points, we have to remember that one treatment vs. the years it took to get chronic is a drop in the ocean. Play the long game and remember that the best impact we can have with people is over the long-run. This will also ensure they feel good tomorrow (even if the point didn’t release), rather than beat-up.
- The work/pressure continues giving, even once we leave. Notice how the benefits of a massage keep rolling in after the session is done, through that evening and even into the next day? Well, apply that knowledge to this situation – sometimes things in the body just need more time to integrate than most points or people.
Sometimes I’ll leave it alone for most of the treatment and then return to see how it’s doing later on. In that instance I’ll often give it a bit more time-under-pressure before once again leaving it be. And other times I’ll leave it alone entirely. I’ll just let it settle. And if they rebook for the following week it gives me a chance to continue working on it in a way that is gradual and in collaboration with the body, instead of something forced for a quick outcome.
Have you encountered any of these points?
If you have, you might try giving it this approach – after some solid time under pressure, leave it be.
It’s a detailed an intricate thing, this work we do – and sometimes it means the occasional contradiction of the main advice I give.
If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy: “What does “release” in massage even mean?“
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