Massage Tip

Today we are going to talk about how to treat sharp superficial pain. In the adventure of being human we are offered the opportunity to experience a cornucopia of pain. While it may not feel like it, pain is our brain’s way of protecting us. The central nervous system, like a good mother or father, is always looking out for us, the last thing it wants is for us is to get hurt. So, when it detects we may be in danger of being injured, it does its best to intervene. It accomplishes this by interpreting nociceptive signals as pain, so we refrain from our course of action.

This tough-love approach can be frustrating, especially when we don’t understand why we hurt, or what we need to do to address it. I want to help you understand your pain, so you may alleviate it in the most effective ways. To accomplish this, we need to improve the relationship you have with your pain system, so it can be one of love and appreciation, instead of frustration and anger.

When you are hurting, attempt to reframe your reaction to it. Consider being thankful for it. One way to interact with your pain is the same way you would in a healthy and developing relationship. Healthy communication is essential in romantic, platonic and professional relationships. We need to create space for the other person to feel safe enough to communicate their wants and needs, and they need to know we are genuinely invested in addressing and resolving their grievances. Ultimately, we must be willing to change our behaviors for the greater good of the relationship. This means we must be willing to hold space for them emotionally, while having the discernment and discipline to choose the best course of action.

The reason I say we should be thankful for the pain; is the same reason we should be thankful when our significant other is willing to share their concerns. It offers us the opportunity to deal with the problem head-on, instead of having to decode it through games, manipulation and passive aggressiveness.

When you hurt, say “Thank you, what do we need to do to solve the problem?” It is the same thing we need to say when our significant other comes to us with a complaint. We need to show our level of investment, and we both need to work toward addressing and resolving the problem.

Pain, just like the problems in a relationship have a cornucopia of flavors. Depending on the circumstance, the approach we use determines the results. To ensure the greatest results we need to choose the best course of action.

Every type of pain requires its own approach. There are many instances when using firm pressure can be effective in the management of pain, but there are just as many, if not more, when it is not. For example, in the treatment of sharp superficial pain, firm pressure will typically cause the discomfort to worsen.

What does a sharp superficial pain feel like? Sharp superficial pain is discomfort that feels like it is just below the skin, it is often a sharp sensation, some say it feels like tacks are sticking into them from the inside of their skin, or it’s an achy stinging/burning sensation in a small area.

There is a good chance that if you perform some self-massage you will find one or two areas on yourself. I find the most common areas to find sharp superficial pain is on the ribs, tummy, lower back, inner thighs and outer thighs. You will quickly identify this sensation, because it can be felt through the application of even light pressure.

How do we help areas affected by sharp superficial pain feel better? The best technique we can use in these areas is to apply light circular movements with our fingertips. Our goal is to convince the central nervous system that it can trust our touch. In self-massage you may trust yourself, but it doesn’t mean that your CNS does. Your client may trust you, but it doesn’t mean their CNS does. You need to prove that your touch is safe, that you will do no harm, and you are here to help.

Firmer pressure cannot be applied to areas with sharp superficial pain until the CNS has decided that your touch is safe. If you cannot reduce the hypersensitivity of this superficial area, the deeper muscles will contract to create an armor to defend itself against you. Once their brain sees you as the enemy, it becomes increasingly more difficult to guide them into a state of peace and ease.

We need to have a healthy relationship with our pain system to truly understand what it takes to help others have a healthy relationship with theirs. This means we need to take the time to use self-massage to get to know the various sensations we feel from touch, so we may understand how others may feel when we touch them. When our own body hurts, we need to be thankful that our brain is trying to protect us. We need to listen to what it is trying to tell us, and obediently take steps to change our lifestyle.