I thought I would start a new ongoing series this week talking about patients I love working with. The idea for this series came to me a few weeks ago when I was talking to one of my patients about the emotional path an athlete takes as they get older. I love working with Aging Athletes—but I need to get permission from some of my patients before I even anonymously tell their incredible stories. So, that one will have to wait for now. But it got me thinking about other “types” of patients that I enjoy working with. I really enjoy helping patients who deal with anxiety—be it situational or generalized anxiety. I find it fascinating how the body seems to take on the anxiety—and I also love that I can see a before/after difference in the patient who utilizes massage therapy in their struggle. So, first, let’s take a look at how anxiety often presents itself.

It is first important to note that there is more than one type of anxiety. Generalized Anxiety Disorder, known as GAD, affects more than 3 million people each year. Patients with this disorder experience physical symptoms (such as headache, insomnia, or stomach issues) and extreme anxiety over specific triggers (think relationships, finances, health, or fear about friends or family members). Another type of anxiety is Social Anxiety Disorder, marked by crippling fears of social situations—or of being judged by others. People who suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder often struggle with feelings of worthlessness and/or shame. Other forms of anxiety include Panic Disorder, characterized by recurring extreme episodes of anxiety that escalate quickly, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)—which occurs after a traumatic event. I think it is also important to include Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in this list, where patients experience intrusive thoughts that turn into extreme anxiety. Patients with OCD often create repetitive rituals (habits) in an effort to relieve the extreme anxiety.

So, how does all of this end up in a massage blog? Because anxiety shows up in the body. Yes, it creates issues like headaches, muscle achiness, and generalized tension—but I am telling you (Note: I know this is not scientific!)—I can feel it in the body. Here’s how it normally plays out: A patient comes in with pain in several places. Most often, they have a list of about 10 places that we need to address. Often, the patient is very specific in what type of massage technique is needed for each area they want worked—and I often find that this patient has a hard time “letting go” during the massage. They will often stop me as I am working to tell me they need some other technique in this particular spot or to control the amount of time spent working a particular area. I know that this is not personal. This is not an attack, not in any way. This is not a “control freak” kind of person. This is anxiety manifesting itself in the very place the patient comes to find relief from it. It’s incredibly unfair, and once I figure out that anxiety may be the culprit I usually start a conversation about it.

A simple enough question: Do you suffer from anxiety?

Why do we feel as though to admit that we have anxiety is to admit weakness? Anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of, it is not a condition that one can control or anything that resulted from “not thinking the right thoughts”. But, I notice that a lot of patients are reluctant to write down or verbally say that they suffer with anxiety. Things are getting a little bit better, as a society we are shining the light on mental health more and more—but sometimes patients still feel that they cannot say that they suffer. Patients have no problem telling me about their back, neck, or shoulder pain—but to them, suffering from anxiety is not the same thing. To me, it is exactly the same. Pain is pain, and I know from my years suffering from chronic pain that so much of the trauma is emotional in addition to physical.

Another surprising way that anxiety shows itself in the body is through fascial/myofascial work. In my practice, I perform both Myofascial Release and Silicone Cupping Therapy. To me, I see a direct correlation between fascial restriction and anxiety. Fascia is the thin, gel-like fibrous tissue that surrounds the muscles of the body. Restrictions in this tissue can create problems in other parts of the body because it functions sort of like a web underneath the skin. I notice often that patients who suffer from anxiety have restricted fascia in many areas of the body, where people usually have one or two places it tends to constrict. I sort of look at it like the body creating a protective wall around the patient. In patients I am working with where I utilize the cups, when I see the cup “pulling” (slowing down due to fascial restriction) almost everywhere—I know to ask questions about anxiety.

It probably goes without saying that having regular massage can help with chronic muscular tension. This can decrease pain and anxiety levels and activate the parasympathetic nervous system—creating a better sense of rest and well-being. All of these can be beneficial for patients who suffer from anxiety. In addition to that, working with a massage therapist who is used to working with patients coping with anxiety and creating a space where they are also there to listen can go a long way. I try to be and do all of these things. I have seen some really great results with patients who suffer from anxiety, and it gives me such a sense of accomplishment. In addition to massage itself, adding in silicone cupping to free fascial restrictions delivers results. Beyond that, I try to also help my patients learn how to meditate (more on this in a future post!), calming the mind as well as the body. I believe that all of these are important. I absolutely love working with patients who suffer from anxiety because the results can be so profound. Just like the feeling I get when I “finally get that knot”, the sense of helping someone who struggles with this is hard to describe. It makes me feel worthwhile as a massage therapist.

If you struggle with anxiety and would like to know more about the massage services I offer, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (863) 385-7105.

—Stephanie

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