Massage that gets to the root of the pain

Not all massages are created equal. Some do have true, painkilling power.

HealthFirst reporter Leslie Toldo tells us about a program at Genesys that uses massage to get to the root of pain.

It's no secret that a massage will help relieve pain, but it can do a lot more than that, like treating the true cause and not just the symptoms.

"With exercise is when I started noticing that I was having some shoulder problems," explained breast cancer survivor Katie Story.

Story was surprised to learn that her shoulder pain was less about her shoulder and more about her breast cancer treatments. "They were the ones who pointed out the reason I am having shoulder problems is all of my surgeries. I have had five surgeries in about 13 months. They said that my chest muscles were not working properly."

The key to the Genesys issue-specific massage program is finding the real cause of pain and attacking it with massage.

"Where it hurts is not necessarily where the cause is," said Genesys Athletic Club certified massage therapist John Earl.

Lower back pain is often triggered by abdominal muscles or the hips. Plantar fasciitis or heel pain is often related to the calf muscles.

Katie's shoulder pain was related to her chest muscles. "They are working with my body to try to make my neurological receptors work correctly, that the muscles I am supposed to be using I am using, which I am not," she said. "That has been helping my shoulder, putting everything back to the way it should be before I had cancer."

If you want your brain and muscles to communicate properly, Earl says you have to communicate with your massage therapist. "Unless the person applying the massage deals with the issues you have and is able to do that, you will be disappointed with the massage. There is such a thing as a bad massage."

Between the massages and special home exercises assigned by her therapist, Story has noticed a big difference. "Everything is a lot better with the shoulder because of the massage. I know that it's the massage."

There is still no licensing for massage therapists in Michigan, so you need to really check out the person you go to.

Find out about their professional affiliations, get their training background, find out if they have insurance.

You do not have to be a member of Genesys Athletic Club to have the issue-specific massages.