AboutZira Expertise I can answer questions about exercise rehab, remedial (therapeutic/deep tissue) and general relaxation massage therapy, sports related massage therapy and any questions about massage in general.
Experience I'm a registered massage therapist and have been for a few years now, I'm also an active athlete and know how to tie health and massage together. I have training in relaxation massage, remedial massage, pre and post event sports massage, problems in the lower legs of athletes, some thai massage, soft tissue manipulation, a small amount of pregnancy massage, exercise rehab and kinesiology, anything about the human body and how it operates, and I even have a small background in myofascial release. Currently I am in the process of becoming a certified personal trainer as well.
Organizations MTAS is my association here in Canada
Education/Credentials Two years of massage school as well as various seminars and educational lectures and working out in the real world and dealing with situations everyday.
Question Heart attack has been ruled out, but for about a week I have have pain that at first started on the left scapula but after a Swedish extreme massage moved to the back side of the left shoulder and down the back of the left arm. It is a burning pain. Doctor at first thought shingles or nerve impingement (whatever that is) and game me vicodin with ibuprofen and a muscle relaxer. I hate taking drugs so I only took them once.Now one week later he has sent me to see a neurologist because it has perplexed him that I do not have any neck pain. I am a stock broker so spend a great deal of time in a chair and also I just dropped 56 pounds in about 1 year with another 44 to get to my ideal weight of 180lbs. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. I don't want to hear from the neurologist that surgery is the only answer.
Answer Hi Dennis. That sounds painful! Instead going for a deep tissue massage try and relaxation massage. When a nerve is being compressed (impinged)it either sends a singnal to the brain as either a burning pain or a sharp shooting pain. A burning pain is something that you would feel if there is a lot of pressure on it (say during a deep tissue massage) and a sharp shooting pain would be either is is being squeezed by the muscle or a bone.
Hopefully that clears things up a bit. Doctors never explain anything to make sense. Congrats on the weight loss! You'll be glad to hear that weight loss has nothing to do with the condition. Sometimes when people are stressed the muscles will tighten up and compress nerves. You don't have to feel it in your neck to have nerve pain. Give it a try. Let me know if you need anything else.
