Discover effective ways to manage hip and knee osteoarthritis with exercise, pool therapy, and advanced manual techniques like DermoNeuroModulation (DNM). Learn how registered massage therapists at Well+Able Integrated Health in Kamloops can help reduce pain and improve mobility. Start your journey to relief today!
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News about Well+Able and massage therapy, pregnancy, running, and health
Revolutionizing Manual Therapy: The Rise of Dermoneuromodulation
Dive into the world of manual therapy with our comprehensive guide to Dermoneuromodulation (DNM). Learn about the groundbreaking techniques pioneered by Diane Jacobs and continued by practitioners like Michael Reoch, and uncover how DNM leverages the nervous system and skin to modulate pain perception. Discover the evolution of manual therapy, the importance of understanding the sensory nervous system, and practical insights into implementing DNM in your practice. Whether you're a seasoned therapist or new to the field, this blog post provides valuable insights into the future of pain relief through innovative manual therapy approaches.
Read MorePodcast interview for Massage Therapy Now
Marcy and Mike Reoch run their own Registered Massage Therapy Clinic in Ladner, BC. In this episode we talk about the benefits and challenges of being a couple running a business together, how family values influence their business
Read MoreNeurocentric Approach to Massage Therapy
What I propose is an approach to these people’s painful conditions that puts the nervous system first. Specifically, I’m looking at pain that originates from a mechanical deformation of nerve tissue and that can change with position or movement.
Read MoreWhat to expect with your first Massage Therapy visit
A short video by the RMTBC on what to expect from a Massage Therapy visit with an RMT
What to expect from your RMT during your Massage Therapy visit
Pain BC Blog Talk Radio
Michael Reoch will be featured on the Pain Waves Radio Show Thursday February 6th, 2014 at noon-1pm. He will be talking about Massage Therapy for chronic pain. If you miss the show you can listen later at your convenience. If you do get the chance to listen live you can phone in and ask a question and Michael will do his best to answer.
How does stress make pain worse?
Do you ever have neck or back pain after a stressful day? Maybe a headache?
Why do you get tight muscles when something stresses you out?
Nerve receptors are involved in pain generation. Their job is to send a signal to the brain that they have been stimulated. The brain knows that a signal from these receptors in the body is usually a sign of danger and will usually then decide that the body is in pain, specifically in that area. In his talks, David Butler often mentions adrenaline-sensitive peripheral nerves and the amazing ion channel turnover. Specifically, this means that these nerve receptors can become extra sensitive to the chemical adrenaline, also called epinephrine. With this sensitivity, less stimulation is needed to send a danger signal to the brain. Think of a car alarm set to go off when someone breaks the window. When the alarm is hypersensitive, it may go off if a loud truck drives by. No damage happened to the car, but the alarm still went off. When we are stressed out, our bodies produce more adrenaline. This can be a good thing because it helps us to prepare for action. Unfortunately, if a nerve is damaged, stretched, or pressed on for too long, it will create "baskets" of adrenaline-sensitive fibres. As David says here:
"If a person has a highly adrenoreactive area of peripheral nerve and if they are in a state of persistent elevated stress then repeated firing into the CNS will occur. And if the person is stressed, central inhibitory controls will probably be lifted anyway, and a persistent neuropathic pain state may ensue."
What this means is that if someone has a nerve that is sensitive to adrenaline and is always stressed out, the danger signal to the brain will be almost constant. If that is the case, the Drug Cabinet in the brain will be lifted away, and persistent pain will likely develop. Not fun.
Fortunately, you have some control over this. The first line of defence is to reduce your stress level, thus reducing your adrenaline. Also, knowing that your pain is not from a damaged muscle but stress chemicals, your brain will be less likely to think of the signal as pain. Third, if you get out and move your body in a way that reduces any specific nerve perturbations you will have less chance of a future sensitivity. Most good Manual Therapists (RMT, Chiro, PT, etc) will know how to help you do this.
Most forms of massage therapy have good evidence behind their ability to reduce stress. Two of the modalities Michael implements, DNM and Simple Contact, work on a model that directly addresses pain and adrenal-sensitive nerves.
If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact us at well+able. We would love to help you out. It would also be beneficial to watch the previous stress video, the Drug Cabinet video, and the What is Pain video.
The drug cabinet in the brain. Is it worth the pain?
A quick video by David Butler from NOI talking about the amazing ability the brain has to reduce our pain experiences by releasing our own chemical pain killers.
