Your shoulder aches deep inside, yet the strap of a bag feels too uncomfortable against it. With fibromyalgia, those two sensations can happen together. The depth of the ache tells me very little about how much pressure will feel good. I'm Geri León, a board certified massage therapist in Castro Valley. I offer deep tissue massage, and I begin gently when touch is sensitive. If your neck is keeping you from settling against a pillow, we can give that area attention without working on every place that hurts.

What Deep Tissue Massage Adds

Deep tissue massage uses slow strokes and sustained pressure to work into deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. That concentrated contact feels different from a light stroke across a broad area. It can suit a local muscular ache, but deeper work hasn't been established as better for fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia involves increased sensitivity to pain. Pressure that another person enjoys may hurt you, even when you're both sore in the same place. I start below the level you think you can tolerate and ask before increasing it. If gentle contact feels good, we can continue with it.

Giving A Sore Neck More Attention

You can have widespread fibromyalgia pain and an extra ache from holding your head toward a screen. That local discomfort may be especially noticeable when you turn to speak to someone or lean back after work. Massage gives us a way to spend time on those neck and shoulder muscles.

I use broad, slow strokes around a tender area and work briefly on a smaller spot before moving on. Returning later lets me find out how the earlier contact felt. Even mild pressure can become uncomfortable when it stays on the same sore area for too long. I can give the neck attention over several short periods instead of staying on one tender spot.

The Contact Can Change As We Work

A touch that felt pleasant at the beginning may feel too strong later. If you start holding your breath or tightening against my hand, I'll ease up and check in. I can spread the contact over a larger area or move to a different muscle.

Your neck and back may also tolerate different amounts of pressure during the same visit. We can keep one area light while using more concentrated work elsewhere. I pay attention to each area as we reach it, rather than carrying the same pressure through the whole massage.

Coming In When You Feel Worn Out

A poor night's sleep can leave you tired before the day has begun. On a tired day, we can shorten the visit or work only where touch feels welcome. If lying in one position becomes uncomfortable, I'll change it with you. Warmth is available if you'd like it, and you stay covered except where I'm massaging. We can also keep the work broad and gentle when concentrated contact feels like too much. A visit can give you time to rest while I work on a familiar muscular ache.

How You Feel Tomorrow Counts Too

A massage can feel pleasant on the table and leave you more sore afterward. I want to know about that before repeating the same work. At the next visit, I'd reduce the pressure or spend less time on the area that stayed tender. An easier turn of your head or less discomfort against the pillow gives us something useful to follow, too. Massage may help some fibromyalgia symptoms, but the response varies. What happened after your visit helps me plan the next one. Any restrictions from your treating clinician stay part of that plan.

Talk With Me About The Ache You Want Help With

Call me, Geri León, at (510) 409-8598 to talk about massage in Castro Valley. If a previous massage left you sore, I'd like to hear what happened. And if there's one area you'd love to have worked on gently, we can start our conversation there.