Is the Pain Where the Problem Is? Not Always.

“The problem is here.”

That seems logical. If your shoulder hurts, the problem must be in your shoulder. If your back hurts, something must be wrong with your back.

But the body is not always that simple.

The area where we feel pain does not always tell the whole story.

Our body works as a whole. Muscles, joints and movements are interconnected and, when something changes, it is natural for other structures to adapt too.

In addition, the experience of pain itself is complex. It does not depend only on tissues. Sleep, stress, physical exertion, previous experiences and even the way we are dealing with a particular discomfort can influence what we feel.

That is why, when someone comes to me and says “it hurts here”, for me that is the beginning of the conversation — not the end.

Of course, the location of the pain matters.

But it is also important to understand when it started, what the person was doing, which movements make it worse or relieve it, what their work and daily routine are like, and what limitations that pain is actually causing.

Every body has a story.

And two people pointing to exactly the same place may have completely different stories.

That is also why I do not believe in the same massage for everyone.

Working for an hour on the exact spot where someone feels pain may seem like the obvious solution. But it is not always what that person needs.

Sometimes, it is necessary to work on other areas.

At other times, the intensity or approach needs to be adjusted.

And there are also situations in which massage simply is not the answer.

Recognising that is part of the job.

If there are symptoms or signs that justify an assessment by another health professional, making a referral does not mean the massage therapist has failed. Quite the opposite. It means recognising the limits of our work and putting the person’s safety first.

For me, a session should not begin with a desperate search for one single point that explains everything.

It should begin by listening.

Listening to what the person feels, observing how they move and trying to understand the context in which that pain appeared.

Because our bodies rarely fit into a one-sentence explanation.

So, the next time you feel pain and immediately point to one spot, remember:

it is important to know where it hurts. But it is equally important to understand the story behind that pain.

And it is that story that should guide the way each person is approached.