Though most massage therapists focus on relaxation techniques, I have found my niche in pain relief and restoring balance to the body.
As an active sports enthusiast, I know what it is like to be in pain. Because of that, I remain committed to finding techniques that quickly and effectively ease pain and increase mobility. I actively search out healing modalities to get my clients, not only comfortable, but back to the activities they enjoy as quickly as possible.
And I often find these healing modalities when seeking relief after a particularly bad mountain bike crash. During one such occasion, I visited a practitioner who used what is called “Micro Point Stimulation.” I was so impressed with the results that I immediately signed up to be trained in this technique.
I continue to be impressed, as do my clients, at the increased mobility and pain relief this method provides, even with difficult to treat problems.
For instance, I’ve worked with clients who had frozen shoulder who significantly increased mobility, clients who suffered with osteoarthritis of the hip whose pain was significantly reduced, and even a client who had lingering pain after breaking a bone in his arm, who also reported significantly reduced pain.
What Is Micro Point Stimulation?
Micro Point Stimulation (MPS) is a noninvasive therapeutic treatment that combines the principles of acupuncture, massage, and electrotherapy. The therapy uses a device or electrode wand similar in appearance to a digital thermometer that produces a stimulation that relaxes muscles and calms the nervous system. In addition, it relaxes contracted muscles to relieve pressed nerves, and also releases endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers.
MPS works with the body’s energy system, using acupuncture meridian points, to help relieve these chronic pain syndromes. Researched protocols are used for specific problems, such as:
- back pain
- plantar fasciitis
- neck and shoulder pain
- frozen shoulder
- … and many more
MPS integrates Eastern Philosophies and Western Neurology to target the problem for optimal outcomes.
Quieting an Agitated Nervous System
When I am in pain, I find it difficult to focus on anything else. The same with my clients. One reason for this is because pain keeps the nervous system in a constant state of fight or flight. Your “autonomic nervous system” is constantly “on.” You become chronically tense, making pain even worse. It is a miserable cycle to be stuck in.
But you don’t need to be stuck. I use MPS, working with acupuncture points, to literally calm the nervous system. In fact, many of my clients say they become more relaxed with MPS than they do with relaxation massage.
MPS is highly therapeutic because it teaches the nervous system to let go of the agitated state, allowing what is called the “parasympathetic nervous system” to come on line. This is what causes the deeper levels of relaxation. Muscles become less tense, which aids in pain relief, and more importantly for the long haul, gives the body a greater chance to heal.
Nerve Root Entrapment… A Pain in the Neck, Literally
Treatment with MPS is highly effective when nerve roots are entrapped along the spine (radiculapathy). With this condition, your muscles constrict and shorten, causing pain, not only in your back, but also in your neck, legs and arms. But perhaps worse, it also causes susceptibility to injuries throughout your body, and heightens the reactivity of your autonomic nervous system, which contributes to further pain.
MPS has been shown to treat entrapped nerve roots, by reducing the production of acetylcholine and calming the nervous system—which helps improve spinal alignment and restore balance in the spine.
This modality also gently causes the hip flexor (the psoas and quads), gluteus medius, and periformis muscles to release and let go of their chronic holding (you will see this in one session), allowing the sacrum to settle and realign in a more appropriate position.
The result? A 70-75% reduction in pain!
Scar Therapy
The first step in MPS therapy is to treat scars. Scars can contribute to pain syndromes. When you stop to think about this, it makes sense. Injuries, and surgery, cut through nerves, meridians, and lymphatic, fascia, and circulatory systems, contributing to pain cycles and limited range of motion. This is especially problematic when that scar is along an acupuncture meridian (scars from cesarean sections, appendix removal, and scars along the legs, etc.)
Release through MPS achieves 60-80% relief from symptoms associated with problems from scars.
Finding Relief from Chronic Pain and Limited Mobility with MPS
MPS serves as a standalone treatment modality or can be part of a multi layered massage session to address your needs. Even as a standalone, MPS is an effective path to work towards pain solutions. Relief can come as quickly as within one session. For some syndromes, you may need up to 6 or 7 treatments for more long-term relief.
As one client said to me, “It’s hard to believe those two little machines can make me feel so good!”
