Flow State Massage Tulsa brings you the complete solution to muscular pain.

Today we live in a world where we are constantly in pain. You would be surprised at how many of our aches and pains come from muscular imbalances. Luckily, there is treatment available that specifically targets pain from muscular imbalances and it is called Therapeutic Massage Therapy. Here at Flow State Massage, I provide only the best massage in Tulsa using Deep Tissue Active Release Techniques and the most potent CBD Massage Oil on the market. But how did we find ourselves in so much pain?

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Why do we have pain? What causes muscular imbalances? The answer is in our daily activities. We have neck pain from working long hours at a desk, from looking down at our smartphones and even from unsupportive pillows. Most people spend an average of 10+ hours a day sitting down, with few breaks to stand and move around. It's no wonder that degenerative lumbar issues, lumbar surgeries and bulging discs are becoming more common. Sitting down compresses the spine and after many years the muscles around the lumbar spine become locked tight, causing a whole range of problems.

Lower back pain is on the rise as we collectively stayed home during the lockdown and probably spent way too much time sitting down and binging Netflix shows. Sciatica, or piriformis syndrome is a plague that affects many of us and is caused by the piriformis muscle pinching a nerve in the deep external rotators of the hip. Our hips were made to move, not sit for 10+ hours a day.

Pain in between the shoulder blades, which even I suffer from, is at an all time high as we all spend too much time with our shoulders in a forward hunched position. This bad posture comes naturally as we hunch over our smartphones when we craft a long texts and when we are focused on reading or working on the computer. Here at Flow State Massage Tulsa we know where your tension comes from and we know how to release that tension to get you back to pain free movement.

Sure, you could just sit up straight with your shoulders down and back away from your ears but we all know how hard it is to maintain correct posture all day.

Hint: its really, really hard to maintain correct posture after so many years of incorrect posture. But why?

Understanding How Muscular Pain Develops

Our muscles have memory. You may have heard the term muscle memory before when learning a new skill like riding a bike, or driving. This is why people say "its like riding a bike" once you have learned, your muscles remember how to ride a bike even if you haven't been on a bicycle in many years.

The muscular system is very adaptable but it has limitations. Our muscles don't know the difference between good posture and bad posture.

For example, If you spend 8+ hours a day sitting with forward rounded shoulders, 5 days a week for 50 weeks a year, year after year then your muscles will think that sitting with forward rounded shoulders is your default position. This is not good.

When you are in forward shoulder hunch for that long, the deep flexors of the neck and the pectoralis major are by default shortened or contracting to pull our shoulder blades away from the spine. This forces the trapezius, rhomboids and serratus anterior to work triple overtime just to keep your shoulder blades attached to your spine.

Over time, and because these upper back muscles are generally weaker, these muscle fibers have no choice but to knot themselves up in order to provide enough force to keep your shoulder blades from detaching from your spine. These knots cause pain, usually in between the shoulder blades, on the medial border of the scapula or even up to your neck.

Remember muscle memory? Well because our muscles remember that we spend a whole lot of time in this position they think that this is normal, pain and all. These muscles get "stuck" in these positions and when you try to move them away from these chronic holding patterns, they eventually revert back. This is why trying to hold proper posture (sitting up straight, shoulders down and back, chest out) becomes so difficult after many years of poor posture. 

How Therapeutic Massage in Tulsa Can Help Reverse Chronic Holding Patterns

The key to reversing chronic holding patterns is to first get the muscles to release their hold, to un-knot the muscle fibers and allow them to move freely without pain.

This will be achieved by performing a deep tissue massage with a heavy focus on wherever the client needs it most. Each massage is customized to each individual so as to make the best use of our time. Flow State Massage Tulsa utilizes various techniques like trigger point therapy, pin and stretch, PIR (post isometric relaxation), cross-fiber friction and myofascial release to reduce tension and un-knot muscle fibers.

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The use of CBD Massage in Tulsa reduces any inflammation present in the surrounding muscles or joints, allowing the clients body to respond in a more positive manner to the work being done as well as reducing pain.

Next we reactivate the muscles and get them to fire in proper form, building strength where it is needed so the muscles can do their jobs without resorting to knots.

It sounds easy on paper but these chronic holding patterns build up over the years and require regular massage therapy treatments to ensure they don't revert back to being "stuck" in that bad posture position. 

Why Deep Tissue Massage in Tulsa is so effective

If you have spent time in 2021 in pain, or looking for solutions to your pain then you might have heard about Deep Tissue Massage Therapy as a possible treatment for certain aches and pains. This modality of massage usually focuses on a specific problem, such as chronic muscle pain, injury rehabilitation, chronic holding patterns and the following conditions:

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• Low back pain
• Limited mobility
• Upper back or neck pain
• Sciatica 
• Piriformis syndrome
• Recovery from injuries (e.g. whiplash, falls)
• Repetitive strain injury, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
  Postural problems
• Muscle tension in the hamstrings, glutes, IT band, legs, quadriceps, rhomboids, upper back
• Osteoarthritis pain
• Tennis elbow
• Thoracic Outlet syndrome
• Fibromyalgia

Contrary to popular belief Deep Tissue Massage is not the same as a massage with deep pressure. This modality of massage can be preformed with light, firm, or deep pressure. The same amount of work can be achieved regardless of the pressure, as spending more time with less pressure equals less time with more pressure. It's all about where the pressure is applied.

Using a hot towel and various techniques your massage therapist will warm up your muscles, making them more malleable. Focusing the work on the muscles that need it most, your therapist will systematically work to release the tension at the origin and attachment sites of the muscles and tendons. If you are ever in Tulsa massage will make you feel lighter and at ease.

I have found over the years that the tendons are usually the focus for the pain because when a muscle knots up then you can be sure that the tendons will also be twisted up. This is because all muscles begin and end as tendons. The muscle is in the middle and on either end the muscle converges into a tendon as it attaches to bones/joints. 

You may have heard that deep tissue massage is painful, or is supposed to hurt. I am here to tell you that it does not have to hurt. A good therapist will use as much pressure as they think they need, working out the tension and knots with brute force while the client just has to suffer through the pain.

A great massage therapist uses precision in the amount and location of pressure required to work out the knots, regularly checking in with the client to make sure the pressure is well within their pain tolerance. I pay attention to all the little things, a sharp intake of breath, a small twitch of the leg/arm or a pained facial expression, as all these are silent indicators to me that I may be using to much pressure and need to ease up a little or change my approach.

Using these strategies, Flow State Massage provides the best deep tissue massage in Tulsa while ensuring that the client is not screaming internally with the pain. In addition to the precision of my technique, my CBD/CBG Soothing Massage Oil works to reduce the perception of pain by affecting the body's Endocannabinoid System in positive way, soothing the body and mind.

The Endocannabinoid System Overview

Our bodies run on systems. You may be familiar with the Circulatory System, the Respiratory System, The Nervous System, etc.

Did you know that we humans have an Endocannabinoid System? The word "Endo" means within or internal and "cannabinoid" is a naturally occurring chemical compounds. So Endocannabinoid means cannabinoids that are produced within our bodies.

The Endocannabinoid System is present in all mammals and is responsible for maintaining homeostasis or balance within the body. Now that we know our own bodies produce cannabinoids, research on how Phytocannabinoids (cannabinoids produced by plants) interact within our body's endocannabinoid system are coming to light.