Considering seeing a massage therapist who is trained in Precision Neuromuscular Therapy?
Why Precision Neuromuscular Therapy?
Do you struggle with muscular discomfort and pain? If so, seeing a massage therapist trained in Precision Neuromuscular Therapy (PNMT) might be one of the best decisions you can make. The experience of PNMT is a bit different than other forms of massage, and this page will help you understand the process and principles behind the work.
Assessment is Key
At the beginning of the session, your therapist will take some time to listen to the history of your issue, looking for important clues as to the origin of your pain. The more pertinent details you can share, the better. What makes it worse? What relieves your pain? Where and how often do you feel it?
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Additionally, your therapist will likely do some physical assessments, looking for restrictions in your range of motion or possible structural reasons that may play a role in your pain.
A Very Thorough Examination
of Your Muscle Tissue
The hallmark of PNMT is the thoroughness of the examination of your muscular tissue. Once possible affected areas are identified, your therapist will take time to carefully use their hands to fully examine every millimeter of the affected muscle.
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Since the therapist is targeting muscles and other soft-tissues that play a role in your pain, only those will be addressed in the session. (Unlike more general massage, where every body part is addressed equally in a session.) We are targeting the important areas to help relieve your pain.
Your Feedback is Crucial
As your therapist is exploring your musculature, your feedback is vital to successful outcomes. Even with many years of experience and training, the therapist can not know your experience while doing so. Often the difference between success and failure can be a small change in the direction of pressure. Do not hesitate to give the therapist feedback as to the accuracy of their location.
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How will you know the correct area? What we look for from clients is the unequivocal feeling of "That's my pain!" Nothing less is acceptable. When we are precisely in the right area, clients often experience the sense that they have been waiting for months for someone to put their finger right on the spot. It is often a very validating feeling as well. Far from being on the edge of tolerance, it should feel like a welcome response to your discomfort. If what the therapist is doing seems off-target or not productive, please do not hesitate to redirect them.
PNMT is a Process
When you present with muscular discomfort, it is highly likely that more than one session is needed to make a difference. In the first session, the therapist will identify and address the most immediate muscles involved. Often, however, there are multiple players at work here, and that takes time to discover and address them. Session two will address these secondary players as well as the primary muscles discovered in session one.
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For most common conditions, plan on at least three sessions to make a difference. How will you know you are improving? Mostly, you will notice a resumption of your daily activity level. Your therapist will also ask you to monitor the frequency, intensity, and duration of your discomfort, which can help them create an effective plan going forward.
