Are You a Mental Case?

Part 1:

Have you ever experienced pain, clinical depression, and other symptoms, yet tests fail to reveal any support for your suffering? Does this make you question your mental well-being? In this blog post, we delve into such situations and explore the complex interplay of symptoms and mental health.

Title Considerations:

I'm contemplating the title for my blog. Would it be fitting to call it "Clinical Standards of Conventional Medicine vs. Medical Massage Approach, Including Our Calculations/Clinical Thinking"? Or, perhaps, "The Must-Have of an Integrative Medicine Approach"? The journey that led me to these considerations began 32 years ago when, as a newcomer to the US, one of my initial patients faced the challenges of fibromyalgia syndrome.

Back then, the US medical community was divided on the diagnosis of fibromyalgia, and not many rheumatologists acknowledged it. Fibromyalgia patients endured pain, clinical depression, and chronic fatigue. Do to negative results in various tests, they were often referred to psychiatric care, labeled as suffering from psychosomatic disorders. My first patient in the US rejected psychiatric care, convinced that her symptoms had a physical basis. She refused antipsychotic medications, believing that mental health would compromise her return to normalcy.

In my article, link below, I urge careful consideration of the causes behind tension buildups in muscles, the development of clinical depression as a defense mechanism against constant low-grade pain impulses, and the pivotal understanding that the root of challenging symptoms lies in the muscles. Treatment, therefore, must commence by addressing muscles and fascia, rebalancing autonomic activities, and restoring life to those unfortunate enough to develop fibromyalgia syndrome.

Following the protocol outlined in my article, my first fibromyalgia patient in America, after 15 treatments, gradually regained control of her life, returning to work. Continuing with maintenance treatments, I observed successful outcomes. The patient, actively involved in a local fibromyalgia support group, invited me to join a panel of experts in a meeting attended by around 100 patients. The panel included board-certified rheumatologists, clinical psychologists, a yoga instructor, and a personal trainer. Each of us had 15 minutes to share our knowledge and experiences in treating fibromyalgia syndrome.

During my presentation, I noticed skepticism on the face of a rheumatologist. Addressing him, I acknowledged his skepticism and probed further. He questioned my claim that fibromyalgia developments start at the muscle level and must be treated accordingly. My patient intervened, asserting her significant improvement after my treatments and dispelling notions of the placebo effect.

Curious about his approach, I asked the rheumatologist about his diagnosis and treatment for fibromyalgia. His response involved non-steroid anti-inflammatory and antidepressant medications, despite fibromyalgia not being recognized as an inflammatory condition by the US Academy of Rheumatology. I emphasized that I, too, address inflammatory conditions and proposed an integrative approach. Post-meeting, my practice shifted focus to fibromyalgia, with the rheumatologist referring hundreds of patients. Astonishingly, at least 85% reported significant improvement after the initial 15 treatments.

I invite you to carefully read the article linked below. https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/files/articles/Fibromyalgia.pdf

Consider reading it at least three times, taking notes, and feel free to share your questions and opinions. Let's engage in a discussion that advances our skills. Additionally, click the link below to explore program number three, where I explain and teach hands-on techniques for addressing fibromyalgia cases. Fibromyalgia, Full-Body Medical Massage - CEU Volume #3

Part 2:

In Part 1 of this blog, I pondered the title: “Would it be fitting to call it 'Clinical Standards of Conventional Medicine vs. Medical Massage Approach, Including Our Calculations/Clinical Thinking'?” The realm of medical and sports sciences, although rooted in biomedical science, sees the clinical application of massage science take a distinctive path.

Clinical Standards of Conventional Medicine rely on patient complaints and symptom descriptions to prescribe various tests such as blood tests, MRIs, CT scans, etc. As discussed in Part 1, if tests yield negative results, an array of medications is often prescribed. These may include antidepressants, antianxiety medications, gabapentin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or steroids like prednisone. In instances where medication fails to alter the clinical picture, skepticism may arise, often leading to a dismissal of symptoms as “all in the head.”

Before delving into my case presentation, detailing the hands-on techniques and protocols implemented, I urge you to attentively listen to Kat’s presentation, which can be found at the following link: Customer testimonials (medicalmassage-edu.com)

In Part 1, I discussed challenging cases of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia patients may not initially present as rational individuals, as anxiety and clinical depression can create a false impression of mental instability. However, when I lay my hands on a patient's body, examining the soft tissues and detecting tension buildups within muscles and fascia, as described in the fibromyalgia article, I comprehend the chain of reactions and address the causes of complex pathological developments.

In Kat’s case, it became evident that her condition wasn’t fibromyalgia. She exhibited fear, despite maintaining composure without crying or shaking. Listening to her workout regime before falling ill, I suspected muscular tension buildup. Upon examination, I discovered significant muscular tension. My initial decision was to provide five treatments of full-body post-event sports massage to alleviate muscular tension. For further details, please visit Expert Massage CE Programs with Certification (medicalmassage-edu.com) and click on the description for Program Number 7.

For us, it's common knowledge that tense muscles contribute to inadequate disposal of metabolic waste/toxins. Metabolic toxins act as anticholinergic agents, blocking the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and significantly inhibiting the parasympathetic nervous system. Although a pulmonologist ruled out bronchial asthma, suppressed parasympathetic activities led to bronchial spasm, explaining Kat's shortness of breath. After providing a full-body post-event sports massage, I implemented protocols presented in Program Number 5. These included accelerating lymphatic drainage for detoxification/disposal of metabolic waste/anticholinergic agents and bronchial drainage techniques to reduce bronchial spasms. I also included special techniques to release acetylcholine and improve parasympathetic activities. All these techniques are taught in Program Number 5. For details, please click Detoxification Lymphatic Drainage - CEU Volume #5 (medicalmassage-edu.com)

After 15 combined treatments, Kat felt significantly better, but a dermographism test revealed the presence of autonomic irregularities. In cases of autonomic irregularities, including but not limited to concussions, I implement a post-concussion rehabilitative protocol. Details about this program can be found by clicking Post-Concussion Rehabilitation Protocol - Volume #15 (medicalmassage-edu.com)

I provided Kat with an additional five treatments, implementing post-concussion protocols. Objectively and subjectively, Kat regained her life.

Through this blog presentation, I aim to clearly illustrate the uniqueness of medical massage, distinct from the clinical standards of conventional medicine. As mentioned in Part 1, massage therapy is often labeled as a complementary method of treatment, but I question whether in this particular case, we can classify medical massage as complementary or alternative medicine. In this case, alternative to what? To experimenting with medication prescriptions? Throughout my professional life, I have practiced integrative medicine, collaborating with doctors to exclude serious disorders and applying our knowledge, clinical thinking, and calculated treatment plans to sustain successful results.

Please feel free to post your questions, agreements, or disagreements.

Best wishes, Boris Prilutsky