a tiny reason behind pain

This happened in Mumbai this summer, at the time when IPL -5 was on.

 A team that had camped in Mumbai , also had somebody who is known to me... nah, he is not a player... he was one of the support staffers.  This guy is friends with me as we used to be co-commuters at some point of time- almost 5 years ago.

This friend wanted to be served, as he was too tired and wanted somebody who knows his body well (has previously served him). He chose me. I was sure it will be all the same, except the changed venue (he usually was served at his home, this time it was a hotel)... but no, it was not all the same.

my client friend was not only "tired", but he  also complained of an accute pain at his left shoulder. He said there was no change in his exercise routine, and that the shoulder  had started paining only this morning. Curious, i inspected his paining shoulder. The occurence of pain covered a large part of muscles, from his neck to the biceps of his left arm  and towards back- to the muscles over scapula. However, his shoulder-joints and neck functioned normally. I told him it could not be anything but a muscular pain.  He looked much worried and wanted to see the doctor... "how the hell this muscular pain, even as I know how carefully I've used my muscles?" he quipped, and after some silence, he said, " well I think the problem is neuro-muscular... will see a doctor soon..."


The decision to visit a doctor is fine, but i secretly disliked his attitude to jump to conclusions-- Neuro-Muscular !! Sure he has some extra muscle up his brain, so fast a conclusion! huh?

I remained silent though, and politely asked him to describe how well did he sleep last night...

"well i just freshened up and you came, you see... I slept very well... who won't, after a long day of practise sessions..."  - said he , as i was curiously looking at his bed....

The queen-sized bed occupied almost one third of the total space, as it stood at centre of this premium hotel room... I went closer to it as my client watched me from his  mat that we used for massage. Going closer to the pillows, four, for that exxtra comfort, I lifted one pillow up and ...
... found the reason behind his acheing shoulder,
lying there- beaneath the top pillow...
It was a DEO container.


Till date, at least 3 weeks since he called, I still do not whether he was convinced with my "general inquiry  into his Neuro-Muscular Pain

Maybe, he will call me in the fifth week, as he'd usually do, and i will ask him whether he really had to see a neuro-surgeon for his shoulder pain.

Morale : instead of being over-cautious and worried after the pain, think what can cause you pain and take care!

(THIS STORY is based on real-life incidences and is written originally for this blog. It can be re-used with due credit and a link to this blog -- Abby)

a good site

http://www.localmassage.com/

the parting line...

Usually, this happens at star hotels.
As the clients opens the door for me,
his first line usually is "hi, abby- how are you" or , "how do you do?" the usual, formal greeting.
And as i pack my things after the massage,
many have said,
"bye, i'll have better sleep today"
or " I'll sleep well tonight"
For sure, after the massage
the tone does not sound formal... it is relaxed, indeed.
after somebody has pampered your body,
it is difficult to contain the feedback to a formal "thanks for coming".

When this relaxed parting line from high-flyer bosses,
or more- from flight personnel, amongst my clientele,
I smile from my heart, and i say "Thank you, Sir"

am i being too formal, here?

When i was being trained for a massage,
my master told me politely,
"remember, your real learning will start
AFTER you go out to serve people"
i looked at him, a bit apprehensive about what he says.
Do i have to learn from my 'mistakes'?
And i asked him, in a hurt voice,
"Sir, do you mean i will be making mistakes? then please train me more... don't you have confidence in me?"
My master, a keralite doctor aged 53 then, smiled under his long grey moustache.
he said,
"You may not make mistakes, yet you learn.
Perfection in Massage depends on who takes it, too.
and you- as a giver, have no right to blame the taker if the massage is not perfect.
a giver must understand, must LEARN from the responses of the taker."

I remember these words well.
and now i think,
of many life situation,
where we have a role of a giver.
As a giver, i vow to serve the taker and learn from him.

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What's so private about Fatigue?

You and many men of worth today regard relaxation as a private thing. Is it male chauvenism? Maybe not. Maybe we all expect our world to be a place for active, energetic people and thus it is politically incorrect to say one is tired and he needs to relax.

Some won't even say, "oh, I am tired!" in the presence of their colleagues. This, I think, is a result of the higher definitions of Efficiency and Activiness. The example might sound quite rudimentary and you for one, might not have felt so detached from your colleagues that you didn't even say you were tired. There are degrees, Sir! When you want to sleep during a flight, you make it sure you keep a distance from the passenger next to you, and you'd avoid talking to her/him when you sense you'd yawn.

True, it is none of the business for that "next passenger on the aisle seat" to know you are tired. Only a man who has a texhnical knowledge to help you relax, might be chosen to know your state of body and mind. You should talk freely to your masseur about your fatigue and if you don't mind, think aloud of the possible reasons of the fatigue, while the masseur listens to you.

These are only some observations, and you may have your views, experiences to share.
Nice if you write a comment.