My Fibromyalgia Treatment Diary

Session 1 

Before the treatment:

Today I was in quite a lot of pain, maybe a 7 out of 10 on the pain scale. I was feeling emotionally exhausted, my hip was very painful, my rib area underneath my armpit felt particularly painful and my neck felt very tight following a night of restless sleep. I felt stressed, not relaxed in any sort of way, so I was really looking forward to having my first treatment with Lisa.

After a consultation, she seemed to really grasp the problems I was having with my pain and I felt immediately at ease with her. During the treatment it was clear she really knew what she was doing. Without me giving her much indication of the exact spots that were painful or tender, she just seemed to know those were the areas that needed the attention. She did some very deep work which I was grateful for and she even targeted some areas that I wouldn’t usually find painful so I was surprised to find that my left side needed almost as much attention as my right side.

Immediately after the treatment: 

I felt much looser, not as tight. Naturally, the very painful areas for me in my hip and under my arm pit still feel very tender but not as tight and I feel much more relaxed. I left feeling very confident that with a course of treatment from Lisa, I’m going to see a huge improvement in my pain levels. We’ve already discussed treatments going forward that will target other areas such as my arms and legs and I feel very happy with this.

She was also really informative, suggesting ideas for why I may be experiencing pain in those certain areas such as my sitting position or the way I use computers and maybe even my sleeping position could all be contributing factors. I’m already booked in for my next treatment and I’m really looking forward to seeing how my pain improves over these next few sessions.

The day after treatment: 

I slept really well last night, I woke up with noticeably less pain in my hip/sciatic area. It’s still tender to the touch but usually when I walk I can feel a deep twinge and a tightness and that hasn’t been as noticeable today, as a matter of fact, I walked to the gym today and did an exercise class and the tightness and pain in that area was much less. I even managed a gentle jog during the class with no twinge in my butt cheek, it was great.

When you’ve been in pain as long as I have, to have this much relief after just one session makes me feel really hopeful that I won’t have to live the rest of my life in so much pain. There’s still a long way to go though. The rib area under the armpit is still very sore but I’d say it’s not tight and aching like it usually is, it’s just sore.

Session 2

Before the treatment:

After my first treatment I remained quite sore for a couple of days but the relief from the tightness was very noticeable so I was very much looking forward to another session with Lisa. Before the session today, my pain levels were quite low compared to last week. This is quite a normal level of manageable daily pain for me, just a few aches and pains, nothing that will affect my day. My shoulders and neck area felt very tight and there was still tightness in my right hip area which was certainly a lot less than last week and the tightness I usually feel mid-back definitely hasn’t been as noticeable. The very sore area under my right armpit has eased off a lot.

Immediately after the treatment: 

Today’s session was great. Lisa hit all the main sore points from last week – the hips, lower back and shoulders. They were a lot less tight and sore than last week. The hip area still needed a lot of work. Today Lisa also massaged my arms and legs which were both surprisingly painful and tender. I don’t feel sore like I did last week. Upon getting up from the massage table, my neck felt very tight and I felt quite dizzy – nothing that Lisa couldn’t sort out before I left. I also felt very dehydrated so I’ll be making sure to drink lots of water, which Lisa recommends after each session. 

The most surprising thing is I actually feel VERY relaxed, I can’t remember when my body last felt this relaxed. I also noticed when walking that my legs felt A LOT less tight and I felt like my posture was better. Usually my knees hyper-extend backward which results in me almost locking my knees out which causes my hips and back to over-extend too but walking today and even standing now as I type this, my knees have a soft bend to them, my hips feel like they’re where they’re supposed to be, my back feels straight and there’s no twinge in my butt cheek. I’m thinking “is this how I’m supposed to feel when I walk or stand?” I wish I had taken a photo of my posture before and after because I’m certain you’d see a difference. Sitting in the car on the drive home felt more comfortable too, rather than the tightness I usually feel from the hip to the knee of my right leg. I just feel super relaxed, I could get used to this.

The day after treatment: 

Once again, I slept very well. Although my posture has returned to its normal, over-extended posture, I’m more aware of it and making a conscious effort to softly bend my knees and straighten my back when I stand. My neck is still feeling quite tight but the upper back area feels much better. The tightness that usually radiates out of my right hip area, down my leg and up my torso is pretty much gone. I can’t believe how good I feel after just 2 sessions. No soreness this time either which is great news because I have an important event today.

Session 3

Well what a week. If anyone has noticed their back aches more when they’ve been sat in the car for long periods of time or they’ve slept in a different bed for a few nights, that pretty much sums up my week and I came to Lisa this week in desperate need of some attention.

Before the treatment:

I felt very tight, achy and cramped, my shoulders and mid back in particular, and I had noticed my tendonitis flaring up which it usually does around this time of year for no apparent reason. I requested that Lisa repeat last weeks treatment as it felt so good afterwards. Pain levels aren’t too bad, maybe a 3 out of 10 but I do feel very tight.

Immediately after the treatment: 

Today's treatment was REALLY painful. It always amazes me how much tension I carry in my body that I’m totally unaware of. My left side was a lot more painful and tighter than I thought, particularly my calves, arms and neck so Lisa focused a lot of her time on my left side. I can’t even describe the pain but I had to breathe through it as Lisa expertly massaged the pain points until they eased.

Once again, immediately after the treatment I noticed a change in my posture. My legs felt stronger, my knees bent softly, my back felt straighter. Some areas still felt a little tight and sore but I’m starting to expect a little bit of soreness after the sessions. My arms feel a lot less tight. As painful as that arm massage is, it’s worth it. I wish I could give myself an arm massage every day.

The day after treatment: 

Surprisingly I actually feel quite stiff today. This could be due to me getting used to being back in my own bed or the colder weather (it’s amazing how much the weather affects my back pain) or just that my back really suffered due to last week. So yeah, quite stiff and tight and pain levels are fairly high today, I’ve had to take pain killers. I usually prefer to manage my pain without them so I only take painkillers when it’s really bad.

The pain is focused around my mid back on my right side and Lisa didn’t really work on that area too much yesterday as it was my left side, my arms and my legs which needed the most attention. I’m back to my usual coping methods of using my back massager and foam roller to try and relax the area and have a good click. I’ve noticed I’m clicking my neck less since I started seeing Lisa.

Session 4

Before the treatment: 

I don’t know if it’s just the cold weather or that I’ve been sat a lot this week but I’ve felt very stiff and have actually gone back to my clicking and cracking ways over the last few days, air punches and all. My mid-back on the right side and my neck in particular has been feeling very tight. However, I’m noticing much less tightness and pain in my hips, considering how tight and painful they were just a few weeks ago and I’ve had absolutely no tendonitis-type twinges in my wrists and forearms this week at all. Whatever Lisa is doing is obviously working.

Immediately after the treatment: 

I think I floated out of Lisa’s treatment room today. The massage was a lot less painful this week and a lot more relaxing. After telling Lisa that my right side had felt very tight the last few days, she decided initially to do a lot of work on that area but once she started working, it was clear it was actually my left side that needed the most work, and my legs especially needed more attention. I say this every week but I am just so surprised at how much pain and tension I’ve been carrying on my left side when it’s predominantly the right side of my body that I feel I have the most long-term pain problems with.

My hip and thigh area on either side is very tender and painful when massaged and the back of my calves were very tight and painful. This comes from years of my knees over-extending. Lisa has suggested during the next session she’ll heavily focus on the legs and hips. The sore spot under my right armpit was VERY sore again today, it took me by surprise, we’re still trying to figure out what’s causing that.

I felt so relaxed after today’s session though and I didn’t leave with any lingering soreness like I sometimes do. I will definitely be drinking a lot of water after this session. I don’t feel like I drank nearly enough after last week’s session and I think it really does make a difference.

The day after treatment: 

I woke up definitely feeling less achey and stiff, but still needed to click before I got out of bed but it felt like a release from all the “mending and repairing” my body did whilst I was sleeping. I’m really noticing the difference in my posture these last couple of weeks since Lisa worked more on my legs. My knees have a soft bend to them which means my back is straighter and I feel so much stronger when I’m standing rather than being hyper-extended. I’m hoping the improvements in my posture will help with some other problems I’ve been having, like my acid reflux.

I went to an exercise class this morning and although my legs and hips felt like they were still recovering from the work Lisa did on them this week, the stiffness in my torso, shoulders and neck is noticeably less. I am just so impressed that the tight, deep, pinching nerve pain in my right buttock has completely gone. 8 weeks ago when I was on holiday, I could barely walk without stopping for a break because it was so painful and exercising, to be honest even just sitting sometimes, was very challenging because of the pain it was causing.

The tenderness in the hip area has completely gone. I still feel some stiffness and pain in the mid-back on my right side but that pain has been there a long time, it’s very deep and it’s possible there’s a deeper underlying cause that hasn’t been picked up yet that may be causing it and might be something not even Lisa can fix, but time will tell.

Session 5

Before the treatment: 

Again, I don’t know if it’s the colder weather setting in but my neck and shoulders have been very tight and my forearms are feeling a little tight. My legs have been feeling tired and my hip area has felt quite tight. The last few days, my hip joints have been clicking a lot and feeling stiff. This isn’t unusual for me this time of year. I’m really looking forward to the treatment today.

Immediately after the treatment: 

After a 2 week break today’s session was very painful. Lisa focused on my legs first which needed a lot of work but managed to also work on my upper back and arms as I had told her that’s where I was feeling the most tightness. With each session I’m gaining more awareness about my own body and the pain.

The day after treatment: 

My legs and hips actually felt really sore today. After a treatment like the one I receive from Lisa, I always think this soreness is just recovery so I’m taking it as a good sign.

A few days after:

I don’t usually include a few days after but this one seemed important. It’s 3 days since I saw Lisa and I’m in a lot of pain. I feel like I felt before I started seeing Lisa. A few factors to consider here that could be causing the pain as I’m sure it’s not a result of Lisa’s amazing treatments. It’s been very cold and I’ve no doubt I’ve been hunching and raising my shoulders more than usual, my stress levels have been quite high the last couple of weeks and I’ve been eating a lot more carbs and comfort food and I’ve noticed my pain does increase when I’ve been eating too many carbs.
 
My right shoulder feels very stiff, my neck is very tight and I’m struggling to relieve it (this isn’t unusual for me but I haven’t had much neck tightness at all since starting my treatments with Lisa). That sore spot in the ribs under my right armpit is so sore and causing me a lot of pain, my hips are stiff to the point I’m having to shift position a lot when I’m sitting or lying down. My legs are heavy and feel tender, I’m starting to get tendonitis-like pains in my right forearm so I’ve been trying to relieve that by moving my wrist and clenching my fist, my lower back has been feeling very tight and my jaw ache has come back despite wearing my night guard every night. This has resulted in me feeling really tired by the early evening. I’ll be interested to see what Lisa makes of all this during my next treatment.

Session 6

Before the treatment: 

Oh man, I really need this massage today. I have felt really tight for about 10 days now, mostly in my neck, right shoulder and hip. My legs have felt achy and tight and it feels as though I’m back at square one, I’m sure it’s nothing to do with Lisa’s treatments. Maybe more to do with the 2 week gap between treatments. It’s been colder, I’ve been very stressed and I’ve been eating more carb laden comfort foods and I think all of these contribute to the pain.

After telling Lisa how I’ve been feeling since the last treatment, she decided to go back to square one and do exactly what she did in our first session so this week’s treatment focused more on the neck, shoulder and back, a bit of work in the hip area and a quick arm massage.

The neck was EXTREMELY painful but Lisa really took her time to release the tension in that area and afterwards I felt a lot better, it was much needed. During the treatment, my right hip and knee started to feel tight but Lisa didn’t have time to work on the legs at all this week so I’ll be using my foam roller at home to try and release some of the tightness myself.

Lisa has decided to try a 9 day gap between now and the next treatment so she can work on my hips and legs. Hopefully my body will feel a little better about a shorter gap.

Immediately after the treatment: 

The day after treatment: 

Still feeling a lot of relief, the neck feels great. The tightness in my right leg around my knee area is still there despite using the foam roller at home. Nothing compares to Lisa’s massage!

Session 7

Before the treatment: 

Thankfully I haven’t had much pain at all this week. A little bit of stiffness in the neck and hips but I haven’t felt the need to take any pain killers since my last visit. I went to an exercise class this morning and noticed my arms and legs felt heavy and tired and I was struggling to keep up with everyone else in the class so I told Lisa about it and she decided to tackle the legs first today.

Immediately after the treatment: 

I feel like I need to sleep. Lisa started with my legs and they were so tight and sore, especially my calves and my hip area. My knees overextend backwards so my calves take a lot of extra strain. They definitely needed a lot of attention.

Although I’d taken Lisa’s advice on board from last week about not hunching or raising my shoulders, I’d spent all week trying to focus on rolling them back and extending the neck so as not to cause any more neck pain but it had started to feel very tight again. It’s just dawned on me that my body really needs regular massages. I think I’d be in a lot more pain than I am if I hadn’t been seeing Lisa these last couple of months.

The day after treatment: 

Still feeling a little bit sore today but a lot less tight. My body feels like it needs lots of rest and recovery.

In between treatments:

My body is really struggling with the new work routine. I’m walking and standing a lot more than usual, my body is feeling the strain and I’ve had to take pain killers most days. My right hip and my neck have felt particularly tight, my calves are really unhappy. I’ve been using a massager and foam roller at home but having very little relief and I’ve felt very tired or lethargic on the days I’m not at work.

Session 8

Before the treatment: 

Since starting my new job, my body had been struggling with extended periods of standing and a lot more walking than usual. As always, my right side felt the worst. My hips and calves felt sore, my mid-back was aching a lot more than usual, my right shoulder blade was tight which meant manipulating and clicking it to try and relieve it and there has been so much tension in my neck it actually cramped up a few days ago, that’s never happened before. It wasn’t pleasant but with a pain killer and some gentle massage it finally eased off. I’ve been using my foam roller a lot to relief the tension in my back and calves.

Immediately after the treatment: 

Surprisingly this was one of the most relaxing massages I’ve had with Lisa. Although some parts were painful, the areas I thought would be the most painful were actually OK. Most surprising to me was how painful my left calf was and then how painless my right calf was. This is really good progress. My neck also wasn’t as painful as expected. Lisa did some deep work on my hip and lower back area and as soon as I stood up after the massage, both hips clicked and I felt a lot of relief in that area. Lisa has sent me some follow up exercises to help with the tightness in my hips and buttocks and I’ve been instructed to pay more attention to my posture when I’m standing at work.

The day after treatment: 

Despite drinking lots of water after the massage, by the evening I felt tired, dehydrated and I had a headache. It was an early night for me and I really struggled to find a comfortable sleeping position. This morning my upper back feels very tight. I’ve foam rolled it to get some relief but sitting here now, I can’t help but roll my shoulders back and move about a bit in the hopes of relieving some of the tightness. However, my calves, hips and neck feel much better.

In between treatments:

I think my body is starting to adjust to the new work routine. My legs have felt a bit happier this last couple of weeks. Still some tightness through the hip area but nothing Lisa can’t sort out. My main problem area still feels like it’s the mid-torso on the right hand side from the shoulder blade to the hip. This has been my main problem areas for many years and often the area I feel the most stiffness which leads to me wiggling and air punching in an attempt to relieve some of the stiffness.

I struggle mostly with it when I’m sitting for long periods and I notice it when I’m trying to find a comfortable sleeping position. On the plus side my neck has felt a lot better and I’ve had absolutely no symptoms of tendonitis since my last treatment. I’ve been finding little bits of time to fit in some of the exercises Lisa sent me, not as often as I’d like but they’re very similar or the same movements to the ones we do in the exercise class I go to and I’m finding them beneficial so I definitely need to prioritise making more time to do them. I think they’ll really help me in between treatments.

Session 9

Before the treatment: 

The last couple of weeks have actually been relatively OK pain wise. I’ve been suffering with some stiffness in the mid torso area on my right side and through the hip area but I’ve noticed an improvement in other areas. My neck hasn’t felt tight, my legs feel a bit happier and I haven’t noticed any symptoms of tendonitis in my forearms. This is pretty amazing for this time of year. When it gets colder like it has the last few weeks, I usually struggle more with pain but I think Lisa’s treatments have really prepared my body to deal much better with the cold.

Immediately after the treatment: 

After discussing with Lisa how I’d been feeling since my last treatment she decided today was going to be a general maintenance rather than a whole body session. This was fine with me as my legs hadn’t been feeling too sore. It was mostly through the mid torso and hip area on the right side. The treatment today was fairly painless, areas that had previously been very painful like my neck and arms were massively improved and didn’t need much attention. However, as soon as Lisa moved down to work on my right hip/glutes, that was possibly the most intense pain I’ve felt. It didn’t feel like it was going to ease off and it felt like the whole of the area was bruised and burning.

I have quite a high pain threshold and was able to breathe through it but it wasn’t pleasant. It eventually did ease off but I think it’ll take me the rest of the day to recover from that. I felt quite tired afterwards and Lisa thinks I may feel some tenderness there through the rest of the day and possibly into tomorrow. This is the area where all my pain problems started over 15 years ago and I feel like the tightness there is what causes a lot of the other tightness in my right side. As painful as it was, I feel like I’m going to get a lot of relief from the deep work she did on it and this might be an area we need to keep an eye on.

The day after treatment: 

I felt very tired, I overslept and I feel like I slept very well and definitely needed it after the session with Lisa. My hips still feel quite bruised and tender so I think I just need to take it easy today.

Session 10

Before the treatment: 

Over the last couple of weeks since my last session, I haven’t noticed any stiffness or tightness in my neck and shoulders despite the colder weather and no signs of my tendonitis returning. I have though noticed tenderness and tightness in my hip area and lower back and I’ve had some pain through the mid-torso on the right side in the usual place. I’ve also started to feel a lot of tightness and pain in my ankles and feet. I think it’s down to being on my feet a lot at work and walking more.

Before the session I asked Lisa if we could do some more work around the hip and lower back area as that was the area I was having the most discomfort in. Admittedly with work being so busy and Christmas coming up, I’d totally forgotten about the exercises Lisa had e-mailed to me.

Immediately after the treatment: 

Since my back and neck had been feeling much better recently, Lisa gave me an all over treatment with the main focus being on the lower back, hips and legs. She even massaged my feet and around my ankles. It certainly wasn’t as painful as the last time but very sore in some places, especially the back of my arms. I definitely need a lot of water and a sleep now. 

The day after treatment: 

There has been an improvement in my shoulders and neck so I’m very pleased with that but my hips are sore and my thighs feel tender. I actually feel a bit stiff from the waist down so I’ll be doing some of the gentle exercises and stretches that Lisa sent me in my exercise plan. I feel like we are just getting to the root of the problem and figuring out which areas need more work and what’s going to help me the most going forward.

A few days after the treatment:

Despite noticing the improvement in my shoulders earlier in the week, I had a few days where they felt very tight and my legs very heavy, although this was after a couple of very busy weekends at work. I’ve been using my foam roller at home to help relieve some of this and doing a few gentle exercises from the plan Lisa sent me.

Session 11

Before the treatment: 

After a very busy week at work and lots of hours spent on my feet my body is really feeling it today. I could barely get out of bed this morning I felt so stiff. My feet hurt, my legs hurt, my shoulders and upper back hurt and my hips feel like they’re just not recovering. Some days I feel 82, not 32.

I’ve been doing some of the exercises Lisa sent me to try and ease the tightness through my hips as well as using my foam roller on my back and legs and I’ve added a spiky acupressure mat to my night time routine as well to try and ease some of the pain in my back and feet – anything to try and help myself in between treatments. I can’t imagine not going to Lisa now. How did I cope before these massages?

Immediately after the treatment: 

Today Lisa focused mainly on my legs, lower back and hips as those are the areas I felt needed the most work. Being on my feet a lot more than I’m used to means my body needs regular maintenance and I’m so grateful to be having these treatments with Lisa. This session wasn’t as painful as previous sessions, although my hips were sore during the massage as I got off the couch they clicked and along with my legs they felt much better.

I would usually take it easy after a massage with Lisa to allow my body to recover but I had to go straight to work afterwards so let’s see how this affects my recovery.

The day after treatment:  

I feel so tired today. I just want to sleep. I think my body really wants to take it easy today but unfortunately I have lots to do. I think it’s important to take some proper time to rest and relax and drink lots of water after the massage. Although I drank a lot of water, I didn’t have the time to rest and relax and I’m really struggling to stay awake. I have a headache, my shoulders feel quite tight today and my lower back also still feels quite tight but my legs feel a lot better and my hips don’t feel as tender and sore as I’d expected them to.

Session 12

Before the treatment: 

Thankfully my legs have been feeling much better the last week or so. My hips have felt very sore but not in their usual place. It’ll sound really odd but usually the pain is deep and feels like a tender bruise deep in the buttock. The pain now feels more like surface pain, it’s quite a sharp pain around the actual hip bone rather than deep in the muscle. I’m counting this as progress. I’ve definitely been feeling a lot less stiff and I haven’t noticed as much clicking in that area since the last treatment.

However, I’m having a lot of pain and stiffness in the upper back, shoulders and neck now so I’m going to ask Lisa to focus on that today and my arms also feel like they need some attention too. I’ve been experiencing quite a lot of facial pain around my jaw area and my jaw is clicking a lot. I’m not really sure why this happens but just every now and again I’ll get a very clicky jaw which leads to me having a lot of headaches and blocked sinuses.

Immediately after the treatment: 

I really needed that. I told Lisa I needed her to focus on the shoulders and neck today and it was the best neck and shoulder massage I’ve ever had. Some parts were quite painful or uncomfortable but for the most part it was relaxing to the point that I almost fell asleep. There was a lot of tension that needed easing in my neck and the base of the skull so I was really glad she could relieve it.

The day after treatment: 

Thank goodness my neck feels so much better today, less tightness and tension. My right shoulder and shoulder blade in particular is feeling sore, but I have so much movement. It would seem the blocked sinuses and facial pain over the last few days were due to an oncoming cold.

Session 13

Before the treatment: 

I can’t believe how many problems I’ve been having with my neck these last few weeks and I’ve been suffering with migraines which I’ve not had before. I actually had to reschedule my last session with Lisa because the migraine was so bad it was making me feel sick and I pretty much spent the whole day sleeping and trying to keep food down.

 I’ve been getting a lot of neck stiffness and jaw clicking and I feel like I’ve been holding a lot of stress and tension in my neck and perhaps clenching my jaw more than normal. The strangest thing of all was a week ago my neck completely seized up and I couldn’t move it at all. It was quite scary and painful but I managed to massage my shoulders and eventually it eased enough to get some movement back. Since then it’s generally felt quite tight. My hips, legs and arms haven’t been bothering me though which means this session can be focused on sorting my neck out.

Immediately after the treatment: 

I told Lisa about the problems with my neck so we focused on that area today. It wasn’t too painful until she worked along the base of my skull. My shoulder blades felt very sore and tight as she was massaging them and she gave me a lovely face massage to try and help with the jaw pain and headaches. I felt so much looser after the massage and definitely relaxed.

The day after treatment: 

I’m glad to not be feeling any jaw pain or headaches so far today and my neck is feeling great, although my right shoulder feels stiff its definitely less painful. It’s been a very stressful week with work and personal circumstances so I’m hoping the treatment I’ve just had has lasting benefits.

Session 14

Before the treatment: 

I find I really struggle with the longer periods between treatments (3-4 weeks). I’ve been having a lot of tenderness in my right hip and all the way down my thigh and into my knee. It feels bruised and it’s been very tight when I wake up in the mornings. I’ve also been getting the usual tightness through my right shoulder blade and into my ribs. I haven’t had any migraines or facial pain since I last saw Lisa just a little bit of jaw clicking and thankfully no more problems with my neck.

I’ve been foam rolling at home, using my massager on my shoulders and hip and also trying to ease the tightness in my rib by massaging the sore point under my armpit as that usually helps. I’ve neglected exercise for the last couple of weeks which I also think has had an impact on my pain. My hip has been bothering me a lot these last few weeks and it’s been a while since we focused on the hips and glutes so I think it’s much needed this week.

Immediately after the treatment: 

Lisa did some great work through my neck and shoulders and then some really deep work on the hips and glutes. As always my left side also needed a lot of attention and Lisa felt like my left side was actually worse than my right. As painful as the work was on my hips and glutes was immediately afterwards there were some really good clicks and releases and my hips felt sore but not tight. I know this means I’ll need to drink lots of water and rest today.

The day after treatment: 

My lower back is sore today and my right shoulder blade is clicking a lot. I definitely need to take it easy as much as possible today and I need to get back to doing some of the gentle exercises Lisa sent me. Hopefully that will help until the next session in a few weeks time.

Session 15

Before the treatment: 

I’ve been really struggling with my right hip/gluteal area for a few weeks now. It’s been very stiff and painful. Usually I’m able to click it when it gets too stiff (I’ve been able to click it for 15 or more years, this is where the pain started) but now it won’t click at all so there’s no release. I’ve been feeling the painful, bruised sensation down the outside of my right thigh and into the knee again, that hasn’t really eased up at all. It’s really unpleasant. My shoulders have been feeling tight too and in need of some attention. Thank goodness its massage day.

Immediately after the treatment: 

The massage today as always was quite painful, especially in the hip/gluteal area but it was needed. Lisa also worked on my legs. When the massage was over my lower back felt great, there were some big clicks and releases shortly after the massage and my hip felt so much better. Phew!

The day after treatment: 

My shoulders feel great today albeit a little sore along with my lower back. My hips have felt tight yet less painful so I’ve been doing some gentle stretches to try and loosen up my hip area.
 
Throughout the week my gluteal area and outside of my right leg still felt quite stiff and tender, as if the hip needed clicking. A week after the massage, after doing some gentle hip and leg exercises since the massage, Ive had a big release in the hip area, some very deep clicking and the hip and leg feel much better but I still think they’ll need some more work at the next session.

My conclusion:

My treatments with Lisa always provided relief, even if it was for a short time, but for me it was more about maintenance. Having fibromyalgia and hyper mobile joints I’ve realised I have to look after my body and keep on top of my pain so it will have less impact on my daily life. Receiving a treatment from Lisa allowed me to get through part of the month free from my pain. I always left Lisa's treatment room feeling like my posture had improved and my muscles were relaxed and my joints pain free, especially my neck and hips which are my most overworked joints.

I’ve recently had a knee injury which was likely due to my hyper mobile joints and I can say with complete certainty that I wouldn't have  recovered so well after my knee injury if it hadn't been for Lisa's expertise. Whilst there's no treatment that will ever completely rid me of the daily pain caused by fibromyalgia and hyper mobile joints, getting treatments with Lisa certainly helped to give me some relief from my pain and stiffness through a gentle approach rather than a chiropractic approach, as well as a better understanding of where I carry pain and tension in my body. Lisa is really knowledgeable about the body and her experience with various medical conditions and the treatments she gives is incredible. Her ability to adapt treatments depending on where my pain was or what felt tight or stiff in any given week was always really

appreciated as it was rare I needed the same treatment each time.