Camden Massage Therapy, LLC

Conditioned Pain Modulation, Brought to You by Wile E. Coyote

I once cured my lower back pain by nearly breaking my upper back. I don’t recommend it.
I’d been dealing with a throbbing lower back for weeks, so I decided to get on my inversion table and stretch things out a little.
Seemed like a good idea at the time.
What I didn’t realize was that the table was adjusted for my five-foot-tall daughter who used it last. I had forgotten to set it for my height. That changed the balance more towards my upper body so that once I was upside down, I discovered there was absolutely no way I could flip the table back upright.
No problem, I thought. I’ll just grab the side rails and slide my feet out and try to gently let myself down. That’s right I thought I would gently lower my 260 lbs down to the floor.
What I’d forgotten was the two-inch metal crossbar running underneath the table.
Down I came, landing flat across that bar, just below my shoulder blades.
I genuinely thought I’d broken my back.
After lying there for a while, wondering how many bad decisions had led me to this particular moment, I finally managed to grab the rails and drag myself upright. I imagine I looked a lot like Wile E. Coyote after one of his encounters with the Road Runner.
Eventually, I got to my feet, collected what was left of my dignity, and decided I could probably still go to work.
But here’s the crazy part.
My upper back was killing me, but the lower back pain that had been throbbing for weeks was completely gone.
There’s actually a phenomenon called conditioned pain modulation, where a stronger pain stimulus can temporarily suppress the perception of pain somewhere else. Apparently, my nervous system decided it had bigger problems to deal with.
And that brings me to something I hear regularly in my massage room.
“I knew I was tight in my neck and shoulders, but I had no idea I was tight in all those other places!”
Our bodies are interesting that way. We tend to notice whatever hurts the most, while other areas of tension or discomfort can go practically unnoticed.
Sometimes it takes someone working through those muscles to help us recognize just how much tension we’ve been carrying.
Fortunately, there are much gentler ways to discover that than dropping down from an inversion table.

What a cool, crisp, beautiful autumn morning. Just about perfect weather for a morning at the farmers market.

I’ll be at the Kershaw County Farmers Market this morning from 9–12 doing chair massage. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and certainly hope a lot of folks around Camden will come out and see us this morning.

Come by, say hello, and enjoy this beautiful fall weather with us!

On my way to the Kershaw County Farmers Market this morning, I was reflecting on Johann Pachelbel, who wrote Canon in D more than 300 years ago. He could never have known what would become of it.

The song was largely forgotten for generations. Pachelbel died in 1706, long before Canon in D became one of the most recognizable pieces of music in the world. Today, it’s estimated that millions of brides have walked down the aisle to his Canon in D. Mine certainly did. Maybe that’s why I enjoy it so much. When recently reminded by her that Canon in D was her entry into my new world, of course I poker-faced it and nodded as though I knew that.

We don’t always get to see what comes from the things we do in this life. Something we create, something we teach, a kindness we show, a word of encouragement, or simply the way we treat another person may reach much farther than we ever realize.

Most of us will never know the full effect our lives have had on other people. Pachelbel certainly didn’t.

Anyway, those were my thoughts on the way to the Farmers Market this morning. I’m here, set up, and waiting to see who comes by. If you’re out this morning, stop by and say hello. I’d enjoy seeing you. And I’m certainly enjoying the cooler temperature this morning.

Couples massages aren’t what I thought they were.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared some thoughts in a few local community groups about something I never expected when we began offering couples massage. The response surprised me, but even as meaningful were the conversations that followed.

So I wanted to share those thoughts here on my page as well.

I began offering couples massages because I kept getting requests for that service, and I was fortunate enough to find another therapist willing to help me with them.

At first, I assumed couples massages would mostly be husbands and wives. And we’ve certainly had those, and there’s something meaningful about a husband and wife choosing to set aside that time to relax and enjoy something together. But we’ve also had mothers and daughters, sisters, and quite a few women who chose to share the experience with a close girlfriend.

When couples come in, I often ask what the occasion is. Sometimes it’s a birthday or an anniversary or another special occasion. But every once in a while, they share more of the story. And those are the ones I remember.

Sometimes they tell me beforehand why they’re there. Other times, I don’t hear the story until afterward. And suddenly, what I witnessed between them during that hour means something more.

I’ve learned about friends walking beside each other through cancer. Friends carrying one another through difficult seasons. Someone who simply knew that a person they loved needed to be cared for that day. Usually one person paid for the entire experience because this was something she wanted to give her friend.

Not everyone shares their story, and I don’t expect them to. But the ones who have allowed me that glimpse into why they came have affected me.

Because then I’m not just witnessing two people getting massages in the same room. I’m witnessing friendship. I’m watching someone care for another person in a very practical and personal way. That’s the part I never anticipated when I started offering couples massages.

For an hour, we get invited into something that was already happening long before they walked through our door. We’re simply being trusted with a small part of the way one person has chosen to care for another. I’ve found that incredibly humbling.

Couples massages aren’t what I thought they were.

They’re much more meaningful.

And for anyone who has been wanting to experience one, we do have some additional couples massage availability over Labor Day weekend.

Saturday morning is farmers market morning!

If you’re coming out to sample some of the good food, pick up something fresh, browse the vendors, or just enjoy a Saturday morning in Camden, come see us while you’re there.

Camden Massage Therapy will be at the Camden/Kershaw County Farmers Market from 9:00 to 12:00 offering chair massage.

You might be surprised what a few minutes of focused massage can do for the tension you’ve been carrying in your neck, shoulders, and back. Sometimes you don’t realize just how tight you are until somebody starts working on it.

And if you’ve been thinking about trying massage but haven’t wanted to schedule a full appointment, a chair massage is an easy way to get a little taste of what massage can do.

Come early! The early bird gets the worm, the morning is cooler, the traffic is lighter, and you’ll have first pick of everything the market has to offer.

We’ll see you Saturday from 9:00–12:00 at the Camden/Kershaw County Farmers Market.

Camden Massage Therapy
Chair Massage • $15

Kershaw County Farmers Market
906 Broad Street
Camden SC 29020

Kershaw County Farmers Market · 4.6★(250) · Farmers' market 906 Broad St, Camden, SC 29020

Sometimes we don’t realize how tight we are until a massage therapist puts their hands on our shoulders.
Then you think, “Good grief, I didn’t know that was there.”
That’s one of the things I enjoy about doing chair massage. It’s only a few minutes, but sometimes that’s long enough to remind you what it feels like to let your shoulders drop, loosen your neck, and quit carrying everything quite so tightly.
We’ll be at the Kershaw County Farmers Market Saturday morning from 9 to 12.
And if you’re an early riser, come between 9 and 10. It’s cooler, the morning is still fresh, and things haven’t gotten quite as busy yet. It’s probably my favorite time of the morning to be there.
Come sit down for a few minutes and let us work on those shoulders. You might be surprised at what you’ve been carrying around all week.

Kershaw County Farmers Market
906 Broad Street
Camden SC 29020

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Kershaw County Farmers Market tomorrow morning.

I’ll be there from 9:00 until noon offering chair massages. If you’re coming for fresh produce, baked goods, or just to enjoy the market, stop by and say hello. I’d love to meet you.

Hope everyone has a great Friday, and I’ll see some of you tomorrow morning.

Why do so many people come home from vacation feeling stiff and sore? Most of us assume a vacation gives our body a chance to rest. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t.

Think about what usually happens on a trip. We spend hours in the car or on an airplane, sleep in a different bed, carry luggage, walk more than we’re used to, stand in long lines, and change our normal routines.

None of those things are necessarily bad. In fact, they’re often part of making great memories. Our muscles and joints simply have to adapt to doing things differently than they do at home.

That’s why it’s common to notice a stiff neck, tight shoulders, an aching low back, or sore hips after returning from an otherwise wonderful vacation.

The good news is that, in many cases, those aches aren’t a sign that something is seriously wrong. They’re simply our body’s way of saying, “We’ve been working differently than usual.”

Sometimes, all we need is a little time, gentle movement, good hydration, and a chance to recover. Our body is always adapting. The better we understand what it’s telling us, the better we can take care of it. The trip may be over, but sometimes our body is still making the journey home.

Most people think of muscle tension as something we carry in our neck, shoulders, or lower back.

But we also carry it in our face.
When we’re stressed, worried, concentrating, or pushing through long days, the muscles around the forehead, eyes, jaw, and even the scalp stay more active than we realize.

We usually don’t notice it because it gradually becomes our normal.

As the body begins to relax, those muscles begin to relax too. The forehead softens. The jaw isn’t working as hard. The area around the eyes looks less strained.

Massage isn’t a facial treatment, and it isn’t a fountain of youth.

But when the nervous system settles down, it can sometimes be surprising how much tension had been showing up in our face all along.

That’s one of the reasons I enjoy looking at the whole person instead of just the area that hurts.

Sometimes we think we’re looking at age.

Sometimes we’re simply looking at the effects of tension.

When that tension finally lets go, it can be surprising how much of ourselves has been there all along.

Happy Independence Day!

If you’re planning to stop by the Kershaw County Farmers Market tomorrow morning for fresh peaches, tomatoes, baked goods, or to support our local vendors, I’d love for you to stop by and say hello too.

I’ll be there offering chair massages. It’s a nice way to give our neck, shoulders, and back a little attention before heading off to enjoy the rest of the Fourth of July.

Whether we’ve been working hard all week, getting ready for holiday cookouts, or simply need a few minutes to unwind, sometimes a little time to relax is all it takes to feel refreshed.

I hope everyone has a safe, happy, and relaxing Fourth of July. Hope to see you at the market! 🇺🇸