pain that comes and goes

[Doc]

I am at a loss as to how to help a client.
She has pain and stiffness on quadratus area, sometimes with difficulties in turning, getting up, getting dressed.
I have been working regularly with cross fiber and with Stuart Taws stretching techniques on the whole lower half of her body, from feet to waist. And I have also worked quite a lot on her upper body too. She will have relief and feel better for a while and then, it seems out of nowhere the whole problem comes back.
There are many areas of tightness and many areas of asymmetric tightness that I have been trying to address but obviously I can't pinpoint the cause of the problem because I have not been able to fix it completely.
What is quite surprising is the fact that it looks like this client is improving and all of a sudden it seems we are on square one.
Any suggestions?

 

[Zumaria]

From CranioSacral Therapy perspective, I would look for facilitated segments. The vast majority of time if a problem seems 'cleared up' but returns, there is a facilitated segment (FS)

If not cleared up, the FS will continue to re-activate pain and dysfunction along the nerve pathway effecting any organ/structure along its path.

 

[Faree Imaan]

I have not been trained in craniosacral therapy. What are you calling "facilitaded segment"?

 

[Riley]

Is your client on cholesterol medication? Check all meds for this being a possible side effect (you have to read to the "rare" side effects, sometimes), but cholesterol meds, especially, are very frequent sources of unexplained, debilitating pain.

 

[meowglitter]

the only medication my client is on is for high blood pressure - I did not think her problem could be a side effect for this type of meds.

Any other suggestions?

I am really puzzled by this.

 

[jutau00]

It could be from the med. There isn't much you can do about it, if it is. There could be another explanation, though, so definitely keep working on it!

Have you done a postural assessment? Do you know how she works/plays during a normal day? Does she arch her lower back? Sometimes something as simple as working to straighten the spine as she goes throughout her days will alleviate low back pain. Tucking the sacrum under so that the pelvis is not tilted (or at least less tilted) forward is an easy way to achieve this.

Is it both QL's or more on one side? I know you said asymmetric, but do you mean within one QL, or between them?

 

[MtBikr]

She has a pattern of tension of more tightness on the left side of the back and leg. She was told that one leg is longer than the other but I don't think she had the full leg xray done (to truly measure the bones).

What is really puzzling is that she will improve for a while and than go back to square one.

 

[Patrick]

I have not been trained in craniosacral therapy. What are you calling "facilitaded segment"?

Facilitated Segments are discussed briefly here:
Ticklish client (go to the last post)

You can also check out this article by Dr. John Upledger at Massage Today:
The Facilitated Segment

 

[Eclipse Vancouver]

Having a shorter length leg that is unsupported can create a lot of problems. And if that's the case, could be one explanation for what you describe.

Your client doesn't need to be exposed to x-rays. They can be measured by a PT or physician using a tape measure from the head of the femur to the lateral malleolus of same leg to determine true leg length.

 

[Shaji K]

Thank you all for your responses.

Even if the source of this client's pain is beyond my capacity to fix it, I still feel frustrated.