We massage therapists sometimes see the un-doctored, the folks who are big believers in the preservation of health by staying far, far, away from anything medical.

I respect people’s beliefs, especially when they are dearly held, but I also know that I have a duty to at least bring up the subject of finding explanation of symptoms that may be significant. My personal and professional life intersected, once again, within the last week.

A good long-time friend who had become strangely distant in the past few months died unexpectedly. And I had two new clients – back to back – whose presentations suggested to me that something was afoot. All three situations were difficult. I hope I did the right things…

My friend had always had a bit of a nervous side. When excited his hands would tremble and he had trouble with seemingly simple things. I fixed his vacuum cleaner once simply be emptying it.

Looking back, those were early signs that he was having difficulties with simple tasks. When I asked about the tremor, he told me he had always had it and not to mind it. He pleaded lack of handy skills with the vacuum cleaner. Odd. I have lost my keys plenty of times; I can’t find a street now and then. I wonder if I am losing it, and then I find things and turn the right corner.

But this was different. My friend used to go with honey-buns and I to breakfast or lunch after church Sundays. Suddenly, he had too many places to go, too many things to do. I chalked it up to his schedule, with the odd feeling that was not quite the entire explanation.

When his family came into town and went to his home, they found piles of clutter, food dated 2005-2009 in the fridge, a mess of old bills and a hoard of dirty clothes, furniture with an inch of dust and grime. He had been a neat-freak. His home was not like him anymore.

As his survivors and I compared notes over lunch, it came together. He had mental changes, and fearing he was losing it, he was avoiding people including myself, who would know better. I feel so sad to know that he had lived in fear in his last days.

My clients came in just an hour apart. The first had a slight tremor to her hands, shaky writing on the intake. Lots of health problems she seemed unable to shake. Perhaps a massage would help. I asked her after the massage if she felt the slight shake and tension in her hands. No, what shaking? Everything is as it has always been.

Trouble was, this client had plenty of doctors and things going on, just no answers as to why she felt so tired and sore. I suggested a lot of massage and persistence with her doctors. Sometimes we don’t realize we are tense, I said, until we start to relax.

My next client couldn’t stop talking. He had injured his back more than 10 years ago, and it was getting worse. This fellow had been to about four chiropractors in the past week. Had trigger point injections, adjustments, machine stretching and strengthening and active release.

I listened to his story, which hopscotched around quite a bit, and wondered if massage could help him. We can help tension, but what if the tension is not from injury but from a condition of the mind? I didn’t think that was my place to broach that. Could I refer?

I asked more questions, he gave me a long list of injuries and re-injuries. It had gotten so bad the night before he had rolled his back on some metal air tanks to get relief. I suggested he stop doing that and proposed he seek the care of an osteopath with experience in cranio-sacral therapy. Osteopaths also do general medical practice, I thought, and perhaps would have some ideas on how to deal with reducing the cause of his his pain and anxiety.

I certainly don’t know if I did the right things with these folks, but I did try to help. With my hands and my heart. – By Sue Peterson