When doctors gave up, an ingenious self-massage device called, Armaid, saved my hands and my career.
As a massage therapist, my forearms (and upper body, in general) do the work load of an athlete. I didn’t realize how much care they needed until one day when I showed up for work with inflamed red dots on the padded heels of both of my hands. I thought they would disappear after a day or two, but instead it turned into 2 weeks of not being able to lift a glass for a drink of water or pull a brush through my hair. My hands, forearms and wrists were in such bad shape, I didn’t know how I was going to support myself. Luckily I worked for a hotel, so I went on Worker’s Compensation. I received medical care from some well known doctors and saw a physical therapist 2-3 times a week for many months, but none of them could help my pain subside. They didn’t even really know what was wrong with me. “Overuse syndrome,” was all the doctors could say. The physical therapist labeled it, “tendinitis” and said she didn’t have a lot of luck helping people like me feel better.
Since western medicine wasn’t helping, I tried acupuncture. The technique involved spinning and twisting a needle at each tender point along the arms. The needle had to “catch” the skin in order to be effective. This actually brought the first signs of relief, but it was always temporary and the catching/twisting procedure was so painful, I would often howl through the treatment.
One day, glancing through a massage trade magazine, I happened upon an ad for Armaid and my life began again. Armaid has saved me from physical pain as well as the emotional pain of an occupational injury. Armaid is the device for any person who is a forearm athlete: writers, musicians, artist, golfers, tennis players. If like many modern people, you spend more hours in front of the computer than you do outside, you need Armaid. If you text, you need Armaid.
I wish I could feel your forearms and access your situation via the internet. I could feel for trigger points along the muscles in your arms and palpate at the elbows to see if your tendons are taxed. Together we could evaluate your wrists and hands to determine if your occupation or hobbies are turning your upper limbs into a inflamed path to pain. But since I’m here and you’re there, all I can tell you is this– if you have pain of muscular origin in your arms, wrist or hands, get an Armaid. Massage the tension out of those muscles before it becomes a problem. Seriously, you don’t want someone to have to wipe your a?? because you can’t use your wrists, do you?
And although I’m no expert on carpal tunnel, I do know that I would make sure the pain in my wrist wasn’t caused by tight muscles further up my arm before I got that delicate surgery.
Armaid: Arms Need Massage, Too.