Pain Patterns in Rope

The black ‘X” is the nodule, The concentrated red splotches are where pain is referred to most commonly. Notice the back of the head is involved; the trapezius stiffness is causing headaches .

Ever wonder why you are getting headaches after being tied up in ropes? Trigger points are painful nodes in muscle fibers that can cause irritation locally or refer pains to different areas of the body, called pain patterns. If you are being tied frequently, you might notice muscular pain developing from the rigorous demands (called shearing forces) of rope. Certain muscles may be compensating for uncomfortable positions in the rotator cuff, shoulder, or even neck muscles.

Most rope tops seem to only care about nerve injury. Fools! There is so much more that can go wrong. People that tie with me are fortunate for I am a licensed massage therapist. I can attend to these pain patterns skillfully after a session to prevent muscular injury. It’s apart of my skilled aftercare. I treat the muscles according to their kinesthetic muscle group, a holistic approach to improve endurance in my models. Click here to learn more about booking a personal, customized sub-space session with me.

The neck takes a lot of abuse in inversions during bondage. It’s not just the free-hanging neck that is vulnerable. It is also aesthetically common to tie the hair, blindfold, or cloth gag to the harnesses to give support during a suspension, but this can ultimately be a culprit as we lock the neck muscles (green dots) into strange torsions. Pressing on these trigger points can relieve the red areas that have become sites for tension headaches behind the eyes.