# How did a back massage cause my arm to "float?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 17, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-back-massage-cause-my-arm-to-float/674097 "2013-11-17T01:30:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Inter\_Alia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@Inter\_Alia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inter_Alia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-back-massage-cause-my-arm-to-float/674097/1 "2013-11-17T01:30:02Z")
I finally broke down and saw a massage therapist hoping for some help with my tension headaches and migraines. I had my first appointment this morning. The therapist was performing trigger point massage on my right shoulder blade, and my arm was hanging straight down off the massage table. All of a sudden, my right arm from my elbow down went almost numb, and my forearm slowly started “floating” up. As soon as the therapist moved further down my back, my forearm straightened out and was hanging straight down off the table again. Does anyone know what the hell that was? I tried to Google it, but I must not be using the right words. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-back-massage-cause-my-arm-to-float/674097/2 "2013-11-17T06:47:26Z")
A nerve got stimulated. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-back-massage-cause-my-arm-to-float/674097/3 "2013-11-17T08:16:24Z")
So you’re basically saying “It Moved”? (Too obscure?) ---
**Author:** ![Inter\_Alia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@Inter\_Alia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inter_Alia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-back-massage-cause-my-arm-to-float/674097/4 "2013-11-17T19:16:58Z")
Thanks, **njtt**. It really was mundane. ---
**Author:** ![Whammo72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Whammo72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo72)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-back-massage-cause-my-arm-to-float/674097/5 "2013-11-18T19:02:41Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > So you’re basically saying “It Moved”? > > (Too obscure?) No. I like it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-back-massage-cause-my-arm-to-float/674097/6 "2013-11-18T19:35:09Z")
I am no massage therapist, but something else that may have played a part was that very long-standing muscle tension was relieved, and it ended up kinda like that thing where you stand in a doorway and push your arms out against the door frame for awhile. If you then step out and relax your arms, they rise from your sides on their own. Similarly, your body may have gotten accustomed to a certain muscle being tense and pulling your arm down. Once that tension was relieved, your arm may have “risen” by itself as your body continued to compensate for the tension that was no longer there. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-back-massage-cause-my-arm-to-float/674097/7 "2013-11-18T21:50:32Z")
Reminds me of the floating arm trick we used to do as kids. Stand in a narrow doorway with your arms at your side. Now attempt to raise your arms to the side and when the backs of your hands hit the door frame puuush against it continuously for 30 seconds. Step forward out of the doorway with your arms at your side and relax. Whoa! Floating arms! ---
**Author:** ![Inter\_Alia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@Inter\_Alia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inter_Alia)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-back-massage-cause-my-arm-to-float/674097/8 "2013-11-19T00:26:05Z")
The doorway/floating arm trick - that’s what I was trying to think of! I know I was incredibly tense (my shoulders are actually lower now than before the massage), so the release of tension may have something to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-back-massage-cause-my-arm-to-float/674097/9 "2013-11-19T15:16:34Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Reminds me of the floating arm trick we used to do as kids. Yeah, I should have thought of mentioning that. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-a-back-massage-cause-my-arm-to-float/674097/10 "2013-11-20T17:46:21Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > So you’re basically saying “It Moved”? That’s how you tell. 😉