Come join me in cheering on our local athletes at a summer dodgeball or kickball game...Read on for details.

Stonewall Sports:

A fantastic LGBTQIA+ sports league. It's a great opportunity for me to support our community and sponsor tuition for local athletes. Come out and enjoy fun-filled dodgeball and kickball games with our vibrant community.

COME ON OUT, where I’ll be offering complimentary chair massages!
I'll be at the following games:

Kickball:
When: Tuesday, July 30 @ 7:00 PM
Where: Victoria Manalo Draves Park, Field 2
16 Sherman Street, SF, 94103
Competing Teams:
-Red Flags
-Rainbow Rampage
-Line Ref Fairies

Dodgeball:
When: Sunday, August 18 @ 5:30 PM
Where: Eureka Valley Recreation Center, Field 2
100 Collingwood Street, San Francisco, 94114
Competing Teams:
-Rainbow Raptors
-Art's Angels
-Froggy Style
-G Spot (2.0)

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In recent years, CBD (cannabidiol) has surged in popularity as a wellness powerhouse, lauded for its therapeutic prowess and holistic benefits. Among its many applications, CBD has found a profound niche in the realm of massage therapy. In this article, we'll explore the transformative effects of CBD-infused massage and how it can elevate your well-being to new heights.

Discover the Difference: Introducing Zen Balm, my CBD Massage Add-On: Elevate Your Experience with CBD

I am thrilled to announce the launch of the CBD massage add-on, meticulously crafted to amplify your massage experience with the therapeutic benefits of CBD.

For just $40, you can take your massage session to new heights with my specially formulated Zen Balm Add-On, custom compounded to my exacting standards. While it won't induce a high, you'll certainly feel like you're on cloud nine!

 
Zen-Balm Add-On
CBD Products Featured: Elevating Your Experience

CBD Cream: Immerse yourself in relaxation and rejuvenation with this CBD cream, boasting approximately 32 milligrams of CBD. Its luxurious, buttery consistency deeply moisturizes the skin, seamlessly absorbing for whole-body bliss. Applied generously during your massage session, it enhances relaxation and promotes overall well-being.

Concentrated Target Balm: Experience targeted relief with this Concentrated Target Balm, packed with approximately 90mg of CBD. This potent balm is expertly formulated to address specific areas of tension or discomfort, maximizing the efficacy of your massage and providing localized soothing relief.
 

Understanding CBD: A Primer

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a natural compound derived from the cannabis plant. Unlike its psychoactive counterpart THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD offers a non-intoxicating experience. Instead, it's celebrated for its potential to induce relaxation, reduce inflammation, and alleviate pain, making it an ideal adjunct to massage therapy sessions.

Enhancing Bodywork with CBD: Unvailing the Benefits

CBD holds the promise of augmenting traditional massage therapy in myriad ways:

1. Pain Relief: With its renowned analgesic properties, CBD effectively targets muscle tension, soreness, and chronic pain. Integrating CBD into massage sessions allows for precise relief, promoting relaxation and overall well-being.
   
   
2.  Inflammation Reduction: Inflammation underlies many health conditions, from arthritis to stress-related ailments. CBD's anti-inflammatory prowess aids in reducing swelling and expediting recovery, amplifying the efficacy of massage therapy.
   
   
3. Promoting Relaxation: CBD's capacity to induce calmness and alleviate anxiety enhances the therapeutic experience of bodywork. By fostering a sense of tranquility, CBD facilitates deeper relaxation and stress relief during massages.
   
   

The CBD Massage Experience: Elevating Your Session

At Bodywork By Michael, I take pride in offering CBD massage add-on services tailored to optimize your well-being. With meticulously formulated CBD products, including CBD Cream and Concentrated Target Balm, I set out to deliver unparalleled results.

During your session, we seamlessly integrate CBD into your treatment, ensuring you reap the full spectrum of benefits. Whether you seek relief from chronic pain, stress reduction, or overall wellness enhancement, the CBD massage add-on is crafted to meet your unique needs.

In conclusion: Embrace Holistic Wellness with CBD Massage

CBD-infused massage therapy presents a holistic approach to well-being, merging CBD's healing properties with the therapeutic art of bodywork. Embark on a journey of relaxation and rejuvenation with my CBD massage add-on service. Schedule your appointment today and experience the transformative benefits firsthand.

FAQs About CBD Massage Add-On: Your Questions Answered

Curious about incorporating CBD into your massage experience? Explore FAQs about CBD massage add-on service here.

Thank you for reading! I look forward to welcoming you to Bodywork By Michael for a truly immersive CBD massage experience.

As CBD has become more and more requested, I've decided to offer it as an add-on for my clients.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I hear about CBD. 

If you have any others, plese reach out, I am here to help!

What is CBD?
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring compound found in the cannabis plant.

How does CBD enhance massage therapy?
CBD can enhance massage therapy by reducing inflammation, relieving pain, and promoting relaxation, leading to a more effective and soothing massage experience.

What types of stuff does CBD help with?
CBD is often used for pain relief, reducing anxiety and depression, alleviating cancer-related symptoms, promoting better sleep, and addressing various other health concerns. Many clients report it helping with arthritis symptoms, migraines, sleep, and recovery. 

How long does it take for CBD to work?
Effects typically kick in within 15-45 minutes for most methods, though it can take longer for some individuals.

How do I know if a CBD product is high quality?
I looked for products that were third-party tested, transparent about their ingredients and sourcing, and come from reputable companies.

What's the difference between full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and CBD isolate?
Full spectrum CBD contains all of the cannabinoids and other plant compounds. Broad spectrum CBD contains all cannabinoids and plant compounds other than THC. CBD isolate only contains CBD and is often found in crystal or powder form. 

Can I use CBD with other medications?
Always consult with a healthcare professional before combining CBD with other medications, as it may interact with certain drugs.

Can I fail a drug test from using CBD?
It's highly unlikely with the products I use as I opted for broad-spectrum or isolate CBD products.

Is CBD legal?
Yes, it is completely legal here in California, and  CBD derived from hemp with less than 0.3% THC is legal in most areas.

Is CBD addictive?
No, CBD is not addictive and doesn't cause dependence like THC or opioids.

Experience the ultimate relaxation and relief with my CBD massage add-on. Schedule your appointment today to discover the transformative benefits of CBD-infused massage therapy!

Over the past few years, we've seen some progress towards justice and accountability, including the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. However, we've also seen continued acts of violence and discrimination against Black people, including the killings of Daunte Wright, Ma'Khia Bryant, and many others. It's clear that there is still much work to be done to eradicate systemic racism and promote true equality for all.

As a business owner, I am committed to doing my part to create a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone. This means not only creating a physical space that is welcoming, but also taking action to support the Black community and fight against racism and injustice. Last year, I pledged to support the Black Lives Matter movement and to call out injustice when I see it. Today, I reaffirm that pledge and encourage others to join me in taking action towards real change.

There are many ways to support the Black community and fight against racism. One important way is to educate ourselves and others about the history and impact of systemic racism in America. We can read books, watch documentaries, and listen to podcasts that help us understand the experiences and perspectives of Black people. We can also support Black-owned businesses, donate to organizations that promote racial justice, and attend rallies and protests in support of the movement.

Another important way to support the Black community is to actively work to dismantle racism in our own lives and communities. This means examining our own biases and prejudices, calling out discriminatory behavior when we see it, and advocating for policies and practices that promote equity and justice.

As we celebrate Juneteenth this year, let us remember the importance of this holiday and what it represents. Let us also remember that the fight for racial justice is ongoing, and that we all have a role to play in creating a more just and equitable society. Together, we can make real progress towards ending systemic racism and promoting true equality for all.
 

Well, if you're anything like me, you're probably feeling super pumped for the new year and ready to tackle all of your self care goals with gusto.Start the year off right with the annual self-care goals like picking things up and putting them back down, again and again...  Sitting in silence and trying really hard not to think about stuff, eating more shrubs and leaves, hobbies like frolicking... the options are endless!

Okay, but honestly, is there a better way to kick off the year than with an amazing massage?

 I mean, seriously, who doesn't love a good massage? It's the perfect way to reduce stress, improve circulation, and increase flexibility (which let's be real, we could all use a little more of). Plus, massages can help alleviate those pesky muscle aches and promote relaxation and overall well-being. Can't beat that!

But wait, there's more!

Not only are there tons of different types of massages to choose from (Swedish, deep tissue, sports, shiatsu, the list goes on), but you can also make massage a regular part of your self care routine. Just set aside some dedicated "me time" and schedule a massage once a month, or even once a week if you're feeling the need to really connect to your body and start to reset the defaults. You may also want to consider setting up a standing appointment, like every other Tuesday, throughout the year so you don't have to think about it.  It's like the gift that keeps on giving.

Massage is just one way to treat yourself well, let's not forget about all the other self care practices that can help you start the year off right, exercise, meditation, eating healthy foods, hobbies that fill our cups, and spending time with loved ones. Just remember to make self care massages a priority and you'll be off to a great start in the new year. Happy massaging!

Schedule a massage today

These gloves provide a tactile experience unlike anything you've had before, with a gentle exfoliation leaving you feeling invigorated and with softer more even skin. 

After we have massaged the upper body, and before moving on to the legs, I will spend a few moments on the back and arms with the gloves. I begin with a light pressure providing a gentle sensation. Your feedback will determine how gentle or intense the pressure and is fully customizable to suit everyone. 

Add it to your next massage and experience it for yourself.
BOOK NOW!

You heard me.  

After your massage, while you're feeling most relaxed, is usually when you are primed for a power nap. "Do I have to get up?" No, not this time. 

How it Works:

It's totally customizable to suit exactly what you're needs are each time. I'll drape you in an extra cozy weighted blanket if you like that secure grounded feeling, you choose calming music or white noise, lavender eye-pillow if preferable, choice of lying face up or face down, custom table temperature, and a gentle awakening when it is time to transition back into the world. If you'd like an energetic boost we can incorporate an energizing foot massage with the percussion massage-tool to send you back into the world with a little pep inyour step.

The beauty of a power nap is so much more than a little sleep. 

Studies show that 20 minutes of sleep can increase creativity and productivity, increase cognitive function, enhance memory, and most importantly... Leave you feeling less tired! 

You may experience:

• A smoother transition from massage 
• Improved overall outlook on life
• Improvement of creative problem solving
• Improved verbal memory
• Improved perceptual learning
• Boosted brain power when problem solving, logical reasoning, and in reaction times
• Reduced feelings of fatigue
• Reduced stress levels

Therefore, by treating yourself to a power nap you will not only feel more alert and energized, you could also have the ability to perform mental tasks more efficiently. Making power naps one of the easiest ways to reduce stress.

Book now!

Let's talk a little bit more about massage guns and how they are useful...

What is a massage gun—and how does it work?

Massage guns (sometimes called “percussive massage treatment” or “vibration therapy,”) are portable, handheld devices that look like a power drill and in some cases, sound like one. Most massage guns come with a variety of interchangeable attachments that allow you to target particular muscles. For instance, smaller, narrower attachments work well on areas like feet, hands, and calves; rounder, wider shapes work well on larger muscle groups such as quads, glutes, and hamstrings. 

They work by quickly and repeatedly striking the body, triggering blood vessels to dilate. This action assists in hydrating muscle tissue with blood and can help release knots. The rapdid vibration of the massage gun also works to relax the muscle tension and relieve muscle spasms. These percussion tools provide results. The percussive vibration gets you that rush of blood and separation of congestion in the muscle fibers quite quickly and aids in the manual hands-on work of massage.

What's The Deal with Massage Guns?

There are numerous health benefits of massage guns apart from relaxing the muscles and alleviating aches and pains. Massage guns seem to promote improved circulation speed warmup and athletic-recovery time, increase mobility, and more quickly soften muscle tension when coupled with manual massage techniques.

My chosen massage gun is approved by physical therapists and is professional grade. This tool provides strong vibration that can reach as deep as 10mm into the muscle layer, deeply relieving muscle pain, and allowing your body to relax and speed up the recovery process from workouts as well as from the bodywork we do.

Making massage therapy part of your lifestyle and post-workout routine is a great way to relieve stress and feel better in your body.

Let's schedule your next massage now.

I aim to adjust and refresh these playlists somewhat regularly to keep them from getting stale. 

Here are links to check them out on Spotify, for setting the mood outside of your massage.

Spotify Playlist Links: For when you want to set that mellow vibe;

• Soul / R&B 
  Soul, R&B, singer/songwriter  music for that mellow massage session. Somtiems we just wanna groove while we mellow. 
  
  
• Lo-Fi Mellow Beats 
  Downtempo relaxing instrumental beats to create a lo-fi lounge vibe.
  
  
• Jazz Vibes 
  Jazzy relaxation to set your mind at ease and get you in the massage zone.
  
  
• Dreamy Ethereal Vibes 
  Rolling tones, the highs the lows and all the vibes between,  to transport you to the zen zone.
  
  
• Zen Instrumentals 
  A massage playlist from around the world. Tibetan singing bowls, native american drums, some flutes, chimes and a few birds just to set the mood.
  
  
• Spa Music 
  Traditional spa music, nothing funky For massage clients who want the "spa-music)
  
  
• A Mix of All That 
  This massage playlist has a bit of everything, from lo-fi beats to spa music, jazz to Nina SImone, it's all good!

Playlist Previews:

The long held stance that we should only be using cold therapy when dealing with injuries is outdated. 

Let's talk about it...

As far back as I can remember, the go-to method of healing a sprained ankle (or any other musculoskeletal injury) has been based on the RICE method: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. it all just made sense because it helped reduce pain. If theres there’s no pain then it must be helping me, right? Not necessarily. Let me highlight how RICE may not necessarily be the best protocol to abide by.

The "i" in RICE reduces blood flow to the area. Yes, ice will numb the area and help with the pain but it is also limiting the blood flow and thus limiting the healing properties the blood brings with it. The increased blood flow to an injured area is a huge part in the repair process, bringing the healing and breaking down and taking away the materials that are no longer serving us in the healing process. Our bodies are amazing systems with the capability to fix themselves quite effectivly. 

I choose METH

Get your mind out the gutter. M.E.T.H. stands for Movement, Elevation, Traction, Heat. It may seem odd to use a protocol that seems to go against the method we've used for years. Apply heat rahter than ice? Yes. Movement instead of resting? 100%. But it does not mean we disregard everything that RICE advocates for — we’re still going to elevate your injury at times to control blood flow, instead of reducing it.

M is for Movement

We have got to get some movement back to the injured area.. Let’s say you’ve sprained your ankle — the attention will be toward establishing comfortable flexion and extension in the joint, to get back to the normal range it will go through when weight-bearing again. Work within your own pain scale as you begin reintroducing weight-bearing movement into your system. Listen to your body, if it becomes unbearable to weight bare then elevate and move it little by little in this position, but if it's not painful and just uncomfortable then work within your pain scale. Trust your body’s ability to adapt and challenge it.

E is for Elivate 

Whenever you're resting (maybe watching your stories on streaming), elevate your sprained ankle rahter than letting it rest on the ground. Remember that elevating for too long at one time can lead to an excess in swelling, so when elevating, I suggest utilizing the position to incorporate some small movements, by practicing writing out the alphabet with your foot (a simple introduction to moving your ankle again).

Tis for Traction

This is along the same lines as Movement, to encourage more range of motion and further the rate of blood flow to your injured area. This can be applied by a Healthcare Professional or can be done by yourself with the help of a band, towel, t-shirt etc. by draping it over the foot to add some slight resistance, but should not be taken beyond your own pain threashhold. It will assist in reducing stiffness, pain, and swelling but shouldn’t induce pain so challenge yourself if it only feels uncomfortable — but don’t push past intense pain.

H is for Heat

Heat and ice can both alter your levels of pain and induce blood flow instead of limiting it. However, the same principle applies to heat in that it shouldn’t be applied for extensive periods. So don’t apply for more than 30 minutes and keep the temperature mild, to prevent burning and damaging your skin.

METH or RICE, what's better?

It is important to strike a balance between RICE and METH, which will be dictated by the level of your particular  injury. Again to use the ankle sprain example, if you can't move your ankle without being in intense  pain, then perhapse rest for a few days. Ice could help reduce your levels of pain temporarily, which is ihelpful to you at that moment. But if the pain is more mild then start to move, apply a mild heat and gradually expose yourself to larger amounts of load on the area and progress yourself slowly. Personally, if your injury is acute enough I would tend toward METH, but if you’re in 10/10 pain then maybe RICE could help you for the first 2-3 days. 

Hope this helps.

But there are a few nuances to consider and I think it’ll be fun to look at the history a bit. 

In 1978 Dr. Gabe Mirkin created and included ‘RICE’ in his sports medicine book as a treatment for soft tissue injuries. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. The idea was to reduce inflammation that can increase pain and slow down healing. It was logical, it seemed to work, so the sports world grabbed hold and medicine soon followed. 

Since then, Dr. Mirkin has reversed his support for the RICE method, based on a large number of studies that showed no or mediocre results. And we now know that swelling and inflammation are not the same thing and don’t necessarily correlate to healing time.

So, what should we consider moving forward?

First and foremost, do what makes sense for you in any given situation. If you hate being chilly, ice might be a terrible idea, but maybe pushing through it time-to-time to get better results is the answer. If you are always uncomfortably warm and tend to overheat, do not cover yourself in a giant heating pad, isolate the area and maybe include a cool damp cloth on your forehead to counter the heat you are taking in to help with injury recovery. 

Next, consider what ice or heat does overall. For many people ice, or just cold, can kick up the nervous system and make the body feel like it’s in danger. Whereas heat, especially in the form of a weighted heating pad, can be really calming and relaxing to the whole body. 

With all that in mind, here is my very general stance on Heat versus Ice: 

If you have seen a physician, physical therapist, or any kind of medical provider for this issue, do what they suggested. If their approach is uncomfortable or you feel like it makes you worse, reach out to them for more guidance. 

If you are DIY-ing your care for something minor I suggest ice very soon after what you feel is an ‘injury’. If you were doing something strenuous and heard a pop, can feel a tender spot, and the area looks a little puffy, go for the cold. Use ice, on for 20 minutes once an hour or so, and be sure to have a protective barrier between your skin and the ice or cold pack. 

I’ve also found a cold mask on the head or face to be temporarily helpful if you have  a headache or just discomfort for super stuffy sinuses. 

For stiffness, general or deep achiness, or feeling straight up ‘tight’, I like heat. And heat with some weight behind it. I’ve found it to be calming to the whole body and demonstrably helpful in encouraging everything to ‘unclench’. 

Tension headaches are often relieved with heat to the shoulders and neck. But for migraine sufferers, use whatever feels best for you. 

As you can see, there’s a lot of gray area and a considerable amount of trial and error. Reach out if you have questions or want to try massage along with your DIY approach! 

References: 

Ice versus Heat for Pain and Injury

https://www.painscience.com/articles/ice-heat-confusion.php

Here’s How to Choose Between Using Ice or Heat for Pain

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/should-you-use-ice-or-heat-for-pain-infographic/

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RICE_(medicine)#:~:text=RICE%20is%20a%20mnemonic%20acronym,by%20Gabe%20Mirkin%20in%201978

The R.I.C.E Protocol is a MYTH: A Review and Recommendations

https://thesportjournal.org/article/the-r-i-c-e-protocol-is-a-myth-a-review-and-recommendations/

When we care for ourselves, in the way we care for our friends and family, it allows us to be better at everything we do. 

“I FORGOT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO FEEL THIS GOOD IN MY BODY"

This is among my favorite things to hear from a client. 

So often we spend so much time in pain and discomfort that we eventually start to think that is normal.

We instinctively "know" that we should take 5 minutes with our foam roller, get out of our office chair and walk down the hall to move our body, stretch but we don't.

We tell ourselves lies like

• "I'll do it later"
• "I don't have time"
• "I will after I finish...."

Then we forget and spend more time in pain and discomfort.

Why do we tell our friends and loved ones to take care of themselves and put ourselves last?

Maybe we feel selfish for focusing on ourselves because that is the conditioning we grew up with? Maybe we feel we don't deserve it? Maybe we feel like we need permission to put ourselves first?

Permission granted.

You never have to feel guilty or selfish for saying "Hey, I have needs too."

You never have to apologize for doing for yourself what you would do for others.

And you deserve to feel good in your body. 

Book your next massage today

Let's talk about butts...

There are many different reasons discussing it may be awkward. Here are some of the reasons I’ve heard from friends, family, clients, and colleagues.

• The pain seems to be coming from my butt, but is it appropriate to ask someone to rub it?
• I don’t want you touching my butt because another therapist did it and it hurt. They just dug right in.
• I don’t want anyone grabbing my butt.
• Are you going to touch my crack? That would just be weird and wrong.
• I don’t want anyone looking at my butt because it’s … <-- insert whatever description you think applies here. Ie. fat, lumpy, flat, hairy.

What exactly does it mean when a therapist is talking about your gluteal muscles?

• They are a group of 3 superficial muscles, gluteas maximus, gluteas medius, and gluteus minimus.
• These 3 muscles originate from the ilium (pelvis) and sacrum (tailbone) and insert (attach) on the femur (thigh bone).
• They work to extend (lift your leg behind you), rotate, abduct (raise your leg to the side), and stabilize your pelvis
• The tensor fascia lata, piriformis, obturator internus, and the gemelli are also in the same region. The tensor fascia lata is more to the side of your pelvis. The other three muscles are a set of deep muscles. It’s doubtful we can directly impact them, but they are there.

There are also many valid reasons that massaging the glutes is a good idea.

• Low back pain. The glutes are major movers that help in allowing us to rotate our trunk. Muscles that work hard especially benefit from massage.
• Prenatal massage. As your body changes to make room for the baby and to go through labor stress is placed on our pelvis and hips, exactly where the glute muscles attach.
• The gluteal muscles are a major muscle group. They are involved in both lower body movements and upper body movements.

I think it’s an important muscle group that needs to be massaged, even if the goal of your massage is to “just relax”. (Which by the way is perfectly acceptable!) When back pain is involved, I find it to be a necessity. When women are pregnant, it’s definitely needed. The amount of time spent on the glutes can certainly vary. 

Here’s some things to keep in mind when it comes to getting your glutes massaged:

• It’s OK to leave your underwear on.
• You will be appropriately and professionally draped at all times.
• The intergluteal cleft, your butt crack, will not be exposed.
• Your drape will not be tucked into your intergluteal cleft. (Yes I’ve heard of this happening.)
• There’s no “groping” in a professional massage. The most common way we use our hands during a glute massage is with a soft fist or with the heel of our palm. Sometimes we’ll throw an elbow in there, it just depends what you need.
• Massage therapists are not judging any dimples, cellulite, or wrinkles.
  There may be some stretching involved to help with movement.

With a professional, confident, and caring therapist, there is nothing to worry about when it comes to gluteal work. And you can absolutely opt out of gluteal work at any time. 

It will help ease your symptoms, and make you feel better. The phrase “a pain in my ass” is common for a reason. With massage, you can get rid of that pain.

The legalization of marajuana in 11 states including Colorado, Maine and Alaska has paved the way for a new multi-billion dollar industry--CBD. 

Unfortunately, because CBD has a close relationship to THC, like kissing cousins close, there are just as many myths as there are truths about it, its uses and benefits. 

The use of CBD has gained attention for a number of conditions ranging from acne to Parkinson’s and even cancer and there is a growing trend of use among both professional and recreational athletes, yet the benefits and use of CBD are still relatively unknown to the majority of consumers. 

Whether you’re #teamCBD or #TeamSnakeOil there is plenty of information on the interwebs to support or refute both arguments, let’s talk about some of the truths and myths about CBD and whether it’s the wonder drug people exclaim it to be. 

Most importantly, what does science say?

Many online articles just provide snip-its of benefits for mass reading in magazine articles. 

This certainly makes it easy to consume a base level of knowledge, assuming the author has done their research instead of repackaging the information already out there regardless of the information’s correctness. Misinformation gets repeated as truth and factual information is seen as conspiracy theories until no one knows what to believe.

Let’s deep dive into this important (and controversial) topic for everything you wanted to know (and more) about CBD.  

What is CBD?

Industrial grade hemp, from which CBD is derived, can be extracted, manufactured, and sold across state lines in all 50 states thanks in part to the Farm Bill of 2018 which classifies hemp as an agricultural product. This, however, does not mean that CBD is legal in all 50 states. Certain requirements must first be met in order to ensure its purity and quality and since there are currently no federal regulatory standards governing CBD it is important that consumers do their due diligence before purchasing or using CBD and CBD based products. 

What does CBD stand for?

CBD is short for cannabidiol (can-a-bid-e-all), a non-intoxicating and non-addictive phytochemical known as a cannabinoid found in the cannabis sativa plant. Cannabis sativa contains a number of phytochemicals such as CBD and THC as well as other compounds. CBD and THC are just two of over 100 cannabinoids found in the plant.

Are hemp and marijuana the same thing? 

No, marijuana comes from both the cannabis sativa and cannabis indica plant, whereas hemp can ONLY come from cannabis sativa.

Hemp contains CBD has less than .3% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the active chemical responsible for the “high” associated with smoking marijuana. You may feel a little “loopy” or very relaxed with CBD, but that is likely due to something called receptor expression (more on that in a moment).

Marijuana contains THC. The amount of THC in marijuana can vary anywhere from 5-35%. 

Both CBD and THC are classified as Schedule I drugs (drugs with “no medical value” such as LSD and heroin) and have been classified as so since the 1970s, however, the FDA approval of the CBD based pharmaceutical medication, Epidiolex, for certain types of epileptic seizures calls CBD’s Schedule I classification into question.  The racist roots of the criminalization of marijuana is a story for another blog on another website, but I suggest you google that drama.

Full spectrum vs. isolates, which is better? 

Depends on who you ask. Many proponents of the legalization of marijuana, hemp and the like, advocate for the use of full spectrum CBD, meaning utilizing the whole plant. 

It’s believed that users benefit from the other found compounds within the cannabis sativa plant since it’s been shown that they all have synergistic effects. This also has the potential to increase the amount of THC in a CBD product. 

CBD isolates, on the other hand, isolate the molecules to only contain CBD and removes THC. Isolates also have a more researched and wider therapeutic value aimed at delivering the most therapeutic dose. 

Advocates of Full Spectrum CBD also argue that since both CBD and THC affect the endocannabinoid system in different ways that use of a full spectrum CBD has greater benefit to users. 

How does CBD affect the body? 

CBD interacts with your body via your endocannabinoid system which is a network of lipid (fat) based neurotransmitters responsible for regulating certain body functions and stopping them from getting out of control.  

This is particularly useful in explaining post-workout soreness. When your endocannabinoid system gets overwhelmed and cannot process the amount of inflammation flooding the body after exercise, the resulting experience is muscle pain. 

Endocannabinoids bind to cannabinoid receptors found  throughout the body. They regulate the secretion of hormones most notably reproductive, stress and inflammation and are responsible for maintaining a healthy immune system and stress response. 

CB1 and CB2 Receptors

There are 2 types of cannabinoid receptors found naturally within the body. CB1 and CB2 that were discovered in the early 1990s.

Both CB1 and CB2 respond to a number of endocannabinoids, both naturally occurring, such as anandamides (an-and-a-meads), as well as THC and CBD, 

This is important to note because of how external cannabinoids such as CBD and THC affect them.  

CB1 and CB2 receptors are both found throughout the body, but are found in higher concentrations in specific locations. 

CB1 receptors, primarily located in the nerve cells of the brain as well as the spinal cord. These receptors are mainly affected by THC.

CB2 receptors are primarily found in the white blood cells, endocrine glands and peripheral organs such as the spleen, tonsils and in the largest concentration throughout the gastrointestinal system and are most affected by CBD.  

Anandamides and CBD

Anandamides are a fatty acid neurotransmitter produced in the brain that bind directly to CB1 receptors and are responsible for reducing your body’s response to inflammation. Similar to THC, some researchers believe anandamides are responsible for the feeling known as “runner’s high due to the fact that they also bind directly to THC.” 

CBD, on the other hand, works differently in that it does not bind directly to CB2 receptors. However, CBD has been shown to increase the bioavailability of anandamide and therefore helping to reduce inflammation.

Since an increase of anandamides results in a decrease in pain and inflammation, it’s possible that a lack of anandamides is responsible for the phenomenon known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and since CBD increases the amount of available anandamide, CBD could help prevent DOMS in long distance endurance runners.  

CBD and receptor expression

Simply put, receptor expression means how sensitively your body reacts to CBD products. The higher the number of receptors in one area, the higher the expression and the less CBD you need to feel the benefits. 

This is why there isn’t a universal “one size fits all” dosage and why the same dose of CBD can affect two people very differently.  

A variety of factors including the concentration of CBD, body weight, body chemistry and receptor expression will all be factors in determining how much CBD you should take and how it will affect you.

CBD and Science

The two major claims against the use of CBD are 1)  It hasn’t been scientifically proven to help any conditions and 2) lack of research.  

The FDA approval of Epidolox refutes claim one. 

CBD’s Schedule I classification makes broad or generalized studies difficult, but that does not mean it’s never been studied. Columbia University recently did a study on the use of CBDin patients with glioblastoma brain cancer that proved very positive in CBD’s ability to destroy cancer cells without also destroying healthy cells.   

CBD has also been studied in the UK, Italy and Brazil on conditions like anxiety, colon cancer and ulcerative colitis.

CBD benefits for athletes

CBD first became popular among trail and ultra marathoners for its claims in reducing pain and inflammation in the body. A 2007 study revealed that CBD significantly reduced sciatic nerve pain and inflammation in rats. 

It also has reported benefits both pre and post workout.

Pre-workout, runners who experience pre race anxiety may find relief with CBD. One particular study of CBD’s effect on anxiety proved that it did significantly lower levels of anxietyin a group prior to a public speaking engagement vs. the placebo group.  

It could also ease nausea, however the only particular study I could find was in regards to cancer patients post chemotherapy treatment. 

CBD may help with post-workout recovery as well. Exercise produces a number of hormones including cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. Cortisol on it’s own isn’t bad, in fact cortisol is catabolic, meaning that it breaks down molecules in the body into smaller ones so they can be used throughout the body. Excess cortisol on the other hand has been linked to increased fat storage, weight gain and the slowing of protein synthesis responsible tissue growth. 

CBD is anti-catabolic and could potentially slow down or control the excess amount of cortisol potentially reversing the effects of the hormone. 

It also has been linked to a decrease in muscle spasms in those with MS. 

CBD has been shown to reduce inflammation in tendon injuries resulting in faster healing for conditions such as plantar fasciitis. 

CBD has also been shown to help you get a better quality of sleep, resulting in a decrease in excess cortisol and an increase in HGH (human growth hormone) which is responsible for everything from tissue repair to new tissue growth. 

Should you try it?

Advocating the benefits of CBD is different than advocating the use of CBD. Consumers should make their own decisions regarding whether or not use of CBD is right for them.  CBD has a number of useful benefits, but it’s not for everyone. For example, people using blood thinners and certain antidepressants should not take CBD. It’s always best to consult your doctor or pharmacist for these and other possible drug interactions including other herbal supplements and otc medications. 

If you’re considering adding CBD to your pain management plan, I hope this article helps you understand what CBD is, how it can benefit you and gives you information to make the best decision for you. 

Rolling can help the body feel more mobile and fluid after just a minute or two of rolling just the right spots. At the same time, rolling can be uncomfortable if you aren’t sure what you’re doing or ignore your body for a long time. 

Foam rolling can be helpful in extending the benefits of massage, so it’s worth learning a little more to determine if it’s a useful technique for you. 

What’s a foam roller?

Foam rollers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with bumps and nubs and some even vibrate. 

A cylindrical log shaped roller is probably what most associate with foam rolling. They can be made from everything from dense styrofoam to PVC pipes wrapped in foam padding but you can use any one of a variety of tools like a foam rolling stick, a cane with knobs on the end and even different sized balls ranging from golf balls to balls the size of a cantaloupe. 

The popularity of foam rolling is also increased by the fact that you can do it practically anywhere: the gym, the living room floor, your hotel room while traveling, even at your desk.

And while everyone can benefit from foam rolling,  if you have rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis, foam rolling is usually contraindicated.

Does it really work?

There is a lot of conflicting information about foam rolling and that misinformation gets passed from one person to the next with little or no inquiry about whether or not it’s actually true. 

There have been very few studies done on foam rolling (like massage). Much of what we thought foam rollers did, has turned out to be false..  

The prevailing myth about foam rolling, also sometimes referred to as self myofascial release, is that it breaks up adhesive tissue fibers and melts fascia like butter. The truth is that “melting” fascia is impossible from a manual therapy perspective. 

There has been some debate as to whether we should continue to call it “myofascial release” since the fascia isn’t actually being released.

The fact is fascia has the tensile strength of steel and is so deep and interconnected that it would be impossible to affect the entire “web.” 

In actuality, foam rolling activates your parasympathetic nervous system and deactivates the pain signal from your brain causing your muscles to release their contraction/ relax.

Some other benefits of foam rolling include

Release tension
Improve mobility
Increase range of motion 

Another popular myth about foam rolling is the harder the roller, the more beneficial it is. Wrong.

Just like using a drill to hammer a nail doesn’t work, using a hard object such as a lacrosse ball will not necessarily yield better results than a softer tennis ball. Remember the point is to reduce pain, not inflict it. And you could end up with muscle or nerve damage if done incorrectly. 

Start with a softer object or roller with no knobs or bumps and work your way up. If it is uncomfortable, but bearable, and you feel relief after only 30-60 seconds, that’s a good sign. 

A good, targeted foam rolling session should take no more than 5 to 10 minutes. Also, like stretching, you have to know if the muscle is over or underactive. Foam rolling an underactive muscle has little effect on decreased tension or increased flexibility. And rolling back and forth on an overactive muscle just causes hyper-irritability which will eventually lead to more pain. 

FOAM ROLLING 101

Now that we know a little more about foam rolling let’s talk about some key areas you can foam roll and how to get the most benefit from it.

Knowing which areas to foam roll begins with knowing what the goal is. 

If you’re trying to relieve tension, a static pressure for about 30-60 seconds is most beneficial. If you’re over 65, studies have shown that up to 90 seconds of foam rolling is most beneficial.

If you sit for long periods of time at a desk or have difficulty squatting at the gym some key muscles you want to target might be

Tensor Fascia Latae (Hip flexors) 
Rectus Femoris (main quadricep)
Tibialis Anterior (muscle on the outboard side of your shin bone)
Latissimus Dorsi (between the rib cage and your armpit)
Upper trapezius (upper back)

If you wear high heels for work you might want to target

Lateral Gastrocnemius (outside portion of the calf)
Soleus (lower leg under the calf)
Hamstrings
Gluteus Maximus

If you do a lot of work where your arms are above your head--carpenters, mechanics, construction workers you might want to target

Biceps
Forearms
Latissimus Dorsi
Upper trapezius
Rotator cuff muscles

If the goal is to gain flexibility or temporarily increase range of motion a more traditional method of rolling up and down the length of the muscle is better. 

To get the most out of this type of foam rolling session: 

Slow your roll - Slowing down your movements to about 1 inch per second. Rolling faster does nothing for the muscle because it does not allow enough time to engage your parasympathetic nervous system. 

Break it up - for larger muscles such as the quads or hamstrings, start at the bottom of the muscle and roll half way up then roll from the halfway point to the other end of the muscle. This helps to slow you down and also not overwhelm your nervous system with too much stimuli.  

Whichever goal you are trying to achieve, always remember to use good posture. Keep your core engaged, spine straight and joints aligned. This will keep you from developing back, shoulder or hip problems from foam rolling.

If you’re ever confused about how to use your foam roller, bring it in on your next visit and I’d be happy to give you some pointers. 

Remember, your foam roller won’t replace your regular massage, but it can be a great tool to use between sessions. 

When it’s your birthday, people want you to have a good day and make it special for you. They are nicer to you and wish you well. They want it to be a happy day for you.

Friends or family may make you a special meal or take you to a favorite restaurant. They may make or buy you a cake. They will make sure the meal and cake are what you want – not their own preference.

People will ask what you want to do and then do that thing with you, even if it’s not their favorite. They may take you to an event or do an activity with you because it’s what you want and will make you happy.

You get cards, calls, and messages from people who care about you. People will do things for you so you can rest and relax. You may get gifts, but especially you will get the time and attention from the people who care about you.

A good massage is similar. The massage is your time. It’s a time to rest and relax. You have no responsibilities during the massage and don’t have to do anything for anyone. I’ll work on the spots that you tell me need attention and will customize the session to what you need today. It’s your preference, not what I feel like doing.

You’ll get my full attention. For the time you’re here you are my top priority. I want to see you leaving with a smile, feeling great.

I know you have been looking forward to your massage – perhaps for days or weeks. I want it to be special for you.

Fortunately you don’t have to wait a year until your next massage, unlike your birthday. Come in as often as you like and have a special time for yourself.

How does pain work?.

There are three primary types of pain, and each of them works a slightly different way.

Nociceptive pain (tissue pain).

There are many different kinds of sense receptors in the body. Some are sensitive to heat or cold, some to touch or pressure. Others, called free nerve endings, aren’t specialized for any one type of stimulus. When a significant stimulus triggers these nerve endings, they send a message through the spinal cord and up to the brain indicating that something potentially dangerous has happened. The brain then decides (without consulting the part involved in conscious thought, alas) whether this is something to ignore or brush off or if it seems likely that damage has occurred. This then sends this message back down to the affected part of the body.

If the message is “No biggie, ‘tis but a scratch,” then you’ll most likely shake yourself off and forget the incident even happened. If it’s “WHOA, THIS SEEMS LIKE A PROBLEM,” then you experience this as pain.

This is useful! Just ask someone with CIPA, or congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, a disease that leaves people insensitive to pain. Imagine not noticing a bit of grit in your eye until it damages your cornea, developing stress fractures in your feet because nothing is telling you it’s time to sit down, or ending up with burns in your mouth and throat because you don’t realize your coffee is scalding hot. Pain stops us from trying to walk on a sprained ankle or go for a run when we have a fever. Tissue damage, high temperatures, low pH, and capsaicin (the active ingredient in hot peppers) are all common triggers for this process.

But brains aren’t always correct when it comes to assessing danger. Lorimer Moseley gives a brilliant example of this in his TEDx talk. What’s the difference between the pain from a scratch on the leg and the pain from a nearly-fatal snake bite? Spoiler: it’s whatever your brain is expecting. That’s why you might feel little pain after a bicycle accident, but be in agony when getting the wound stitched up two hours later. Pain is weird.

Neuropathic pain (nerve pain).

This is pain that results from an issue with the nervous system itself, rather than surrounding tissues. If you’ve ever banged your funny bone, you know this feeling well. Common forms of neuropathic pain include:

• Sciatica: pain in the sciatic nerve running through the hip and down into the leg and foot
• Diabetic neuropathy: nerve damage resulting from fluctuating blood sugar levels
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: pain resulting from the compression of the nerves that run through the wrist into the hand

Less common forms include phantom limb pain (pain that feels like it originates in an amputated limb) and postherpetic neuralgia, which occurs as a result of getting shingles.

Neuropathic pain can be especially frustrating because the normal things we do to reduce pain are often useless when it comes to pain originating in the nervous system. Moving or not moving our muscles, applying heat or ice, these can have relatively little impact on nerve pain.

What’s more, nerves don’t heal as well as things like muscles and skin do, which makes nerve pain more likely to become chronic pain.

Other pain. (Yeah, that’s a terrible fake category name.)

Pain is messy, and a lot of it doesn’t fall into either of the two categories above. Fibromyalgia is a great example of this. Is it pain resulting from tissue damage? Nope. What about nerve damage? Not as far as we can tell. It’s caused by the nervous system malfunctioning, sometimes in horrible ways, but that don’t result from actual nerve damage. Often a lot of it. And the world of medicine is still trying to figure out why.

So how do we alleviate pain?

There are several different options.

• If the pain is caused by some kind of physical injury or stimulus, you can work on fixing that. If your hand is being burned on a lightbulb, you can remove your hand, which will make most of that pain go away. If you’re experiencing a muscle cramp in your foot, you can flex the foot (manually, if necessary). If you’re experiencing pain from sitting in the same position for too long, you can move around and shake out your legs. If the cause of the pain is inflammation, anti-inflammatories and ice can reduce that. This is perhaps the ideal form of pain relief, although it’s not always in the realm of the possible.
• You can block the messages that tell your brain you’re in pain. This is how many painkillers work. Ice can also numb nerve endings.
• You can convince your brain that you’re not in any real danger. This is a tough one, because the brain doesn’t just listen when you tell it things. But it’s well documented that fear, stress, and anxiety lead to increased pain perception. And of course, pain leads to stress, which leads to pain … General relaxation techniques—from meditation to light exercise to getting a massage—can all be helpful in turning the brain’s pain alarms down a notch. Physical therapy (practicing certain motions in a way that isn’t painful) and talk therapy can also be useful here too.
  
  

How can massage help with pain?

Sometimes the issue is one that massage can help manage on a physical level. But even more often, massage gives the brain a chance to let down its guard and experience something non-painful and even pleasant in the body. And while there’s no silver bullet for pain, that can mean a lot for people whose pain has defied more straightforward treatments and whose injuries or illnesses are already healed.

Feeling the hurt yourself? There’s a massage with your name on it. Book your next one today. [Link to schedule]

The idea of using massage to improve your game might sound silly. Who needs a spa day to improve your game on the football field? But the truth is, more and more professional sports teams are employing full-time massage therapists to work with their athletes. Why? It really does make you a better athlete.

So how exactly can a few sessions or regular appointments on a massage table work to improve your game, or make you faster or stronger? There’s a lot that goes into it. Here are a few reasons why you should consider adding a regular massage into your training routine.

So how exactly can a few sessions or regular appointments on a massage table work to improve your game, or make you faster or stronger? There’s a lot that goes into it. Here are a few reasons why you should consider adding a regular massage into your training routine.

Improve Recovery After a Workout

Especially if you’re in the off-season and haven’t worked a particular muscle group in a while— even just a few days— you know that delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can leave you feeling stiff, fatigued, and achy. DOMS affects your workouts over the following days; your muscles feel weaker and you can’t work quite as hard as you’d like. 

Whether it’s after a tough race or while you’re training like crazy during the off-season, your body needs time to recover. DOMS is one of the ways your body handles the pressure of increased physical activity.

So how can you avoid the downsides of DOMS? Massage has been shown to reduce the pain and discomfort of DOMS by 30%. A recent study in the Journal of Sports Sciences showed that male bodybuilders recovered more quickly after a hard workout when they followed up with a sports massage. 

Think of it as an even more targeted session than the one you get with your foam roller for myofascial release. As you roll out your muscles, you actually increase your short-term flexibility for around 10 minutes. This means you’re able to crush your workout even more after a foam rolling session. 

However, a foam roller can only do so much. You’re only targeting large muscle groups, and your roller can’t get very specific. This is where a massage therapist comes in.

A massage therapist can do so much more to relieve your DOMS, especially when the massage is performed by a pro who knows the specificity of myofascial release. DOMS can leave you feeling inflexible and achy. a targeted sports massage when you’re experiencing the stiffness of DOMS will loosen things up so you don’t have to hold back quite so much during your workout.

Increase Your Range of Motion

Do you have stiffness or limited range of motion in your hips or shoulders? Working with a massage therapist can help loosen up these joints. Dancers particularly understand the importance of increasing mobility in their hip joints. If you’re training to be the next prima ballerina, know that you can work with a massage therapist to loosen some of these joints to provide you with a greater range of motion, better turnout, and a higher arabesque.

Not looking to perfect your pirouette? Maybe you’re a pitcher with a tight shoulder joint. Maybe your knees are particularly stiff and you want to spend some time with free weights, doing all the squats you can possibly muster to strengthen your legs. Schedule a few sessions with a qualified massage therapist who can help you work to increase this range of motion.

Massage Away Stress and Anxiety

One of the main reasons to consider a massage is that you feel great afterwards. So much of any sport is in your head. It can be very stressful. The mental game involved in running a marathon, the pressure of a post-season playoff game, the psychology of a singles tennis match can lead some athletes to experience anxiety surrounding their sport.

So what’s one simple thing you can do to relax? How about a soothing massage, that leaves your body and mind feeling relaxed and ready to go? Alleviate some of your stress before a big game, race, or meet with a massage. 

Studies support the safety and effectiveness of massage therapy to reduce panic attacks, anxiety, and depression. Regular massages can only help the mental game of your sport - even in the off-season when you’re training nonstop and thinking about the upcoming season.

Prevent Injury

Another reason to hop up on the massage table before your next practice, during off-season training, or before a big game? Massage can also help prevent injury, in multiple ways:

• Increased blood flow, nutrients, and oxygen traveling through muscles and joints, warming them up and reducing the risk of tears
• Improved muscle flexibility, which also lowers the risk of a tear or strain
• Deactivation of pain trigger points: Spots of pain or discomfort can cause even the most disciplined of athletes to favor one side or alter their technique, putting strain on other parts of their body, which can lead to injury
  
  

Also, massage therapy can decrease the time it takes for you to recover from an injury. If you’re a determined athlete who was taught to “play through the pain,” it can be tempting to return to your sport before you’ve completely healed, putting you at risk for even worse injury. 

Getting a massage while recovering from an injury increases the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients to your injury. With proper massage therapy, your injury can actually heal faster than without. If you heal faster, you’re much less likely to re-injure yourself by trying to train or compete before your body is ready to take on the stress of activity.

Who Should Use Massage Therapy

In short? Everyone! From dancers to baseball players, cyclists, runners, swimmers, and all other athletes, everyone can use massage therapy to enhance training, even in the off-season. No matter the sport, your body is the tool you use to compete and to train, and sometimes it needs a little extra TLC from a trained professional to prepare for a big race, or to recover afterwards.

“But I’m not a professional athlete! Should I use massage therapy to improve my sport?” you ask. The answer is an emphatic yes! If you have a passion for tennis and play frequently, or if you’re training for a marathon or triathlon, you know the amount of time you use your body during each training session. There’s so much wear and tear experienced during a long run or swim.

Massage therapy is one of the best ways you can prepare for a race or game, recover afterwards, relieve stress, and improve your technique, regardless of whether or not you get paid to compete. If you’re passionate about your sport, care about your body, and want to improve your health, consider massage therapy. It’s a great way to take care of yourself, ensuring you can participate and compete in your sport for years to come.

While you may not get a paycheck for completing your favorite workout or playing on a rec league team regular massage therapy can benefit your training and well being.

Read on to learn how:

While Training

It’s normal for new aches and pains to pop up when you start a new activity. More aches may present themselves as you work to increase your endurance and strength. Regular massage can help you stay ahead of any issues that could slow down your training. Massage therapy keeps you in touch with how your body feels so you can adjust your training as needed and stay on track.

Before a Race or Game

Are you feeling anxious about a big upcoming race? A massage can help calm your nerves and has been proven to reduce anxiety and stress. Many athletes use massage before and after a competition to make sure they’re feeling relaxed, confident, self-possessed, and ready to conquer before, and then to aid in recovery after. After all, so much of what we do as athletes is a mental game. It makes sense to train your muscles and your brain, right?

Here’s the kicker though: Like a tough workout, massage can sometimes leave you feeling sore or achy. And that’s totally normal. But this means that you don’t want to get a deep tissue massage the day before your first marathon. 

It’s recommended that if you want to get a massage to feel on top of your mental game before a big competition, that you do so 3 to 5 days beforehand. This gives you time to “recover” after the massage and to be completely ready to compete mentally and physically. 

To Aid in Recovery

If you’re a weekend warrior on the court or on the track, you’ve probably experienced delayed-onset muscle soreness. It’s that awful stiffness and pain you feel in the day or two after vigorous exercise. 

Massage therapy can help reduce that stiffness and get you moving through your day faster and with less pain. 

For the Long Term

Generally, massage can help improve your performance as an athlete- even if you just do it to have fun or stay in shape. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage can help in exercise and athletic participation in so many ways, including the following:

• Reduce muscle tension and increase relaxation
• Monitor muscle tone and improve exercise performance
• Increase range of motion and improve soft tissue function
• Support recovery of heart rate and diastolic blood pressure after exercise
• Decrease muscle stiffness and fatigue
• Improved flexibility
• And even decrease the risk of injury when massage is regularly performed

Working with a qualified massage therapist can help you learn more about how your body works. You can prevent injury by making the muscles more pliable. And a massage therapist who knows what they’re doing will cater their massage techniques to the specific kind of work that you are doing in the gym or on the track, to keep the muscles you are using in tip-top shape.

Whether you’re working towards a marathon or a Crossfit competition, or you just love getting sweaty and getting stronger, it’s time for us to chat. Contact me today, and let’s talk about how tailored and targeted massage sessions can make a huge difference in how you approach your favorite hobby. Looking to hit a new PR, or trying to build muscle mass? I can help you get there. 

You already know that regular massage therapy can help with your lower back pain, headaches, and anxiety. But is massage therapy good for shoulder pain too? Read on to learn about the types of shoulder pain, rotator cuff muscles, and appropriate treatment options, including massage therapy.

Types of shoulder pain

Falls, car accidents, overuse/repetitive stress (from work or hobbies), sports injuries, and age are all reasons you may experience shoulder pain at some point in your life.

Common shoulder problems include frozen shoulder, dislocations, and tendinitis. But the most common source of shoulder pain is rotator cuff injury. 

What is the rotator cuff?

Robert Fay, owner and clinical director at Armonk Physical Therapy and Sports Trainingin Armonk, New York, says that approximately 80% of shoulder patients at his practice are being treated specifically for rotator cuff injury. But what exactly is a rotator cuff?

The rotator cuff is not one single body part like the name would suggest. Rather, it’s made up of FOUR muscles that run from the shoulder blade (scapula) to the upper arm bone (humerus). It gets its name because when viewed in X-ray, the rotator cuff muscles look like a cuff around the shoulder joint.

The main functions of the rotator cuff muscles are to stabilize the “ball in the socket” and rotate and raise the arm. Rotator cuff muscles keep your shoulder from dislocating every time you raise your arm, throw a ball, or reach behind you. 

Rotator cuff muscles

There are approximately 15 muscles that can be classified as shoulder muscles and can contribute to shoulder pain. But which belong to the rotator cuff?

Rotator cuff injury treatment

Depending on the severity or cause of your rotator cuff injury, treatment can involve anything from surgery to massage therapy, so it’s important to have an accurate diagnosis from anorthopedist before seeking treatment for your rotator cuff injury. Physical therapy and massage therapy will likely be recommended whether or not you also receive rotator cuff surgery.

Physical therapy for rotator cuff injury

The shoulder is the most mobile yet least stable joint in the body. Fay says, “Rotator cuff muscles shut down in response to shoulder injury and need to be retrained or the bigger shoulder muscles (like the deltoids, pecs, biceps, and lats) will compensate.”

When one or more of the rotator cuff muscles are weak or overused, it can cause any number of problems in the shoulder. “These imbalances can lead to further shoulder deterioration as we age,” says Fay.

When it comes to treatment of rotator cuff issues, one size definitely does not fit all. A physical therapist will often spend a lot of time determining which muscle is injured, which is weak, and which is overused so they can develop an appropriate recovery plan for you. 

Massage therapy for rotator cuff pain

Massage can be enormously effective in helping to decrease pain, increase range of motion, and increase suppleness and flexibility of the affected tissue. 

“Most people compensate for shoulder instability by using other muscles. Massage therapy is very helpful in releasing tone in the pec minor, biceps, latissimus dorsi, and the deltoids. Massage treatment to these muscles improves our ability as physical therapists to strengthen the deeper rotator cuff muscles,” says Fay.

It’s important to tell your massage therapist if you have been diagnosed with a rotator cuff injury so they can tailor your massage therapy treatment. You don’t want to receive massage when the injury is acute or actively inflamed. Your massage therapist can even speak to your physical therapist to ensure the massage treatments are structured to decrease your pain and return you to activity as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Are you experiencing shoulder pain?

If you are experiencing shoulder pain due to rotator cuff injury, I’d love to help you. Get yourself scheduled here.

I know this because...

I walk the walk and I, too, get regular massage.

I am crazy tight with finances, so if I don’t plan for it, massage just doesn’t happen.

But if I expect you to budget for a $1200/hr massage every week, month, or quarter, it’s my job to tell you what you’re buying. So here it is, what you get from a $100/hr massage.

Clarity in Pricing

What I charge is clearly listed here. My goal is to make massage more accessible, and I have intentionally set my rates at below market pricing. 

Although cash tips are always appreciated, they are never expected. There are so many ways to show gratitude! The most appreciated form is reviews and referrals. When you tell your friends about me, write a review about me on My Google Reviews page, my Yelp page, and my Facebook Business page or purchase gift certificates for friends and family, it helps my business grow and allows me to spread the love.

A Full Hour and a Half

A Standard 90-Minute Session = 90 minutes. The clock doesn’t start until I walk in the room and actually begin the massage. That’s not the case for every business. Burke Williams and Massage Envy’s hour is 50 minutes. Even some full service spas operate on a 50-minute hour. But in my office, 60, 90, and 120 minute treatments last exactly as long as indicated.  

Ease of Scheduling

Scheduling tends to be the second biggest obstacle to getting regular massage. We never think of scheduling a massage at a time that is actually convenient to call. We think about it when we are in the middle of a tough workout or a stressful day. 

I try to make scheduling as easy as possible; you can schedule with me any time of day or night online right here.  If you prefer, you can call me at (415) 652-7173 to schedule and if I miss your call I will call back as soon as I can.

Attention

You get my full attention. From the time you enter my office, you are the superstar. You are the reason we’re in the room. 

Need silence? We can do that. Want me to spend the full hour on your feet? Sure. Warm table? Cool room? Not a problem. You get your own full attention. No phone. No demands. Just you.

Experience

I’ve had 16 years of practice and hundreds of hours of education. All in preparation for your massage.

Every massage is customized to your individual needs on the day we meet. When you need all my focus on your shoulders, I got you! When you need the slow deep work around all your joints, I got you! When you just need to experience relaxation or recovery, I got you!

Clinical Prudence

I won’t practice any techniques that are unsafe for you or your health condition.

If you are healing from a recent injury, experiencing a flare-up of an older issue, or having acute pain somewhere, we won't be doing any aggressive work to "dig out the problem". No-Pain/No-Gain?... Not here buddy! I am all about results without pain, slow focused deep tissue work without aggressive jack hammering and painful reconstruction work. You should always feel better in your body when you leave my office. 

Proper Licensing

I've got that! There are plenty of massage therapists offering discounted massage operating under the radar. 

If a therapist is operating without all the proper licenses, their insurance will be voided in the event of claim. That’s scary stuff right there.

Insurance

I carry liability insurance to ensure that you and I are covered if something goes awry. Thankfully, I have never had to use it.

Referrals

A massage with me gets you connections with all the practitioners I know. And that’s a lot of people. If massage isn’t helping your tendonitis, backache, anxiety, or any other thing that brought you in the door, I’ll help find the right acupuncturist, physical therapist or counselor for you.

High-Quality Massage Cream

I only use the best products on your skin. I work with Bon Vital massage creams because they are organic, hydrating for the skin and don't leave clients feeling oily or greasy. I choose to use organic products whenever possible, from my creams and lotions to my laundry detergents and cleaning and sanitizing tools. 

Community 

You get to support a small, local, gay-owned business

It’s just me! No conglomerate. No fancy management structure or corporate set up. Just a small business owner, paying his taxes, making a living, and living in the same communities he serves. There are fewer and fewer businesses that can stay afloat in this era of big-box stores and Amazon. When you pay $120/hr for a massage, you can be certain that money is staying in the local economy.

All that, from a $100/hr massage!

And maybe you do a quick stretch or take a collagen supplement, but you can’t quite seem to get at it.

What if I told you that the main source of that stiffness, achiness, and lack of flexibility could be from a body part you never knew existed?

Fascia

It is believed that fascia contains approximately six times as many sensory nerves as muscle tissue. No wonder you are in pain!

So what exactly is fascia and how can you reduce discomfort caused by it? Let me tell you.

What is fascia?

Fascia is connective tissue that forms a web around all of your internal “stuff”. It surrounds your bones, vessels, muscles, nerves, and organs. It basically connects all of our internal structures together - kind of like a three-dimensional flexible scaffolding inside our bodies. It helps to transfer energy across structures and helps to transform the work of our muscles into smooth movement.

Fascia should be supple and flexible while still maintaining structure. Think of it like a giant sheet of thin rubbery material - flexible enough to take on the shape of whatever it surrounds, but strong enough to maintain its integrity.  It’s the Elastigirl of your insides. Okay, not really, but it’s a fun analogy.

Fascia stretches and moves….until it doesn’t. Sometimes fascia thickens or gets stuck and that translates into stiffness, lack of flexibility, and even pain.

What causes “tight” fascia?

Fascia can stick - both to itself as well as to the material it surrounds. It can stick to surrounding structures or you might feel little knots or bumps. This can be caused by a number of factors.

• Repetitive movement. Do the same thing over and over again such as running or cycling? 
• Too little movement. Sit at a desk or in a car all day every day and don’t take your body through full range of motion? 
• Trauma. Injury of any kind (including surgery) can also result in fascial adhesions.

Fascia and movement

Fascia helps us to move smoothly and effectively by connecting all of our internal structures together. It allows muscles to move, nerves and vessels to slide between joints, and organs to shift and move as influenced by the body.

Fascia enables the transfer of energy and the distribution of tension so our movements are smooth and coordinated.

Fascia and emotions

Something that may surprise you is how fascia is tied to emotions. 

Because of the high number of nerves throughout the fascia, dysfunction in the fascia can result in emotional changesas well as physical discomfort. 

Have you ever felt weepy while experiencing widespread achiness? Me too.

Fascial pain can lead to emotional changes which can lead to further postural changes (the way you slump forward when you don’t feel great). So reducing physical pain can help improve emotional aspects of pain as well.

Is it fascia pain?

Typically when there is a dysfunction in a muscle, you will experience pain with a specific movement. If you hurt your bicep, pain occurs when you use that bicep.

But with fascia pain, your discomfort usually isn't triggered by a specific movement. Widespread achiness and stiffness is a common complaint. Some people even complain that their skin hurts or experience more intense pain across one area of their body.

With myofascial pain syndrome, fascial adhesions can worsen over time and develop into trigger points.

Unlike with muscle injury, gentle movement often decreases fascial pain and improves range of motion.

Ways to reduce fascia pain

Heat 

Applying heat to an area of fascial pain helps to restore elasticity allowing you to stretch and move more effectively. So get in that tub or sauna!

Move more

Stretching, especially full-body movement like gentle yoga, manipulates the fascia and helps to reduce pain and stiffness. The key is to move the area in all directions. Be sure to twist and bend and stretch in as many directions as possible and hold those positions for extended periods to allow the fascia to release.

Massage

Massage therapy provides targeted treatment in specific areas and allows you to address an issue more comprehensively by generating heat, calming the nervous system, and treating muscle and fascia issues simultaneously. 

Massage therapy can also address any trigger points you may have, since trigger points are often hard to self-treat.

Conclusion

We all experience pain and stiffness from time to time. If chronic achiness and stiffness has been troubling you, a consistent program of heat, movement, and bodywork can be enormously effective at reducing discomfort and improving performance.

When will In-Home massages be offered again?

The short answer is: I'm not exactly sure.

The long answer is:

Unfortunately, I am currently not doing in-home appointments. 

I understand how hard it is to carve out time away from work and home life. Between kids, Zoom meetings, chores, and erronds it can be tough to get away. I have a handful of my regular clients in the same position, I do understand the struggle.

But, to be totally honest, I don't see myself doing any in-home appointments in 2021. There are just too many factors to consider when traveling from one client to another, entering an environment I have no control over, and asking you to trust that not only have I been doing all the things to stay safe, but also asking that you trust any client who I may have come from before you. 

Right now I am working out of my studio in the James Flood Building. I moved into a studio of my very own on May 1st, and have been seeing clients there since then. This is finally a space all mine, from layout to design I've taken it all into consideration. My goal was to create a warm and inviting space for clients to unplug, tune in, and reconnect to their bodies. 

Hopefully we can get you in there sometime soon. It'd be great to see you. 

I know that's not the news everyone was hoping for.  But I hope it helps you understand my position.

Yes, you can massage yourself at home. No, it won’t be as great as booking an appointment with me (obviously!). But the same way that brushing and flossing between dentist visits keeps your teeth and gums healthier for longer, self-massage can prolong the benefits of your sessions and help keep pain and stiffness at bay.

Self-massage can (literally) be awkward as you contort your body to reach pain points. It can also cause pain and discomfort in your hands when you aren’t properly trained. While there are certainly many self-massage tools that you can buy online, there are a few common household objects you can put to use RIGHT NOW, no shipping required.

Self-massage tools from around the house

Tennis ball / Lacross ball

Skip the ones covered in dog drool and go dig a clean one out of that bin in the garage. If you don’t have a tennis ball, a racquetball or handball also works. If you're in need of something a bit more firm you can use a lacross ball.

Techniques

Lie on your back or stand up against the wall. Put the tennis ball between your shoulder blades or right behind your armpit. If you are lying down, your bodyweight will apply pressure into the ball. If you are standing, lean into it.

Sit on the floor with legs out in front of you. Slide the ball under your calf. The weight of your leg applies the pressure into the ball.

Get on your hands and knees. Put the tennis ball under the soft part of the shin (the muscle, not the bone) and let your bodyweight apply pressure.

You can use a harder, smaller ball, like a golf ball, to massage tight areas, but take care not to be too aggressive here. This is no time for “no pain, no gain.” You want to work up to the point of discomfort and gently test that line, but not go too far. Be gentle with yourself! It's better to be conservative and mindful so you don't aggravate an area that’s already inflamed.

Socks

Avoid chasing your balls all over the place while trying to use them for massage by sticking it inside of a sock. If you put two or three inside a sock and tie the end closed, you now have a roller that’s particularly nice to use on your quads.

Neck pain? My personal favorite sock-tennis ball combo is to put two tennis balls into a sock. Now lie on your back and put the sock across the back of your neck with one ball behind each ear. Let your head be heavy and feel the glorious release of tension from the muscles at the base of your head.

Towel

A foam roller is a great self-massage tool and usually one of the first things I recommend clients buy. However, they can be bulky and awkward to store and not everyone has the space to use one effectively. And if you can get similar results for free, why not do that?

Techniques

Roll up a large towel (like beach towel) into a cylindrical shape and place it on the floor. Lie along its length so your tush is at one end and your head is at the other end (the towel is along your spine). Then move your arms as if you are making snow angels. This gives a wonderful stretch through the chest and helps with upper back pain after a long day sitting at a desk.

Now take that same towel and rotate it 90 degrees. Lie back down with the towel horizontal at the base of your shoulder blades. Your upper torso should now be slightly arched backwards over the towel roll. This posture is a useful to counterbalance the all-to-common hunched forward posture.

If one towel isn’t firm enough, use two together, or combine a towel and a yoga mat to give a bit more support.

Frozen water bottle

Fill a plastic bottle with water and freeze it. Once frozen, roll it over sore areas. This is an efficient way to massage and apply ice all at once. This technique is most often recommended for plantar fasciitis, but you can also use it on your calves, quads, forearms, and neck.

Rolling pin

Massage stick rollers can cost $30 or more! Instead, use a rolling pin to massage your quads, hamstrings, and calves. Granted, it’s not as versatile as a foam roller, but it gets the job done effectively.

Wall

A wall is available anytime anywhere. Use your tennis ball up against a wall rather than lying on the ground to massage your shoulders, hip flexors, glutes, and pecs.

To improve your upper spine mobility, wall angels are tough but effective.

No props, no problem

Traveling or stuck at work with no props, but desperately need a massage? No problem! You can still get the benefits of self-massage through joint mobility, which can be very effective at reducing muscle tension. Consider these movements:

• Neck rolls
• Wrist circles
• Shoulder shrugs
• Shoulder rolls
• Hip circles
• Standing spinal roll down and roll up
• Standing side reach
• Active child’s pose Ankle rolls

Progressive muscle relaxation is massage and meditation all in one. Regularly incorporating this into your self-massage routine will help you feel grounded, relaxed, and free in your body until you can get back on my massage table.

Conclusion

Self-massage between massage sessions with me helps to maximize the benefits of your regular massage appointments and keep you feeling better in your body for as long as possible.

Let me know which of these self-massage techniques worked best for you. I can’t wait to see you on my table again! Schedule your next appointment now.

Summer sun is here! With the weather warming up and everyone spending more time outside, we are getting a lot more sun. I wanted to take a moment to recognize the effects of the sun on our skin. 

Skin we love. Skin cancer? Not so much. Which is why you’re here on a massage therapist’s website, reading about sun exposure. Because even though I’m not a dermatologist and you’re not going to burn while getting a massage, your skin is a friend I see regularly. And I want to be able to keep working with it for many healthy years to come.

As a massage therapist, I see a lot of skin. All colors, all textures. Freckles, scars, stretch marks, moles. Skin with lots of hair and skin with none. Skin doesn’t surprise me... Except when it does; That brown spot on your shoulder blade? It wasn’t quite that big when you came in a month ago. And it looks less like an oval and a little more like a blob. Maybe you should have that checked out?

What happens when you get a sunburn?

You’re exposed to the sun and then your skin turns red and itchy, right? Well, yes. But there’s more to it as well.

When you step out into the sunlight, you’re immediately bombarded by UV radiation. This radiation causes mismatches in the curlicue of your DNA in the nucleus of your skin cells, which is dangerous and can lead to cancer. As soon as this starts to occur, your skin jumps into protective action redistributing melanin, the pigment that causes suntans, and which helps to protect your DNA from further damage. 

But if you’re still outside and the damage doesn’t stop (especially if you’re fair skinned and don’t have much melanin to go around), you start to see an inflammatory response. This is the same kind of inflammation that you see when you sprain your ankle, only spread out across your damaged skin. Your blood vessels dilate to get more nutrients and infection-fighting cells to your skin, making the it red and warm to the touch. Itching and pain result, a warning signal from your body that something is wrong. You may feel thirsty and tired as your body works to repair itself.

If the burn is bad enough, you’ll start to see blisters as the plasma leaks from inside cells into the space between the dermis (the bottom layer of skin) and the epidermis (the top layer). These blisters form a cushion of fluid over your damaged tissue. (At this point, your body has already written that top layer of skin off.)

Eventually, even if you didn’t have any blisters, you will get flaking and peeling of the top layer of your skin. Interestingly enough, these skin cells weren’t killed by UV radiation. When skin cells recognize that their DNA has been severely damaged, they deliberately die off rather than risk becoming cancerous. This planned cell death is called apoptosis, and it’s the reason you see massive numbers of skin cells coming loose at once. 

So to be clear: all sunburns, no matter how mild, contain the beginning stages of skin cancer. It’s only because our skin kills itself off before these cells go haywire that we see as little skin cancer as we do. Even so, more than 5.4 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed in the US each year, and 1 in 5 Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70. UV radiation will play a role in many of these cases.

How can you protect your skin?

The short answer: Stay away from UV radiation. This means tanning beds as well as sunlight.

The longer answer: Unless you plan to become a vampire, you will probably be exposed to sunlight at least some of the time. The trick is to reduce that exposure to a safe level by seeking shade, wearing protective clothing, and using sunscreen.

How much sun is safe?

This depends on two main variables: the UV Index and your skin type.

UV Index

The UV Index is a measure of the level of UV radiation in your location at any given point in time. It’s something you can easily look up on your computer or phone before heading out the door. In general, global UV Index recommendations look something like this:

1-2: Low. Enjoy being outside!
3-7: Medium. Seek shade at midday, put on a shirt and hat, wear sunscreen.
8+: High. Stay indoors at midday, seek shade as much as possible, sunscreen is an absolute must.
Skin type

With the exception of people with albinism, everyone has some melanin in their skin. Those with more of the protective pigmentation are less susceptible to DNA damage in their skin cells from UV radiation than those with less. 

• Type I: Very pale, burns quickly, never tans.
• Type II: Pale, burns easily, rarely tans
• Type III: Burns moderately, tans over time to light brown
• Type IV: Burns minimally, tans to medium brown
• Type V: Rarely burns, tans to dark brown.
• Type VI: Never burns, rarely tans, deeply pigmented skin.

People with Type I skin can burn after as little as five or ten minutes, while those with Type VI skin can sometimes be outside for an hour without damage.

Note: You might have seen a skin type scale that goes from I-IV, especially if you are looking in an older medical textbook. That’s because the original Fitzpatrick scale was made in the 1970s for white people. This is the same scale, but expanded to include everybody.

Is sunscreen safe?

A 2001 study raised concerns that oxybenzone (the chemical that makes most sunscreens so effective) might impact hormones. In this study, rats fed large doses of oxybenzone developed enlarged uteruses. Studies in humans haven’t been conclusive. What we know for sure is that, if you’re a rat, you shouldn’t drink sunscreen. 

Some pediatricians recommend sticking to mineral-based sunscreens for infants and very young children just in case, until long-term studies are concluded over the next twenty or so years. But these are thick and need to be reapplied regularly. If your children are experiencing sunburns with mineral-based sunscreens, they are being put in significantly more danger than any potential hazard from oxybenzone.

What about vitamin D?

Yup, you need vitamin D in your body to stay health. And yes, your skin manufactures vitamin D in response to UV radiation. (People with lighter skin types make more vitamin D with less sun exposure than people with darker skin types.) So shouldn’t you go without sun protection sometimes for the nutritional benefits?

Luckily, there are a number of sources of vitamin D that don’t also cause skin cancer. Fish, mushrooms, eggs, and fortified dairy products are all excellent sources. And if you’re a tremendously picky eater, there are also vitamin D supplements you can take. For the severely deficient (diagnosed with a simple blood test), there are high-dose supplements or injections your physician can prescribe.

Caring about your skin isn’t about vanity.

It’s a critical organ, like any other. If you exercise for your heart and quit smoking for your lungs, then preventing sunburns is just another healthy habit.

Massage therapists love skin. We work with it on a daily basis and appreciate all it does to keep your insides in and your outsides out. It keeps you cool, it tells you what’s around you, it prevents infections and repairs itself at a remarkable rate. So take care of it! 

And maybe bring it in for a massage.

Most of us are familiar with the sensation of a headache. The location, cause, and severity can differ, but we all agree that headaches hurt! 

When you have a headache, it’s hard to function normally until you find relief. That’s why there are so many techniques for treating headaches. Not all of these techniques are reliable, however. Some only work for certain types of headaches, others are more myth or anecdotal than medical fact. 

Tension headaches are one of the most common types of headaches and are experienced by almost half of all people. That’s a lot of head pain.

Do you tend to clench your jaw or grind your teeth at night? Yup, that can lead to tension headaches. Or maybe you ‘hold your stress’ in your shoulders. Bingo, that can trigger a tension headache. And sitting at a desk leaning into a computer all day? Well, I think you know where we’re going with this. 

For many of these aching heads, massage therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches. And it’s not just about coming to see me at the office, there are plenty of self-help massage techniques you can handle on your own.

How Do I Know If I Have a Tension Headache?

Well, you might not be able to accurately diagnose a tension headache. “Tension headache” is a bit of a catchall phrase for any non-threatening and unexplained headache, but we know that many headaches are caused by tension in the body. 

Tension or tightness in your muscles or connective tissues can cause pain and discomfort that is different from the neurological pain of other headaches like migraines. Because of how muscles are interconnected, you can have tension  within a muscle that causes pain elsewhere in the body.

In massage therapy, we call these knots trigger points. You can have a trigger point in your neck, face, or shoulders and experience “referral pain” in your head as a tension headache. 

How Can I Relieve Tension Headaches?

When your head hurts, your instinct might be to soothe it, but there’s a good chance that it’s not your head that needs attention. If we understand that many tension headaches originate from trigger points in other body parts, we can treat our headaches at the true source of the problem. 

Many people find headache relief by massaging common trigger points in their jaw, neck, and shoulders. Massage manipulates and loosens tight soft tissues in the body, allowing them to relax and relieve any uncomfortable tension. 

Self-massage is an easy, all-natural method that can relieve a tension headache without any specialized training or tools. Some people with chronic headaches, however, may benefit more from professional massages. 

How Do I Give Myself a Massage for Headaches?

The next time you suffer a tension headache, try self-massage to alleviate the pain. I’ll walk you through the steps here, and with some practice, you may find this is your new favorite technique for headache relief!  

1. Feel around your shoulders with fingers and thumbs looking for sensitive or aching spots in your muscle tissue. This can take some practice, but just do your best until you get the hang of it. 

2. When you find a sore spot, either press and hold or gently knead the spot with circular motions or strokes for 10-100 seconds until you feel the spot kind of “release.” Start gently, and then gradually increase pressure. You don’t want to hurt yourself! 

3. If you’re not finding trigger points in your shoulders, try your temples, jaw muscles, or the muscles just below the back of your skull. 

Massaging trigger points like this loosens them up and should relieve that painful tension. I assure you, anyone can do this. If you are struggling, practice two to three times a day until you start seeing results. If you still aren’t getting the hang of it and continue to experience tension headaches, consider seeing a professional massage therapist to provide some relief and tips for self-massage. 

While we massage therapists are still exploring the use and efficacy of trigger point massage for tension headaches, many people find the results are worth paying a professional. And even if massage does not help your headaches, you may find that the soothing experience of a massage is a nice tradeoff while you seek other headache relief. 

It’s not hard to think up great ways to treat yourself. We’d all love a spa day topped off with a meal prepared and served by someone else. Maybe get a sitter for the night, so the little angels are asleep when we get home. Or just a morning where the cat doesn't wake you up by sitting on your windpipe.

But for every article about self care, I roll my eyes at least 12 times and think "Who can afford that?"  Yes, it would be great to have an afternoon to myself and a bucket of fried chicken and a cookie dough chaser. But that's not particularly healthy.

I’m all about realistic self care. That is, activities that aren't expensive, don't involve food, and will make you feel good about how you spent that time. Here's a list of my favorites (bonus: most of these you can do with kids).

Meditate, the easy way

If you're the kind of person who can't sleep during the day, napping can be  more like torture. But guided meditation is a whole other story. It gives your mind something (easy) to do so the rest of you can relax a bit. There are plenty of free guided meditations online. Check out the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center website and the free version of the Headspace app, which has plenty of options to get you started. 

Read a book

When was the last time you read for pleasure? Even if you can't get to your library, there are plenty of free ebooks on Amazon, and your local library may have a free online borrowing program. Or reread some of your favorite books from childhood if you have them hanging around.

Learn something

If you choose the topic right, learning is great self-care. Pick a topic for FUN. Don't feel like you need to learn something pertinent to your work or a current hobby. Check out Coursera, MIT or Harvard to start. (But there are PLENTY of sources for free online classes, do your own searching, too!) 

Draw

Bust out a piece of paper and draw something. Even if you don't have fancy pencils or crayons or markers, you can play with shading and pressure and make something cool. There are plenty of free coloring pages you can download and print out.

YouTube Karaoke

For nearly every song out there, there's a karaoke accompaniment channel on YouTube. For reals. Crank it up and let ‘er rip. You’re a stress-free superstar now.

And when all else fails: Nap

Put your jammies on and take a nap. In your bed. Not all jammed up on the couch with the TV on. Close the shades in your bedroom and hunker down for a proper sleep.

There. You don’t have to spend money or fill your belly to feel great and treat yourself well!

Obviously, I’m a big fan of giving massage as a gift!But just as with choosing to visit a massage therapist yourself, there are some considerations when offering this kind of gift.

How to (successfully!) give the gift of massage.

Massage is an amazing gift! But there are a few steps to think about in advance.

Think about the best way to deliver your gift. Gift certificates are the easiest way to give a massage as a gift, as it allows the individual to schedule on their own. Scheduling on their behalf can sometimes work as well, although this can require additional strategic planning. 

Look for genuine excitement. When you mention massage are they enthusiastic about the idea? “Oh my gosh, that sounds amazing!” is what you’re looking for, not a polite “Yeah sure, I guess I would go if it were free.” If you can get a more excited response by offering new socks, go with the socks. But many people are thrilled by the idea of getting a professional massage as a gift.

Talk with your massage therapist. Are they accepting new clients right now? Do they allow people to purchase massages as a gift? Do they offer the kind of massage this person needs or wants? For example, my style of bodywork aims to strike a balance between deep focused work and relaxation. If you’re looking to give a massage as a gift to someone who needs very specific injur recover work, energy work such as Reki, or accupunture, this wouldn’t be the best fit.

Plan WELL in advance if you want to make the appointment for them. Massage openings fill quickly, especially around holidays! Don’t assume that spaces will be available on a particular day just because you’ve got a month to spare.

Consider and remove obstacles. Unlike a nice sweater or a juicy novel, there can be a few barriers to someone enjoying even a gifted massage.

• Transportation and accessibility. Will you need to help them get to their massage?
• Childcare and other caregiving responsibilities. Will they be more likely to accept the gift if it’s accompanied by an offer to babysit?
• Tips, parking, and other expenses. It helps to cover the entire cost. Tips are much appreciated but never expected.
• Anxiety. Receiving a massage for the first time can be intimidating. Going together or talking about what to expect can be useful.

Massage should never come as a surprise.

Massages are great! (For many people.) Surprises are too! (For some.) But if you’re cooking up a surprise outing for a loved one, consider something else. There are a few reasons for this:

• They might not like massages at all. It’s hard to imagine if you’re a fan of massage, but some people are just not comfortable with it. Imagine being invited out for your birthday and finding out on arrival that your loved one has planned for the two of you to go get your teeth cleaned together. Not fun!
• They might have a contraindication that you don’t know about. Taking your niece for a surprise afternoon of pampering might seem like a fun idea until she tells you she’s dealing with lice or a fresh tattoo.
• They might want to prepare for a massage. Some people feel more comfortable getting a massage if they’ve dealt with their personal appearance first. Others might decide to forgo a hair or makeup appointment if they knew they would be getting a massage that day. People should be given the opportunity to prepare however they see fit.
• They might want to plan their day around the massage. Some people feel extra tired or a bit woozy after a massage. If they plan on delivering an important speech or competing in an important athletic event shortly afterwards, they might be concerned about how it would affect their performance.
• They might have a preferred massage therapist. Not all massages are the same! If they already have a relationship with a massage therapist that works best for them, they might not want a massage from someone who has a completely different style.

The solution to this? Talk about it in advance. It’s better to take some of the mystery out of a surprise and know that it’s welcome than to end up with the Worst Gift Ever trophy.

What if they love it?

This has been an awful lot of what-if-ing. What if they don’t want a massage? What if they can’t get to their massage? What if they’re just being polite, and get a massage but kind of hate it? But there’s another important possibility to consider: what if they love it?

For starters, you won’t hear anything about it from me. It doesn’t matter if the recipient is your spouse, sibling, parent, or anyone else super-close to you. If they really enjoy their massage, if it eases their pain, if it helps them to relax … you can ask them all about it. The fact that it was your gift doesn’t make a difference. Once you give that gift, it belongs to them, and their experience is just as private as though it was all their own idea. 

What if they decide to come back as my regular client? You still won’t hear it from me. If you happen to chat about it, great! (And if you’re comfortable doing so, I always appreciate it when clients share their positive experiences with others.) But while I’m always happy to chat about the latest movies, great books, or travel plans, my client list stays private. 

Don’t forget the most important gift recipient: yourself.

You can’t pour from an empty cup. Rest matters. Peace matters. Sometimes, one of the best gifts you can offer others is to take a moment away from the chaotic world, so that you can be a better spouse, parent, colleague, neighbor, or friend. Sometimes self-care can feel like a strangely radical act, but it’s a vital one. When we have good examples of people who know to care for themselves before running themselves ragged, it’s a better environment for everyone.

Request a Gift Certificate today!

Stressors come in all kinds of forms: work and school pressures, relationships, health concerns, uncertainty about the future. Even changes that are generally positive can still be incredibly stressful, like gaining a family member or starting a new business. Left unchecked, stress can lead to a host of symptoms, including headaches, disrupted sleep, nausea, irritability, lack of focus, and poor impulse control. Tips for stress management are frequently repeated and generally well-known: Get some exercise! Talk with a friend! Breathe deeply! Get a massage!

But while most of us recognize at least a few of these symptoms from stressful periods in our own lives (and if you don’t, please teach the rest of us what your secret is!), stress isn’t exclusive to the adult world. Our children experience stress too. And while parents and children can often be high up on the list of one another’s stressors, we’re generally stuck with each other. So while it’s nice to talk about individual stress-busters, ways to help the whole family manage stress at once can be a lifesaver for parents and kids (and grandparents, stepparents, aunts and uncles, godparents, siblings, friends-who-function-as-family, and 32 flavors of cousins) to tackle their stress head-on.

Create a tradition

When you think of traditions, you might think of holiday foods, first day of school photos, or the neighborhood block party that’s happened every Labor Day for the last 40 years. But traditions are, essentially, some kind of activity that is regular and predictable. It’s a fancy way of saying “routine.” If you read before going to bed? That’s a tradition. If you always make a point of yelling angrily at the Mad River when you cross it? That’s a tradition. Traditions and routines matter because they help kids (and adults) feel like the future is a little bit more predictable. So if you’re staying with friends to stay safe during a natural disaster, at least there’s still reading before bed to count on. Every bit of stability helps.

New traditions can mean formalizing something you do haphazardly anyway. If Wednesday means a trip to the library or the first day of school vacation involves eating pancakes in your pjs, that’s a tradition. Write ridiculous songs for birthdays. Start a game night. Invent a holiday. Just don’t let your traditions become a source of stress itself. If the regularity or specificity isn’t serving your family, let it go. Try something new instead.

Find a shared hobby

Getting involved in a productive hobby is often touted as a great way to manage stress, but in families that are already over-scheduled, the idea of adding more to the plate can feel overwhelming. The solution is to find something that the entire family can enjoy together, which is still a challenge. If one of you likes to play Call of Duty and the other prefers reading regency romance novels, there’s a chance one of you will like the other … but it’s not altogether likely. Better is to find something that’s new to everyone. You’re into painting and they’re all about Minecraft? Consider designing and building a treehouse together. You’ve got three super active family members and one with a bad knee? Swimming could fit the bill. Some folks in the family are aspiring globetrotters while others hate to leave the house? Borrow some international cookbooks and explore the world from the comfort of your kitchen. (There is very little more soothing than kneading dough.)

Get active together

Ah yes, the old “exercise” advice. Well, it’s here for a reason: physical activity really is good for stress management, so long as you’re doing it in a way that’s both physically and emotionally healthy. The same goes for kids of all ages, but to an even greater degree. So without creating stress about it, try to find ways to be active together. Some ideas include:

• Watching and trying some yoga and activity videos online. Check out GoNoodle for family-friendly content.
• Walking or biking for transportation. If you live in a neighborhood where you can get to the store, or the movies, or someplace else under your own power, do it! 
• Hunt for something. Geocaching is a GPS treasure hunt. Or if you’re more interested in virtual finds, play some Pokemon Go.
• Go places where being active is the fun part of being there. Hit the ice rink, skate park, or hiking trail and try things out. 
• That shared hobby idea can go for physical activity too. Train for a 5k. Take up judo. Did you know there are junior roller derby leagues? 

Keep in mind that some people thrive in a competitive environment, while others don’t. Think about that before jumping into any kind of formal sport.

Schedule downtime

Does that seem like a contradiction in terms? It’s really not. In today’s busy world, kids and adults have much of their lives planned down to the minute, and open-ended time is losing out. But downtime is critical for stress management, so the easiest solution is to formalize downtime by actually putting it on the schedule. Time for playing, reading, chilling, whatever. Children need downtime in order to deal with the stress of everyday life. Teens need downtime. You need downtime. So get that time on the calendar and plan for … absolutely nothing serious. Do whatever feels right at the time, even if that’s nothing at all.

Need some help? Family therapy is awesome.

If you feel like your family has been through some extra stressful stuff lately, or even if you just feel like you want to be doing a better job of handling stress as a family, seeing a therapist can be incredibly helpful. Family therapy isn’t exclusively for families that are dysfunctional. A professional can help provide guidance in a way that’s tailored to both the individuals in your family, and how you function as a unit. [If you have someone local to refer people to, mention them here.]

Stress is never going to go away completely. And that’s a good thing.

Situations feel stressful because they’re challenging. And challenges can be incredibly helpful in getting us to grow. A tough school or work assignment can teach you new skills, while an argument with a loved one can help you look at your preconceptions from a different perspective. It’s when stress becomes toxic that it really starts to negatively impact our lives, physically as well as mentally and emotionally. The trick is to manage your stress before it gets to that point, both for you, and for your family.

So breathe deeply. Go for a walk. Get that massage. Get your kid a massage. And remember that you’re all in this together. Even if that’s a little stressful sometimes.

Why get a massage? According to a survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association, 28% of Americans who get a massage do so for relaxation and stress reduction. That’s a lot of people in the US who feel strongly enough about their own experiences with massage for stress reduction to put their money on it. But aside from individual feelings, what exactly do we know about massage and how it relates to stress and anxiety? And what does the research have to say about that?

What is stress? What is anxiety?

Stress is your body’s response to demanding circumstances. Working late hours? You’ll experience stress. Prepping for a big competition? Definitely stressful. Toddler throwing a tantrum? That’s no doubt stressful for both of you. When you’re stressed, your blood pressure goes up, your breathing and heart rate quicken, and you feel jittery and distracted. All this is useful if your stress is a result the big race you’re running, when you can put that energy to good use. It’s less helpful if your stressor is a friend in need of patience and comfort. 

People who regularly put themselves into stressful circumstances on purpose (public speakers, for example) often learn how to channel that stress response for their own benefit, but it takes practice over time. When stress goes from being an occasional experience to a chronic condition, health problems result.

Anxiety, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily a reaction to circumstances. Most often, it’s related to anticipated future or potential stress. As with stress, anxiety isn’t necessarily an immediate health problem, although it’s unpleasant. Feeling a bit anxious about an upcoming exam, the imminent birth of a baby, or the quality of a presentation can give you a push to prepare as best you can. But anxiety becomes unhelpful when it is overwhelming, requiring you to focus all your energy on surviving your immediate feelings rather than addressing their roots. Pacing, nail biting, trembling, and vomiting are signs that anxiety is veering into unhelpful territory. Test anxiety, social anxiety, and decision anxiety are all common forms of anxiety.

Anxiety disorder is the general name given to chronic, excessive anxiety in response to everyday situations. Anxiety disorders include Generalized anxiety disorder: excessive anxiety in general.

Social anxiety disorder: anxiety disorder related to interacting with others.

Separation anxiety disorder: anxiety disorder related to separation from specific people, often parents or caregivers.

Phobias: subset of anxiety disorders characterized by persistent fear of a specific thing.

Panic disorder: anxiety disorder characterized by reoccurring panic attacks.

Many people discover that they have more than one type of anxiety disorder, or deal with anxiety combined with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, alcoholism, or substance abuse. While stress and anxiety are more general terms that you can probably identify in yourself, anxiety disorders can only be diagnosed by a physician.

What kinds of studies have been done on massage for anxiety and stress?

Stress: 

While stress levels are largely subjective, studies focused on pain, sleep, and other outcomes often find that patients report decreased stress levels as one of the major benefits they receive from massage therapy treatments. In one study on pain in acute care settings, more than half of the patients mentioned relaxation in their survey responses. One described the experience of receiving massage as “very helpful, soothing, comforting, and relaxing,” which is notable considering how stressful being hospitalized is. Improved emotional well-being and sleep were also mentioned by many patients and nurses, both of which are good indicators of stress reduction. 

Anxiety:

Most studies done on massage and anxiety have focused on specific populations. One study found significant improvement in both state (long term) and trait (immediate) anxiety in children with cancer and blood diseases who received Swedish massage. Another measured the physiological responses to stress (blood pressure and pulse) in hospitalized children and found similar results. Cardiac care patients were the focus of another study. Again, massage was shown to be helpful at reducing anxiety. Still, larger and broader studies on the matter still need to be done.

Anxiety disorders:

There have been relatively few studies on massage therapy for anxiety disorders specifically, and those that have been done have been small and generally lacking good control groups. One randomized controlled trial found that massage therapy was significantly helpful for people with generalized anxiety disorder, but no more so than thermotherapy (relaxing with hot towels placed in different locations on the body) or being in a special relaxation room with no additional treatment. This study only measured improvement over multiple weeks, and not feelings of anxiety in the short term, before and after treatments. Because this study didn’t have a no-treatment control group, they weren’t able to state whether all three were equally effective or equally ineffective. 

What does all this mean?

People regularly feel that massage helps reduce their stress and anxiety. There are also other techniques that seem to be helpful to varying degrees, depending on the situation and the person. This is helpful to know, because not everyone enjoys massage. For some, touch itself can be a source of stress and anxiety, so it’s helpful to know that there are other complementary therapies available that also create positive results.

Stress and anxiety are closely tied to pain, sleep, and other factors.

Reducing pain reduces stress levels. Reducing stress levels can also reduce pain. Improving sleep can impact both pain and stress, and vice versa. Does massage therapy work primarily through either pain or stress reduction, or does it impact both equally? This is an area for further study.

Massage therapy is a fairly safe way to manage stress and anxiety. With relatively few drug interactions and a very low chance for injury, massage therapy can be helpful to a wide variety of people dealing with stress and anxiety in different situations. From the smallest infants to athletes to people in hospice, there are few who could not benefit from massage therapy.

There is a lot more to learn. While there is a lot of research on massage for pain, massage for anxiety (and especially massage for anxiety disorders) has less research to back it up. It will take time and money before a large body of knowledge has been built up.

If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, massage therapy is worth trying. The evidence is still rolling in, but what we have is promising. Are you ready to give it a try? Book your next massage today. 

If you’re having trouble falling asleep at night maybe it’s time you consider massage therapy to help you sleep better.

The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is such an important part of our wellbeing. While some people need more sleep than others, getting too little sleep is associated with a host of medical issues, and a habit of poor sleep can lead to a decline in your overall health.

The Center for Disease Control has reported that a lack of sleep is associated with a host of medical issues:

• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Obesity
• Depression

An ongoing issue with sleep can really start to affect how you feel physically and emotionally, and grow into a larger health issue.

Massage for Better Sleep

Some research is illuminating how massage therapy can benefit people who are having difficulty sleeping. For example, one study followed several people with lower back pain and sleep disturbances. The group that received massages reported feeling less pain, with fewer depression symptoms and improved anxiety and sleep.

This study followed these adults with lower back pain and sleep disturbances for five weeks. Each of the adults chosen for the study had been experiencing lower back pain and related sleep issues for at least six months. 

One group received 30-minute massages, two times per week, and the other group received relaxation therapy sessions twice a week for 30 minutes. Each participant filled out a questionnaire at the beginning and end of the trial, and those in the massage group reported benefits in anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. They even showed improved trunk and pain flexion performance.

Slow-Stroke Back Massages for Leukemia Patients

Massage may even help those who are undergoing treatment for leukemia to ease the symptoms they are experiencing --including fatigue and sleep disorders-- when paired with their treatment regimen.

A study published in 2017 followed 60 adult acute leukemia patients and their nurses for four weeks. The patients were broken up into two groups: the control group and the intervention group. The intervention group of patients received slow-stroke back massages 3 times per week for 10 minutes at a time. Both the control group and the intervention group reported their pain, fatigue, and sleep disorder symptoms on a numeric rating scale.

Patients who received slow-stroke back massages three times per week reported feeling less pain and fatigue, and improved sleep quality over time, and even a reduction in the effects of their progressive sleep disorders.

If you are currently in treatment for leukemia or another similar medical condition, regular massages as part of your care plan may leave you feeling less exhausted, and help you get to sleep at night.

Massage and 

Sleep issues will lead you to feel fatigued. Another study followed the effects of massage therapy for patients with poor sleep quality who had also received a coronary artery bypass graft surgery. This study looked at whether massage therapy was an effective way to improve sleep quality for these patients. 

The 40 participants in the study were randomly assigned either to a control group or a massage therapy group after they had been released from the ICU. For three nights following their release from intensive care, the participants in the massage therapy group received massage therapy sessions.

Every participant in both the control group and massage therapy group were evaluated the following morning for pain in their back, chest, and shoulders, and also on fatigue and sleep. While both groups reported feeling an improvement in their back, shoulder, and chest pain over the course of the three days, the participants in the massage therapy group also reported fewer complaints of fatigue on the first two days, and more effective sleep throughout the entire study.

I know how much sleep matters, and I’m a firm believer in the benefits of massage therapy for sleep disturbances, sleep disorders, and fatigue. Let’s work together to help you experience the benefits of massage therapy, so you can sleep better at night, and wake up feeling rested, happy, and well the next morning. Contact me today, and let’s set up an appointment. 

They’re so common that the term has become synonymous with an annoyance, but what are headaches, really? And can massage therapy really help?

Different types, different causes.

Headaches are pretty easily defined, and we all know one when we feel it: it’s a pain in the head. But not all headaches are created equal.

Tension Headaches:

These are the most common type of headache, with pain occurring on both sides of the head without other symptoms. The pain can range from very mild to severe.

Migraine Headaches:

These are often pulsing and can be accompanied by nausea, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound, and hallucinations. Some people experience migraines only rarely, while other people experience them on an almost daily basis.

Cluster Headaches:

Cluster headaches are less common and are generally experienced as severe pain around one eye. “Cluster periods,” during which many headaches occur during a period of time, are interspersed with longer periods without any symptoms.

Secondary Headaches:

These headaches are not conditions themselves, but are symptoms of other conditions. These conditions can be as everyday as a sinus infection or conjunctivitis (pink-eye), or more serious, like traumatic brain injury or meningitis. While the pain from secondary headaches can be managed, it’s important to focus on getting the appropriate medical treatment for the underlying condition. 

Headaches and massage

The good: 

Tension headaches, the type of headaches people are most likely to experience, seem to respond well to massage therapy. Not only does massage seem to reduce pain in the moment, but regular massage therapy also appears to increase the amount of time between headaches for those who experience them on a chronic basis. This could be a result of helping to manage stress or underlying mechanical issues that can result in headaches, but there’s no solid science yet on precisely why massage helps, only that it does. 

More good news! It probably doesn’t surprise anyone that folks who experience regular headaches are also more likely to experience high levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. Studies have found that massage can help with these issues not just in the general population, but also specifically in people who live with chronic headaches. 

Some people with secondary headaches can also benefit from massage. People with fibromyalgia, for example, who often experience headaches as part of their condition, can experience both pain and stress relief with regular massage therapy. While massage during a flare-up of symptoms may need to be modified to be more gentle, some people find that it can provide relief both for headache as well as for pain throughout the body.

The bad:

Massage therapy is wonderful and often helpful, but it’s not a cure for headaches. While some people just need a bit of rest or a drink of water (dehydration is a surprisingly common headache cause), other people continue to experience headaches all their lives. While people who experience headaches caused by stress or muscular tension can absolutely benefit from massage, migraines triggered by things like foods or hormonal changes probably won’t see an impact.

The ugly:

There are some times when getting a massage for headaches isn’t just unhelpful, it’s actually dangerous. Most often, this is related to secondary headaches. Fevers, as an example, often cause headaches as well as achy joints that could lead someone to want to receive massage, but this not only risks overly stressing a body that’s already fighting off an infection, it also has the possibility of spreading the illness to the massage therapist and anyone else they come into contact with. Headaches resulting from a recent head, neck, or back injury could also be made worse by a well-meaning massage therapist. 

When there is the possibility of pain being caused by an illness or injury, it’s always best to seek out a physician’s opinion first. They can provide or recommend appropriate care for the issue causing the headache in the first place, and at that point you can ask them about whether it would be a good idea to receive a massage. Safe is always better than sorry!

Headaches can be a real, well, headache. But there’s help.

Sometimes a little change of environment is all that’s needed. If you have a headache and have been hunched over a computer for hours, try a stretch. A quick walk outside or a brief nap can help with a headache caused by eye strain. If you haven’t eaten or drunk anything all day, do that. It’s easy to get caught up in the business of our lives and forget to take care of our own basic needs.

For those who can take them, over the counter painkillers like ibuprofen or aspirin can be helpful in treating a headache. Sometimes caffeine is recommended as well. For stronger headaches, medications prescribed by a physician can be a lifesaver to many people, enabling them to function at work and with their families when they might otherwise have been left incapacitated.

And then there’s massage therapy, of course. It’s not a magical cure-all, but for many people, it really does help manage the pain and stress of headaches. Are you one of them? Schedule your next massage, and let’s find out together.

There are dozens upon dozens of myths out there about what leads to back pain, what you should do to prevent back pain, and what kinds of treatments may solve your back pain troubles. 

Today, I am here to tell you that you should think again about what may be causing your aches and pains and urge you to think twice about your course of treatment.

The Truth Behind Common Back Pain Myths

My goal as a massage therapist is to help relieve your pain. But what if many of the commonly suggested treatment solutions are ineffective at best? Throw out everything you know about back pain, and let’s take a look at some of these claims to see whether or not they stand up to science.

Have You Made Any of These Frequent Misconceptions About Posture and Pain?

You probably have heard that poor posture causes back pain. In fact, it’s likely that you heard it frequently from your parents when you were growing up as they were encouraging you to stand up straight. 

And chances are you’ll find lots of experts claiming this to be true on the internet as well: chiropractors and doctors, physical therapists and personal trainers, and yes, massage therapists, all telling you the importance of posture if you’re looking to avoid or alleviate back pain. 

Are all these claims really supported by facts and by experience? Should you spend time working to improve your posture if your only concern is avoiding pain and discomfort? 

Take a look at this study: In examining teenagers who had sunken chests, overly arched lower backs in their younger years, one elevated hip or a deviation of the spine from the midline of the body, none of these parameters were found to be associated with lower back pain, mid-back pain or neck pain in their later years.

Perhaps you’ve heard that an increase in the arch of the lower back during pregnancy is the cause of many women’s discomfort while expecting. However, an in-depth analysismeasuring the arch of the lower back in 12 healthy women during their first and third trimesters of pregnancy was conducted in order to discover if there was any truth to this myth by monitoring changes in the curvature of the spine.

The point of this study was to locate any direct correlation between postural changes and back pain. While back pain is a common occurrence for many women in pregnancy, these postural changes were not found to be the cause of back pain at all. 

Overall, there is little truth to the idea that poor posture can lead to back pain, just as there is no evidence to show that we can cure back pain by changing our posture. 

What You Might Not Know About Bulging Discs: Are You Aware?

Herniated discs and degenerative disc disease are both common problems that will show up on MRIs, but these structural changes may not be the actual cause of your back pain. 

While many may start to consider surgery to alleviate pain, fixing these abnormalities by going under the knife actually may not give you the reprieve you’re hoping for.

Just how frequently is pain associated with bulging or degenerated discs? In one well-known study of 98 people with no back pain symptoms, 52 percent had a herniated or bulging disc at one or more levels, the rate of which increased with age. But they did not have pain symptoms that would indicate a problem or structural change in their back. 

Why? Because “the discovery by MRI of bulges or protrusions in people with low back pain may frequently be coincidental.” 

In fact, if you examine many major joints in the body, you are bound to find something wrong with them, pain or no pain. Whether that pain be located in the pelvis and hips or in the knees, operable joint issues may not actually be the issues.

Of course, this does not mean that herniated discs or disc degeneration don’t cause pain in some people. But just remember that many people living their lives without back pain also have bulging discs. 

Working with a massage therapist to alleviate pain may be a viable option to treat your pain effectively. 

Is There a Correlation Between Core Strength and Back Pain?

Another common misconception about back pain is that having a strong core is essential to having a pain-free, healthy back. But what evidence is there to support this claim?

Numerous studies have been conducted to examine whether core strengthening exercises are the solution to lower back pain. Take a look at this study, though, which found that in individuals with little abdominal muscle strength, there was no statistically significant difference between the group that was performing core strengthening exercise and back education and the group that relied on back education alone. 

This study divided participants into two groups: a group of people with chronic lower back pain who received muscle control therapy and a second control group that received placebo-like treatment. The first group received outpatient physical therapy over the course of 12 weeks, with exercises designed to improve the function of specific muscles in the lower back. The second group receiving the placebo treatment had de-tuned ultrasonic therapy.

The results? This motor-control-focused exercise did help with muscle recovery but did nothing for back pain.

What we can learn from this is that while exercise is generally good for us, current evidence shows us that strengthening our core is not a magic cure-all that will free us from back pain. 

So What Exactly Causes Back Pain?

If posture, bulging discs and poor abdominal strength are not the causes of back pain, then what is? If you suffer from chronic back pain, it might be frustrating to hear that these perceived causes might not be the root of your back pain woes at all.

So just what is causing your back pain? Here are a few causes that might be leading you to feel pain and discomfort in your back:

Muscle strain or injury, leading to back spasms, discomfort and even weakened muscles over time. Massage can help with this. 

The large muscles in your upper back are prone to irritation, either because of a lack of strength or overuse. Massage can relieve this irritation and improve range of motion.

There are more serious causes of back pain, too. Some kinds of cancer may present as back pain and it can also be a symptom of fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis. 

When should you see a doctor about your back pain?

• There are a handful of red flags in regards to back pain. See your doctor right away if
• You have numbness or obvious weakness anywhere in your back, hips, groin or legs or incontinence. 
• You fell or had an injury that involved impact.
• Also, if you’ve had the pain for more than 3-4 weeks, it’s spreading or getting worse, or it’s affecting how you sleep, get checked out. 

Back pain is no joke. You feel it with every move, and it affects your life in all kinds of ways. 

With an accurate medical diagnosis from your healthcare provider, together we can create a healing, therapeutic massage plan to relieve your pain and get your life back on track.

Ready to see how regular sessions with a massage therapist can alleviate your back pain? Let’s get in touch today so you take the first step towards a healthier, happier spine.

The Water-Toxin Myth

You may have heard that it’s necessary to drink water after a massage because some massage therapists claim that getting a massage releases toxins directly into the bloodstream, and that the best way to flush them out is to drink plenty of water to encourage your kidneys and the rest of your digestive system to process these and remove them from your body.

It never hurts to drink plenty of water, so it can’t hurt to rehydrate after a massage session. But massages don’t flush toxins into the bloodstream, and water wouldn’t help if it did. 

There are a lot of scientific reasons why this is the case, but know that massage doesn’t liberate these environmental pollutants from cells or “squish” them into your bloodstream or excretory systems to be expelled. Again, that’s what your kidneys and digestive system are designed to do.

The Lactic Acid Myth

Another myth about massages? That massage is  a great way to release lactic acid in the muscles after a long run or hard workout. The soreness and stiffness you experience after your first run of the season actually isn’t from lactic acid building up in your muscles, it’s what’s called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). 

When you work out, it’s like pulling on a long rope - some of the fibers in your muscles may break during the workout, in what are essentially tiny microtears. Unlike pulling on a rope that loses some of its strength though, your muscles rebuild themselves and become larger and stronger.

Your muscles do create lactic acid, but this is something they do all the time, even when your body is at rest. So the idea that your muscles are sore from lactic acid buildup is false. When you exercise, your body needs fuel, and breaks down some of its stored energy to get this, becoming acidic. Lactate is just a by-product of this process that is created all the time. 

That doesn’t mean you should give up your post-run massage! There are still plenty of benefits to a good sports massage. Your massage therapist can reduce the pain and stiffness after a hard workout, which moves blood and fluid around your body, helping to heal microtrauma from your workout. 

When you heavily work out a muscle group, it loses some of its flexibility and tenses up, making it easier to tear. A thorough sports massage eases this tension. It also reduces inflammation and swelling, and lessens fatigue, gearing you up to conquer your next race, conditioning class, or sweat session.

The Truth About Toxins

Many health-minded people are seeking new ways to benefit their health and to undo some of the prior damage that poor diets, air pollutants, and bad habits can do to their bodies. With the general rise of health consciousness, there’s also been an increase in the idea of “detoxing,” or removing toxins from their bodies with diets, cleanses, and even foot pads that pull the toxins out from the soles of the feet. Some massage therapists claim that massage can help flush toxins from your body.

But what exactly are these toxins? And do these detox methods really work? In truth, there’s little scientific evidence to prove that detoxes of any kind work, and that goes for massages as well. 

While there are plenty of health benefits to massage, it’s not because of its ability to rid your body of toxins. We’re here to debunk the myth of toxins, and get down to the nitty gritty of what actually makes massage so good for you.

What are “Toxins?”

Before we jump into whether or not massages release toxins, let’s take a look at what “toxins” really are. They sound scary— definitely like something that you should try to avoid or get rid of at all costs. But toxins are just a normal part of life, and, like anything else, in small doses they are perfectly fine.

Perhaps what it is that people truly fear is not “toxins” but “poisons,” which are two very different things. Poisons are any harmful substances, but it’s important to remember here that many things in too-large doses can then be considered poison, even your daily multivitamin. 

Toxins are a kind of subset of poisons; they are poisons produced by living things. Technically, drinking scotch, getting a massage, and hard exercise all produce toxins, but these toxins are just part of how our bodies metabolize, rebuild, and process on a daily basis. In moderation and with careful attention, all are completely harmless. 

Your doctor wouldn’t recommend that you give up your exercise routine to avoid toxins, and any toxins created by massage certainly aren’t harmful either.

What most people hope to cleanse from their bodies during a massage aren’t poisons, and they aren’t toxins (which naturally occur in our bodies as part of how they function), but rather pollutants. This can be anything from smog particles and other air pollutants that we inhale, to lead, to pesticides, which are definitely harmful to our bodies when we get too much exposure. These aren’t things that we can “detox,” but they are things to avoid when you can.

No, Massages Don’t Cleanse Your Body of Toxins. And They’re Totally Safe

In truth? Your body does a pretty great job of flushing toxins all on its own. If you are in good health, your kidneys, liver, and intestines should already be doing a great job of removing toxins. Except for very rare occasions like overconsumption of drugs or alcohol, your body doesn’t need extra help detoxing. It just needs time to do what it does best.

Massage “detoxes” and other kinds of detoxes— like juice cleanses— don’t really do much to release toxins from your body. This is just a myth. In fact, many of these juice cleanses are actually just crash diets with major caloric deficits that can leave you feeling weak, sluggish, and tired. 

On the other hand, some people might fear that getting a massage, especially a deep tissue massage, might actually be toxic; that the toxins released can be harmful to your body. There is some truth to this - kind of.

If you’ve experienced an intense, deep-tissue massage that has left you feeling sore, tired, or disoriented, what you’ve actually experienced is post-massage soreness and malaise (PMSM). Excessive pressure like this can cause rhabdomyolysis, or “rhabdo,” which is the poisoning by proteins liberated from an injured muscle. This is only dangerous for extremely vulnerable patients, like the elderly or those with other health issues, especially renal issues. 

If you work with an experienced, knowledgeable massage therapist, this should never be an issue. PMSM should only cause slight discomfort as a mild side effect of a strong massage, but for most of us, there’s no need to fear these kinds of natural toxins leaving your muscles.

Other Benefits to Massage Therapy

Don’t worry. There are still plenty of reasons for regular massages, and benefits to even the occasional massage. Each massage is a great way to reduce stress and pamper yourself, sure, but there are major health perks as well. With massage, you can:

• Reduce stress hormones like cortisol
• Improve joint function and reduce pain for those with osteoarthritis
• Lessen muscle soreness after a hard workout
• Speed healing of overworked, sore muscles
• Reduce inflammation and helping the muscles’ repair process
• Lessen fibromyalgia-related pain
• Help with anxiety and insomnia
• Lessen the effects of temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ)

Massage has countless health benefits, but flushing toxins isn’t one of them. If you’re looking to remove pollutants and poisons from your life, there’s no quick fix: you have to do so with conscious lifestyle changes. Once you let go of the “myth of toxins,” though, you can let go. Enjoy your massage and relish in the many other benefits you’re receiving from your time on the table.

Myth #1:

You can’t get a massage during the first trimester of pregnancy.

This myth is based around the idea that there is an acupressure point around the ankles that can induce premature labor. Since the first three months of pregnancy are also the time of the highest risk of miscarriage, the wisdom goes, it’s best not to get a massage at all during this time.

Of course, this doesn’t take into account the fact that pregnant women regularly do al sorts of things that put pressure on the ankles. 

Like wear shoes.

And given that most people go at least a few weeks before they’re even aware that they’ve conceived, this is basically saying that anyone with the sort of working parts that could lead to pregnancy should stay away from the massage table, just in case. 

Luckily, there’s no evidence for any of this. Still, it’s a good practice to give your massage therapist a heads up if you know that you’re pregnant so that they can be prepared to make adjustments for things like loosening ligaments or a sudden sensitivity to smells.

Myth #2:

You can’t get a massage while taking painkillers.

You’re hurting, so you schedule a massage. But then you’re still hurting, so you take some ibuprofen … should that stop you?

This myth states that taking a painkiller leaves you unable to tell whether your massage is too deep, which can lead to a massage therapist injuring you accidentally. And this can be a realistic concern, especially if you’re taking strong narcotics for pain. Drug side effects like dizziness, easy bruising, and low blood pressure can also impact your massage session.

In most cases, though, this can be dealt with through open communication, rather than avoidance, especially if it’s a simple NSAID or other over-the-counter medication. When you let your massage therapist know what kinds of painkillers you’re taking, things like pressure, positioning, and duration can all be adjusted to make sure that your session is both satisfying and safe. There is no reason that painkillers and appropriate bodywork have to be mutually exclusive.

Myth #3:

You can’t get a massage while breastfeeding.

This myth is so insidious, because nobody needs a massage more than postpartum parents. The idea behind this misunderstanding is the belief that massage somehow squeezes toxins out of a person’s tissues, which are then released into the bloodstream. Since the body is “toxic” after a massage, the story goes, so is any breast milk produced at this time. The choice is between “pumping and dumping” after receiving bodywork, or avoiding massage therapy altogether until the child is weaned.

Fortunately, this isn’t even one of those half-true-but-it’s-complicated situations; it’s 100% false, no question. Normal cell byproducts are filtered by the body and are not a danger to breastmilk, massage doesn’t release toxins, and massage can improve depression, body image, and (perhaps most importantly to new parents) SLEEP. 

Myth #4:

You can’t get a massage if you weigh too little or too much.

There are so many variations of this one. Skinny people don’t have enough “meat on their bones” to get a massage, they’ll just bruise. Overweight people can’t get a “real” massage because there’s too much fat between their skin and their muscles. People without perfect bodies shouldn’t show their skin to anyone. (And so on. Blah, blah, blah.)

Big people like massage. Small people like massage. In-between people like massage. And massage therapists love providing massage to all kinds of people. It’s a perfect combination! Are there different techniques better suited to bodies with specific needs? Of course. Is weight or size a prohibitive factor? Nope. Not by a long shot. The folks who make these kinds of arguments in the name of “health” are either misinformed or just being mean. 

Massage myths aren’t usually malicious, but they can still hurt.

Who knows how many people avoid getting a massage due to some myth they heard from a source they trusted? If you’re one of them, why wait? Since you now know truth from tale, get that bodywork you’ve been dreaming and schedule your appointment today.

But what can you do if your massage isn’t quite cutting it? When your massage is “fine,” but just not what you’re needing? 

Feedback

You might feel like you’ve been shortchanged the relief you were hoping to find, whether that be because you’re eliminating stress, treating symptoms of chronic pain, or letting go of physical stiffness or pain.

Or: what if your massage is absolutely fantastic, and you’d love for every session to be just as helpful in alleviating your aches, pains, and woes? 

Perhaps you’re a runner, and a certain technique is really relieving the tension in your IT band. Isn’t that just as important to share with your massage therapist so they can continue to implement that into future massages?

I can’t stress enough how important your feedback as a client can be in order to deliver you a stellar massage every time. I never want to let a session go by without you feeling like you’ve gotten the massage you need and deserve. And the best way to get that perfect massage? Communication and feedback!

The Positives

By now you’ve probably noticed that during your massage I check in with you from time to time about all sorts of different things: the temperature of the room, the pressure I’m using, how you are feeling. 

This is because I want to know what’s working for you and what isn’t. It’s my way of opening up the line of communication so you can share what you need. So if something feels great? I’d love to know!

Learning what works for you helps me figure out exactly what your preferences are. The more communicative you are with me about what works best for your body in a session, the easier it is for me to personalize a massage to your needs and preferences. 

So when you share with me the things you like about your massage session? I know to continue to implement those techniques and provide you with the kind of massage you’re seeking.

The Not-So-Positives

Just like I want to know what feels great, I also want you to feel safe sharing what I can do better. What’s right for some people isn’t right for everyone. We all have different opinions, preferences, and feelings, and that’s what makes us unique individuals. 

And your feedback is the best way for me to discover if there are things you didn’t like so that moving forward, we can figure out together how to arrive at your perfect massage.

You are not going to hurt my feelings! In the same way that sharing what you like helps me focus your massage towards the things that work for your body, sharing what doesn’t feel comfortable to you gives me more information about what is best for you. 

How You Can Help

So what’s the best way to open up the line of communication with me, so you get the best massage for you? I want you to share.

Don’t assume I always know best: You know your own body better than anyone else, so if something is uncomfortable, tell me! While I am a trained professional, you are the foremost expert on your body and what feels right and what doesn’t. 

Yes, I know how to find specific tight or sore areas, and I know numerous techniques to release tension in those areas. But what I don’t know is exactly how you are feeling on the table.So trust yourself as the expert you are on how you are feeling, and know that it’s safe to communicate those thoughts with me!

When to Share

Start before you get on the table: You don’t have to wait until you are on the table to tell me what you need. During the first few moments of our time together, and on your intake form, you can tell me how you’re feeling. 

That lets me know where I should focus my work that day and how best to treat you. Maybe you’re sore from a long run the day before, or maybe you’re experiencing a flare-up of chronic pain. Let me know right away, and keep the communication flowing during the massage too.

Say something right away: If you’re not happy about how the massage is going, you don’t have to wait to see if things improve. No massage therapist worth their weight in salt will be offended if you ask for more pressure or less pressure, or for something else to change. In fact, we love it!

I got into the business of massage therapy to help make people’s lives better. I want to know right away if something is bothering you, because relieving pain and releasing stress is my life’s work!

Be specific: We’re a team. The more specific you are with me, the easier it is for me to figure out what you’re looking for and provide exactly the massage you’ve been wanting. 

Maybe you want me to use a little more pressure or a little less pressure. You can always say something like, “Can you deepen the pressure one or two notches? That feels better, but you can still drop one notch deeper? That’s great!” 

This lets me know exactly what you are wanting - from wanting more pressure to the exact amount, and then when things feel just right. 

The bottom line? I want your feedback, so I can provide you with the best possible massage, every single time. After all, my objective is always to make you feel as well as possible.

It’s why you’re seeking a massage, and it’s why I went into the massage therapy business in the first place!! Massage can be a major pillar of your wellness plan if you and I have a clear, open, and honest line of communication. 

It's up to you. 

I'll follow your lead.

Long Answer:

Sure, if you’d like to talk go right ahead. The important thing to remember is that this treatment is all about you relaxing and enjoying the experience. Many therapists discourage talking in hopes that you will relax, let your mind float free and enter a state of massage bliss. 

Personally, I will follow your lead. With some clients we talk throughout the entire massage session, catching up, talking about current events, chatting eachother up about new movies and TV shows etc. While other clients say little more than a single word once they are on the table. 

In many instances, people may feel more relaxed starting off talking, and as the massage progresses, enter quiet states of relaxation.

The important issue here is that there are times when you need to speak up. If the therapist is doing anything to make you uncomfortable, you should let her/him know immediately. Also, let him/her know if you get too warm or too cold, if the room is too bright, or if the pressure needs to be changed (lighter or deeper). If something is not working for you – speak up! It’s OK!

Expect Communication

Expect a lot of questions at your first massage appointment. I’ll need to know a little bit about your health history and what your goals are for that session. You will fill out a short intake form the day of your session, and that will givve me much of what I need. But feel free to check in while I'm working if something pops into your head. If you're not sure about something, we can talk through it. I've been doing this for a long time, we'll figure it out. Your clear and honest answers will help create the best massage possible for you. 

We’ll talk about why you’re coming in for a massage and what your goals are for the session. Are you having pain? Do you just need to unplug and relax?

I’ll show you the massage room and walk you through the process. We’ll decide what to prioritize and how you should lay on the table (face up or face down) before the massage.  

Expect to Dress or Undress to Your Level of Comfort

What does that mean exactly? Many people worry about having to be undressed for their massage. 

Most massage techniques are traditionally performed with the client unclothed; however, what you wear is entirely up to you. Simply put: you can leave your underwear on or take them off. If you prefer to be fully clothed, that's okay too, I jsut ask that you wear loose fitting comfortable clothings like yoga pants or sweats and a cotton shirt. I have been trained in many different sytles of massage and I will be sure to use the right combination for your particular needs. 

I’ll leave the room so you may undress, get on the massage table (it’s super-cozy), and get comfortable under the draping sheet & blanket.

Movies and TV shows always show massage clients naked on a table with just a tiny towel for draping. That’s not what real massage draping looks like! I use sheets that cover your whole body. You’ll stay covered throughout the massage, I’ll only undrape the part of your body that I am massaging right then. 

Expect More Communication

When I come back into the room, I’ll help you get comfortable with pillows or bolsters. Don’t be afraid to adjust and fidget as needed during the massage to stay cozy. 

It’s great if you can let your body relax and sink into the table. If I need to move your arms or legs, etc, I’ll do the work! This takes practice, you’ll probably try to help me. I’ll remind you if need be. Your job is to just let go and act like a lazy floppy cat. 

It’s really important for you to tell me if any massage techniques I use cause pain. Pain is not okay. There may be a certain level of discomfort and ‘good ache’ if we’re working on a problem area. It’s important that you tell me about that, too, so we can tailor the massage to be most effective without causing injury. 

I’ll check in with you as we go, but please speak up if you become too warm or too cool, if you are not comfortable on the table, or need another pillow, or if you just hate the music!

I’ll tell you when the massage is over and leave the room so you can slowly get up and dressed. 

Expect Some Final Instructions

You should expect to feel mellow and relaxed after your massage. [OR WHATEVER IS APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR WORK] We’ll talk about how you feel and I may show you some self care stretches or share some tips to keep you feeling great between appointments. We can also talk about how frequently you may want to get massage to keep on feeling great.

If we addressed pain issues, you may immediately feel a reduction in pain, or it may take a day or two before you feel that relief. 

You can make the most of your first massage by knowing what to expect and asking all the questions you like so you can feel cozy before, during and after the massage. I am available via text, email, or a phone call before and after your appointment. I'm happy to help answer any questions you have. 

See you at your first massage!

Sure, it feels great to pop in and see a massage therapist every now and then. It’s a great way to pamper yourself and relieve stress during a particularly crazy time. Self-compassion and the idea of splurging on yourself for once, otherwise known as “Treat Yo-Self,” means that it’s actually really great for you to spend a little time on self-care.

However, have you considered regular, monthly massage appointments? Besides having one day set aside each month, to treat yourself with a deep tissue tune-up, you will actually start to see some physiological effects of regular massages as well.  

Here are a few short-term, and long-term ways you may start to notice your monthly self-care trip is benefiting your health.

After Three Months of Routine Visits to Your Massage Therapist:

Lowered Anxiety and Stress Levels: Even after your first massage, you will start to notice that you feel more relaxed, which can be a major plus if you suffer from stress and anxiety. When our bodies experience stress, we tend to tense up our muscles, which leaves our bodies feeling fatigued and sore. 

Just one massage helps loosen up these muscles, increase blood flow, and lower stress and anxiety. Breast cancer patients have even reported feeling less depressed and less angry when they incorporated regular massage into their schedule.

Reduced Chronic Back Pain: If you are suffering from the debilitating problems associated with chronic back pain, you know how much it can cut into your daily routine and leave you feeling frustrated, in addition to the pain you’re already experiencing. 

A study found that after 10 weeks of regular massage, people experiencing chronic back pain felt less discomfort, and even needed fewer painkillers to manage their symptoms. Cut down on the number of trips to your medicine cabinet with regular trips to see your massage therapist.

Help with Insomnia: Massages increase your serotonin levels, which aides in your ability to fall asleep, and stay asleep. You may find yourself relying on sleeping pills to get some shuteye, which nobody wants to have to take. 

Unlike other sleep aids which can be harmful or addictive, you’ll experience no negative side effects from a massage, and you’ll find yourself able to fall asleep a little easier - especially after an evening massage.

After Six Months of Monthly Massage, You’ll Feel:

For Patients with Diabetes: If you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, regular massage could impact your blood glucose levels. Especially when massages happen at the injection or site of absorption for insulin, there have been marked improvements observed in lowered blood glucose levels.

Additionally, regular, increased blood flow as a result of your monthly massages can help with neuropathy symptoms that accompany diabetes, such as nerve pain. Make regular visits to your massage therapist to see improvements in your blood sugar levels, and feel like you’re getting seriously pampered, all at the same time.

Reduced Fibromyalgia Symptoms: Even after your first massage, if you experience the pain of fibromyalgia, you will notice decreased pain, but with regular massage, you will start to notice the following benefits as well:

• Better sleep (especially after evening sessions)Improved muscle strength and function
• Improved mental clarity (as a result of lowered stress)
• Headache relief
• Decreased stress and anxiety
• Focus for ADHD: Studies have shown that massage has been helpful in increasing focus and decreasing the stress and anxiety that can accompany ADHD.

What You’ll Feel After Twelve Months of Regular Monthly Massage:

Continued Improvements for Patients with Diabetes:

After 12 months, regular massages, especially at the insulin injection or absorption site, can help Type 2 patients not only see lowered blood glucose levels as seen after six months of massages, but actually close to normal blood glucose levels. Additionally, you may also notice a reduction in the amount of inflammation you are experiencing as well.

Lowered Blood Pressure:

A high blood pressure can leave you at risk for stroke and other major health complications, but it’s actually been proven that the relaxation or regular massage lowers your blood pressure. You can help keep your blood pressure in check, all while enjoying the rejuvenating benefits of massage, with regular sessions with a skilled massage therapist.

Additional Health Benefits:

Other ways that regular massage can help improve your overall health? With improved blood flow comes improved immunity, making you less likely to pick up to cold that might be floating around your office, or at your kids’ school. 

Are you training for a race, or spending a lot of time at the gym or in a pilates class? After an extended period of regular massages, you may also begin to notice an increased range of motion. 

Because you are repeatedly reminding your muscles to relax and repeatedly releasing tension, you may find yourself feeling a little bendier in your yoga classes. Tense muscles make it much harder to find your full range of motion, and happy, relaxed muscles support an increased range of motion.

It’s not just one day a month to splurge on pampering. Regular, monthly massages will leave you healthier and happier, and truly make a difference in your overall well-being.

That's what I'm here for; to help you feel better in your body.

It happens. At least once every winter, a client comes into my office with a fever and awful cough or sneezing, thinking that a massage is a good idea. Sigh. It’s hard to turn people away, even when I know I shouldn’t touch them. Prevention is the best option here, and that means educating my clients, so they know to cancel when they are sick.

Long Answer: Yes, please.

Massage is great. You know this. But it’s not always a great idea.

As cold and flu season approaches again, it’s important that you know when it may be necessary to cancel your appointment.

Why? 

When you are sick, your body needs rest. It’s strange to think about it this way, but receiving a massage is an active task, it is not entirely resting. Massage causes change in the body, and your body has to work to maintain stability. Getting a massage when you are sick takes attention away from infection-fighting. That’s no good.

You’re not going to be cozy on the massage table.  Sure, it sounds like a warm squishy massage table would be great. But the moment you put your already-stuffy head into that face cradle, you’ll realize the error of your ways. Gravity and pressure are not your friends here. Even if I do a great face massage to drain your sinuses, you’ll likely feel worse when you get off the table.

You could get me sick. Since most of the common winter viruses are contagious even before symptoms show up, I could pass the cooties along to more clients before I even know it’s happening.

Further, when I get sick, I have to cancel clients and take a few days off work. I work for myself, with no paid sick days to compensate for lost wages. Sure, as a responsible business owner I have a fund for these situations. But I would rather use that fund for a jetski or a fancy new oil holster. So I’m gonna try to stay germ-free this year.

So it’s a deal. You’ll cancel so as not to infect me and my massage room, and I’ll do the same for you. We’ll keep each other safe.

When to cancel

If you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea in the past 24 hours, or are still feeling funky from a recent bout of such things.

If you’ve had a fever in the past 24 hours, or fever-related symptoms. This includes chills, aches, and fatigue. Even if you’re keeping the fever down with medicine, you’re still sick. The fever counts.

If you are itchy, runny, and/or sneezy, and you’re not 100% certain it’s seasonal allergies. And even then, allergies may leave you so miserable that the hour on my table would be wasted time and money for you.

If you are coughing constantly, or just a lot.

If someone in your household is ill and you are feeling at all funky, please cancel.

There is often some gray area here, especially if you are in the recovery phase of a virus or bacterial infection.  If you’re unsure about your situation, please call me before your appointment and we can make a decision together.  I would be happy to wave the cancelation fee, believe me!

The most Frequently Asked Question in massage: Do I need to get naked?

Short answer

No. Absolutely not.

Long answer

I’ve found many massage therapists and bodyworkers say, “Undress to your level of comfort.” I think that’s way too vague. And people new to massage have no idea what that means. Heck, I’m not even sure what that means. Here’s what you need to know about clothing during a session:

First, no matter what, you’ll always be covered (draped) with a sheet and a blanket. You’ll never be left feeling exposed or chilly. When I work on an arm, I fold the sheet back and tuck it under your arm so it’s secure. (No drafts, my friends.) I follow the same protocol for the leg.

When I work on the full back, I fold the drape down at the hips. If you’re wearing underwear I’ll gently tuck the sheet around the waistband, to protect your clothes from massage oil. If you’re wearing a bra, I’ll work around it. If you’re wearing a tank top or shorts or long johns, I’ll work through it. I know plenty of very effective massage techniques that can be done over clothing. If I feel I can’t effectively treat your issue through the clothing you’ve chosen to wear, I’ll tell you, and we’ll figure out another approach.

Please know that I don’t care, and I’m not judging you. This massage is about you and it’s important you feel comfortable. For some people that means leaving some clothing on. For others, it means taking it all off. There is no right or wrong, this is your massage.

I want to make sure you are comfortable, Soif you have any questions for me, please let me know. You can call, email, text, or just bring it up at our next appointment. 

Enjoy your next massage!

Hold on. Nope. Myth alert! 

Why to Drink Water After Your Massage

It turns out that a tall glass of water does not flush toxins from your body. That’s not how any of this works. Besides, expecting a one hour massage and a couple glasses of water to negate years of bad habits is unrealistic.  

It’s true that certain cleaning chemicals when inhaled are not good for us, eating too much bread or refined sugar and carbohydrates might make you bloated, and smog is bad for the environment. But your liver and kidneys do a fantastic job of keeping you healthy, I promise.  

If toxins built up to such a degree that your body could not naturally get rid of them, you would be very, very sick and in need of medical attention. 

I don’t know exactly how the water flushes toxins myth came to be, but let’s look at it from a historical perspective.

Detoxing & Cleanses

The history of detoxing dates back as far as the 1830s and was widely popularized when John Harvey Kellogg (yes, the cereal guy) started the Battle Creek Sanatorium in 1866. Kellogg believed that things like water enemas and vegetarian diets--including corn flakes is what made us healthy. Not unlike many of the destination health spas today.

It then gained a huge resurgence in the 1970s when Stanley Burroughs wrote the book The Master Cleanse. Burroughs claimed that by depriving your body of food and consuming nothing but a mixture of water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper would purify the body.

People believed this because they would experience benefits such as increased energy, clearer thinking and even weight loss. When in reality, what was happening is they were giving their organs a break from digesting and filtering processed foods and high amounts of sugar and fat. And the weight loss they were experiencing was actually dehydration and water weight that came back once they started to consume the foods they had been avoiding. 

Finally, thanks to the multi-billion dollar diet industry the natural byproducts of metabolic waste became synonymous with toxins. 

Products offering us proof of toxins being pulled out of our feet while we sleep or bowel movements that resemble an anaconda that are responsible for our illnesses are being touted by everyone from your neighbor to big box retailers.

So if none of this stuff is true, why should you drink water after a massage? 

For starters, you’re thirsty.

Thirst is your body telling you it’s not in homeostasis and needs some balance. Humans are the only species on the planet that need to consistently take in water since we have no way to store reserves. Small sips throughout the day are much more beneficial in allowing the body to absorb water than guzzling a whole glass or two at once. 

And in case you need more, here are 5 other reasons you want to drink water (anytime, not just after a massage).

It helps maintain normal organ function - Drinking water is essential for proper organ function. Your brain is made up of 60-70% water so being even mildly dehydrated can lead to fatigue, concentration issues and even headaches. Your kidneys and liver use water to filter different minerals, nutrients and other metabolic byproducts to either be used by the body or eliminated. Your intestines use water to help “move things along.” Not drinking enough water can cause your colon to absorb too much water and lead to constipation and chronic constipation can lead to more serious health concerns.    

It can lower your blood pressure - When you are dehydrated, your blood becomes thicker and less able to move fluidly throughout your body. Thicker blood can also decrease circulation. This can cause your heart to have to pump harder and faster and less blood to be circulated into the brain which can lead to fatigue issues and headaches. So next time you have a headache, try drinking a glass or two of water before reaching for the ibuprofen.  

It protects your skin from cuts - An old Hollywood trick they use to make actors and actresses look more toned is to dehydrate them.  Dehydrated skin sticks to muscle tissue, making it thinner because it needs to stretch to cover more surface area which can also make you more prone to cuts. However, I would not go trying this any time soon. Not only is this foolish, but it is dangerous. Prolonged dehydration can also lead to more serious health complications like kidney failure, seizures, coma and death. 

It lubricates your joints - Your joints have something called synovial fluid in them (think engine oil).  It’s what makes them able to move properly through full range of motion without rubbing against one another causing friction and pain. The cartilage in your joints also contain water so being dehydrated can lead to more joint inflammation and possibly joint damage 

It helps you sleep better - Your body needs water to produce the sleep hormone melatonin. Decreased levels of melatonin can lead to a disruption in your circadian rhythm which makes it more difficult to stay asleep. 

You’re probably wondering, ok if it doesn’t flush toxins, I still need to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, right? 

Not exactly. 

The equation for how much water one should drink is a bit complex, but we often overlook the water we get through our diet.  Fruits, vegetables and other foods we eat increase our water intake incrementally. 

And we know that drinking other liquids including coffee, tea and other non-alcoholic beverages can count toward our daily water intake as long as we are cautious of additives like caffeine sugar which have other side effects. 

So the next time you feel the need to drink some water, go ahead and know that you’re doing your body good. 

 One of the more challenging parts of running a service business is deciding how to handle last-minute cancellations, missed appointments and late arrivals. I aim for a thoughtful fairness. The new policies are below. I’m usually happy to be flexible about the policies when illness or emergencies strike. No doubt, if we’re working together, you will be someone who is respectful of my time, so this won’t be an issue.

Cancellation Policy

I understand that unanticipated events happen occasionally in everyone’s life. In my desire to be effective and fair to all clients, the following policy will be honored.

Failure to cancel at least 6 hours before the start of the appointment time will result in a charge for 50% of the scheduled appointment price. 

Ideally, you’ll give me closer to 24-48 hours notice when possible. I trust your judgment and consideration. Should I need to apply the cancellation policy, you will be invoiced via email and this amount must be paid prior to your next scheduled appointment.

Late Arrivals

If you arrive late, your session may be shortened. You will be charged the full amount of the scheduled session. I will do my best to give you full time when possible. But plese understand that I have a schedule to keep. I am not able to give full time for late clients if it will cause me to run late to start my appointment with my next client. 

Thank you for your understanding. 

Pre-Session Interaction:

Now, more than ever, safety starts before an appointment. So, I will be checking in with each client to screen for the possibility of illness. 

I have updated my scheduling process to include a more detailed intake form. A health intake form must be filled out prior to each appointment. You will get a link, in your Reminder Email, to fill out the intake forms, 18 hours before your session. 

I will also check in via text message the day of, to re-confirm that you are still feeling well. And again upon arrival. 

Consent Forms:

All clients are required to sign that they acknowledge that they are aware of the risks involved and give consent to receive massage and bodywork. Because massage therapy work involves maintained touch and close physical proximity over an extended period of time, there may be an elevated risk of disease transmission, including COVID-19.

Mandatory Face Mask

Face masks are not currently required, but upon request I am happy to wear one. If this policy changes I will update this post. 

Scheduling:

Appointments will be staggered so there is no more than one client at a time. There will be a minimum of 30 minutes between clients so that there is ample time to clean and reset the room. 

Disinfecting:

• Following stringent sanitation protocols between each client is critical. I am using 1st Place Science Disinfectant (EPA-certified) on all touch surfaces; door knobs, chairs, counter spaces, massage table, face cradle, etc.
• I will open the window to allow for fresh air to circulate, at least 5 minutes between clients. 
• The space has an air purifier, that is turned on 45 minutes before the first appointment, and runs the entire day. 
• I have portioned the massage cream into individual containers, for each appointment, to cut down on chances of cross contamination. 
• I will be changing my scrubs between each and every client appointment.
• Used linens will be kept in a sealed plastic bin, to prevent any possible spread of germs. 

Personally, I do not know what it’s like to confront this pain daily. What I can do is stand up and take action, put my donation dollars toward supporting the BLM movement, and calling out situations when I see them, for what they are, focusing on action and support, rather than simply using words or hashtags that ring hollow. 

I invite you to join a conversation, express your emotions, share stories, and to begin the work required for change.

My practice exists to create a place where everyone feels welcome, a place of healing, and an escape from the stress of our daily lives. The reality is that creating a restful escape from the day-to-day in 2020 is far more challenging. With the COVID pandemic and the issue of systemic racism impacting the United States as a whole, we are tired and angry. Still, I am committed to creating a place of welcoming, of warmth, and inclusion for all.

But here’s my belief: by refusing to be on the sidelines, by standing with the Black Lives Matter Movement, and by calling out injustice when we see it, we are taking a stand for equality, and we can be a part of the solution to eradicate systemic racism.

This is only the beginning. I know that change will not happen overnight, but the brutal treatment of Black people in America must end now. If we all do our part to stand united as one, refusing to allow these incidents to go unchecked, we can push this movement forward and see real positive change. 

The further things are away from me, the more they become jsut shape and color. I get around just fine. I don’t walk into people or trashcans, well any more than the average person of course. The issue is mostly with detail stuff like facial recognition, reading street signs, address’, price tags, etc. I use a jewelers loupe (magnifying glass) to read things like labels and price tags. I use the built in accessibility features on my Mac to zoom in on my computer screen, and their text-to-speech functions to navigate emails, websites, etc. and I listen to audio books for reading some magazines and books. 

What this means for clients

My vision doesn’t ask much of clients. Sometimes I have a hard time finding a clients place the first time, as address numbers can be difficult to see. But I’ll normally just call when I arrive and ask that they come down so that I know which door I’m supposed to be at. Clients often will tell me they have set out a glass of water for me and make it a point to tell me where they have set it, as to make sure I don’t knock it over. But other than that I’m pretty self sufficient. 

I’m also totally open to any questions and curiosities that you might have. So feel free to ask. 

How often to get a massage will vary for each of us. I suggest you speak with your massage therapist about your goals and work together to come up with a plan specific to your needs. Here, I will speak in broader and more general terms to give you a basic understanding of how frequently you might want to consider receiving a massage.

The Power of Bodywork

Massage therapy can be a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen, regardless of whether you seek it for rejuvenation, therapeutic purposes, stress relief, pain management, or simply for an overall mind-blowing experience.

Benefits of Receiving Massage Regularly

• Reduces stress
• Enhances mental clarity
• Reduces anxiety
• Improves sleep quality
• Boosts the immune system
• Decreases the flow of stress hormones
• Increases circulation
• Reduces muscle soreness after exercise

Personalized Massage Plans

Your First Session: Setting Goals and Understanding Needs
During the first session with a new client, I ask a lot of questions about their lifestyle, stress levels, reasons for getting a massage, and specific goals. These answers provide a good idea of where they are, and based on what I feel in their body, we can develop a customized plan of action.

Acute Issues: Quick Fixes and Beyond
If you are dealing with an acute issue, such as waking up with a kink in the neck, a sudden low back pain, or a newly noticed ache, one session might be enough to address it. These are often spasms that need to be calmed down or muscles that have tightened, causing other muscles to react. Sometimes, however, these issues indicate a more chronic problem requiring a combination of stretches, exercises, and further massage sessions.

Chronic Issues: A Targeted Approach
For chronic issues that have persisted for a long time, a series of shorter, targeted massage appointments might be best. This could mean 60-minute massages twice a week for a month, then gradually reducing the frequency based on your progress and how you feel.

Maintenance: Staying Balanced
Some clients seek maintenance sessions once or twice a month to stay balanced and prevent tension from building up to the point of pain. As clients receive regular bodywork, they can identify how long the benefits last and customize the frequency of their sessions accordingly.

Understanding Muscle Health
The Importance of Routine Muscle Care
We often overlook our muscles until we experience sharp pain or wake up feeling stiff and sore. However, muscles are active, living tissues that need routine care to ensure overall health and wellness. Regular movement and less sitting are crucial to keeping muscle tissue fluid and pliable and joints lubricated and flexible. Adding regular massages to your health regimen can help maintain this balance.

The Power of Regular Massage

Why Regular Massages Are More Beneficial
The incredible benefits of massage are exponentially greater when taken regularly. Professionals at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami explain that the more massage you get, the greater the benefits you reap.

Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of diseases are stress-related. Nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. While eliminating anxiety and pressure altogether may be idealistic, massage can undoubtedly help manage stress, translating into better overall health.

Conclusion

Incorporating regular massages into your routine can significantly enhance your overall well-being. Discuss your goals with your massage therapist to create a plan that suits your specific needs and helps you maintain a healthy, balanced body.

6 Tips for a Better In-Home Massage Session:

1. Turn off your; cell phone,pager, tablet, laptop, two-way radio, and anything else that might *BEEP* *BUZZ* *BLEEP* *TWEET* ((VIBRATE)) or *RING*. Limiting distractions will allow you to relax more deeply, unplug from the network for an hour and a half, connect to your body, and focus your attention inward.
2. Dim the lights, draw the shades to create a more peaceful setting.
3. Check the temperature of the room. It’s better to have the room on the warmer side. Especially when it’s cold out. We can always add a blanket over the sheet, but it’s nice to have the room set to a warmer temp when receiving massage to ensure you are comfortable throughout our session.
4. Lighting candles, diffusing essential oils,or burning incense, to fill the room with a calming scent will help you zone out. This also creates a positive association between that scent you love and the relaxation of the massage.
5. Create a playlist, or relax to mine. Music is amazing at setting a mood, getting us into a zone, and allowing us to get lost in another world of sound, while we enjoy some bodywork. Another option is soundscapes (i.e. circuits on a breezy night, frogs in a rain storm etc.)
6. Have comfy clothes ready to change into after your massage. Many clients gush about how great it is to be able to slip into their PJ’s after a massage. Getting off a massage table, and into something comfy is a great way to keep that relaxed feeling, as you transition into whatever comes next.

5 Tips to Receive a Better Massage

1. Feedback

Speak up! Your feedback helps tremendously ! Check-in, and play an active role. I’ll check in with you, but you don’t need to wait for me to ask, to let me know that you’d like more/less pressure, or that “X marks the spot!” Often, I find those spots on my own, but your feedback/confirmation helps. Sometimes I can tell when i’m working a bit too deep, but not always. Again, your feedback and check-ins are not only welcome, but encouraged and appreciated.

2. 1-10 Scale

A 1-10 scale can be a great tool. Everyones scale is unique to them. Generally, a 7 is considered on-the-edge. We don’t want to work above that 7 point. Above your 7, you may notice that you’re tensing up somewhere, clenching somewhere, or just about to pull away. Those are all good signs to let your therapist know to ease up on the pressure. You’re not doing yourself any favors working beyond that 7 point. Just because you CAN take it, doesn’t mean you should.

3. Hydrate!

Staying hydrated, by drinking plenty of water, before and after your massage will help the circulation, and reduce soreness.  Drinking plenty of water will ensure that your muscles have the hydration they need, on a cellular level, to continue releasing, and enable the body to flush out waste products.

4. Shower Off

Showering off before your massage; helps your body and mind begin to relax, allows for more consistent glide when working, and above all else is hygienic!

5. Self Care

In-between massages, it’s a great idea to take a couple minutes to yourself, to gently stretch out your focus areas. As often as 3-times a day is fantastic! If you are able to fit it in 3-times a week, that’s great too! This not only helps cultivate a stronger body awareness, but ensures that the work we do has longer lasting effects, and gets you closer to being back in balance.

If you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, or sitting in the car, you might like to read this post: How to Undo the Damages of Sitting

I find that I tend to resonate with kind thoughtful people from all walks of life. My clients are fellow bodyworkers, acupuncturists, yogis, men, women, gay, lesbian, fat fit, thin, and skinny. They inhabit all areas of the color spectrum, subscribe to various schools of thought, and are as unique and special as everyone else.  

Some of my clients are busy professionals who need mobile massage to fit it into their busy calendars. Others are parents who choose to schedule some much needed me-time, to tune-in and spend 60 or 90 minutes focusing on their own well-being so that they can hold it together in all aspects of life. Some fitness junkies come in for regular massage maintenance to keep active and loose. From desk jobs to athletes, working moms to stay-at-home dads, young tech to retired, they really do run the gambit. I’d love to add you to that list! If you experience any of the Symptoms of Modern Life, I can help.

That’s the short answer. I can’t begin to reduce my clients down to checkable boxes. They are full fledged whole people with complex constitutions. 

I provide in-home massage in Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Orinda, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco. I also have 2 locations in San Francisco Union Square area if you’d prefer to get massage there. 

Receiving massage regularly, just once a month, could be exactly what you need to start feeling better in your body.

After dropping a few classes I was left with calculus and Holistic Health.  I decided on Holistic Health as a minor, and to explore other options for my major. The next semester I was taking The Psychophysiology of Healing, Intro to Chinese Medicine, Holistic Health and Human Nature, Thai Chi, and Ashtanga Yoga. I figured I’d dive into the hippy pool and see what happened. After three instances of different classmates mentioning a bodywork school, The Heartwood Institute in Garberville CA, I decided to look into it as an option. Being legally blind I knew that working with my sense of touch would be a huge advantage. The more I read about the school, the more I wanted to go. So, after finishing my second semester at SFSU, I scheduled and took a tour of Heartwood that summer, fell in love with the place and enrolled in their Holistic Health Practitioner program. 

 My year long residential program began in the summer of 2006 and was 1,025 hours, more than enough to work anywhere in the country. The school was set back in the mountains of Northern California, in Southern Humboldt County, about 20 miles outside Garberville. Being immersed in the massage culture was a big part of my success. The entire population of the school, at its peek, was only 90 people. My class had only 12 students and ended up graduating 9 by the end. That small group setting allowed for a great deal of one-on-one time with our instructors as well as with one another. I forged many lifelong friendships, learned a lot about myself, and cultivated the tools to continue learning the art of massage long after school was over. In 2007 I graduated from Heartwood and spent a month in Brazil visiting my Brazilian brother and sister, before moving to Oakland California to begin my career as a massage therapist. Over a decade later and I’m still loving what I do, learning how to do it better, and helping people feel better their bodies.

After sitting for hours on end we feel stiff. Our muscles get use to being in a shortened state and little by little they become sort of stuck that way. Then it takes a lot more effort to stretch them out and retrain them to a healthy resting length. When our muscles become stuck in a shortened state of being, we end up with headaches, things pulled out of alignment, and aches and pains all over. It’s all connected. The tight hamstrings, in the back of your legs, can pull the hips and glutes out of place, putting stress and tension on the low back and continuing to cause trouble all the way to the top of your head and the bottom of your feet. This imbalance can cause low-back pain, poor posture, aches and pains in seemingly unrelated areas, and jsut leave us feeling crumby. If you set a reminder on your phone to go off every hour to remind you that it’s time to move, you’ll be taking a big step toward your goal of being pain free.

Here’s another helpful post for self-care inbetween massage sessions: The Tennis Ball Trick

Deep tissue massage is about focused work for long-term results. It has much less to do with pressure, and more to do with technique. Yes, deep tissue work can be a much stronger pressure, but it is not always the case. A no pain, no gain mentality is common among many clients and I often find myself educating clients that just because you CAN take the pain, doesn’t mean you need to, or that it’s even good for you. Pain is our bodies way of telling us that something is wrong. Some discomfort is to be expected. But there’s a difference between pain, and therapeutic discomfort. Just because you CAN take it, doesn’t mean you SHOULD. I encourage clients to work within their own personal limits and to gage the pressure on a 1-10 scale, where 7 is a threshold. When we work within these limits there should not be any prolonged soreness. 

I typically use a combination of swedish massage techniques intermixed with deep tissue and sports massage to deliver a balanced session. The end goal for most clients is to feel relief from any tension and pain, as well as to feel more relaxed. The best way to acomplish this is to address the entire system. A full body massage that strikes a balance between deep massage and relaxation will help to calm the nervous system while releasing muscle tension.

How long should soreness last, after a massage?

Some soreness, up to 48 hours after a massage session, can be expected when we are breaking down stubborn knots and adhesions or scar tissue. If you are still sore beyond that, it’s a strong indication that we worked too deep and should redefine your threshold. Bodywork should happen within the bounderies of comfort. You should not experience pain. 

 The Massage PressureScale: 

The 1-10 massage pressure scale is a great tool for communication between you and your therapist. At any point during your massage session you can communicate that the pressure in a certain area could be a bit more or a bit less by using a number as reference. When used regularly, from session to session, this becomes an even more powerful tool, allowing you to customize each massage moment to moment. Remember that open communication and feedback is crucial to a successful working relationship with your massage therapist.  

If you’re still wondering what else massage is good for, check out: Science Backed, Health Benefits of Massage

Alleviate back pain with the tennis ball trick!
This trick is great to do once or twice a day. But even if you can fit it in a few times a week, you’ll see great results in the amount of tightness you cary around.

HOW TO:

1. Lying on the floor, place a tennis ball between your back and the floor, in the areas of tension. Making sure you’ve got it pressing into the knot, and staying away from any pressure on the spine, or other boney areas. 

2. Lean into the ball and roll it up and down along the tight spaces in your back.

3. When you find those particularly tight spots, hold the ball and relax into it until you feel the knot release. Breathing is key. Nice long breaths, about 3-5 second inhales and exhales. Holding the pressure for at least 10 breaths, or up to a minute.

You’re in control of the depth of pressure. If you’d like more, lean into it a bit more. If the pressure is a bit too much, simply ease out of it until you reach a depth that feels like it’s working for you.

For a less intense version, try leaning against a wall instead of lying on your back. For this, I suggest placing a tennis ball in a sock or stocking so that you can hold on to the other end of the stocking/sock controlling the placement of the ball. Again, leaning into the pressure and breathing to allow the muscle to expand and release. Allowing the breath to do all the work will ensure that the muscle is releasing and lengthening out.

Travel Tip:

Throw a couple of tennis balls in the car on long road trips and use by placing them between your back and the car seat to release knots while on the road. It works wonders!

I hope this trick brings you some relief. Remember, although knots will not completely go away over night, they will begin to ease and the discomfort you experience through the day will dissipate over time.

You might also like to read: How to Undo the Damages of Sitting

Receiving massage helps keep you doing the things you love. Massage is a fantastic way to re-connect to your body. Massage is a way to take time out to focus on our wellbeing, to listen to how we’re feeling right here and right now. As I begin to work with the tissue, and you begin to work with your breath, the body will open up and begin to reveal holding patterns. With a combination of techniques, customized to each individual client, I map my way through these patterns, holding on certain areas, while easing up and gliding over others, to encourage movement, release, and neurological re-mapping, to restore the body to it’s natural pain-free state. 

Pain Management 

Back Pain, shoulder Pain, Neck Pain, and pain from old injuries. These are all symptoms of our modern life. These are not our natural states of being. We spend a lot of time sitting; in cars, in front of our computers, on the sofa, and at fabulous restaurants eating amazing food, we’re sitting a LOT. This leads to a very sedentary lifestyle, and causes our bodies to feel old and broken. Many of us end up living with tension and knots for so long that we become disconnected from them until our bodies demand our attention through pulled muscles, kinks in the neck, muscle spasms, or we lose the ability to do normal day to day activities. 

Headaches

Another major issue clients come to me with is headaches. Often brought on by stressful situations, headaches can really take the wind out of your sales. Tension builds up on the muscles around the head, neck, and shoulders, causing tension headaches and migraines. It’s not normally the traffic that gives us the headache, or the interaction with that guy at the office that we try to avoid, but the combination of every little stressed that comes across our paths and the postures in which we take on to deal with them, it’s cumulative. 

Trouble Sleeping

Do you experience insomnia, An overactive mind, Restless leg Syndrome? Many of my clients report that they fall sleep much faster, and sleep more soundly after a massage. During a massage the body will release serotonin, Which is a precursor for melatonin, the chemical in your brain that helps you sleep. Aside from the boost of happy brain drugs, receiving massage regularly, also allows us to continue to make progress in releasing holding patterns, alleviating knots, and re-wiring the brain through neuromuscular cues, so that the body is in more of a relaxed/natural state of being more often. All of this adds to your ability to fall asleep faster, and sleep deeper. 

Get a massage on the calendar today and start feeling better in your body. 

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