Need a New Mattress? Try This First.

I know I am part of the minority, but I am a sleeper. I can fall asleep anywhere. I get a good 8/9 hours of sleep every night, and wake up ready to take on the world. This is why those 8am Saturday appts. are always the best ones to get!

Being that I sleep long, I know that I have to make sure I am positioned appropriately, or I will have hell to pay the next day. When we medical professionals give advice on sleeping positions, it is usually to get you into the most anatomical position.

Think about it; when you stand, there is space between your legs. So when you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your knees. This will keep that space there and relieve pressure off of your low back. Again with the knees… when you lay on your back, put that pillow under your knees, just like the bolster in a massage treatment.

If you sleep on your side and tend to have shoulder issues, try “hugging” a pillow. If you notice while you lay there, your shoulders get scrunched inward. “Hugging” a pillow will pull your shoulders back and keep you from rolling them in.

Notice how I did not mention stomach sleeping. This is because it is the worst position to sleep in. It can wreak havoc on your neck and especially the lower back/hips. I know this is comfy, so if you must, try putting a pillow under your ankles. That will at least relieve some low back pressure and prevent you from pulling your leg up and knotting up your hips.

I sleep with a pillow to move around with my knees and one next to the bed for when I roll onto my side. For my neck, I use a memory foam contour pillow. I do not like to endorse any products, but I have had success from this pillow. Before you ask, I bought it at Kohl’s on sale (of course) for less than $15.

If Only I Could Afford it Everyday......

I know wonder how often they should receive a massage. It is really particular to your goals and how aggressive you want to accomplish them.

When your session is over, I will ask if you have any questions and see how you feel. Then we can discuss together the appropriate treatment plan for you. If your goal is to alleviate chronic pain, reduce discomfort/pain from an old or recent injury, then the sessions need to be much closer together. Some people come once a week for an hour, every other week for an hour, every other week for 90 minutes, or twice a week for 30 minutes each. Again, we will have to see how your body reacts to the session to decide which is best. A one hour session per month is usually used as a maintenance plan, after the “kinks” have been worked out. If you are coming for relaxation purposes, then it is only necessary when you feel the need.

I try to get a 90 minute massage every week. I see massage as a way of living well and as healthy maintenance. Just like working out and brushing my teeth regularly, I need bodywork. In reality w/ life and scheduling, it usually ends up being every other week.

To Remove or Not To Remove, That Is The Question.

Modesty. Some have more than others. I have a lot. There are also laws regarding exposure and draping during a massage session.

When you get a massage you will be under a sheet and blanket/duvet the whole time. When I work on your arm, I will pull it out and expose your arm up to your anterior shoulder. When I work on your leg, I will remove the draping from your feet to your thigh, work on the leg, and then replace the draping to go on to the next muscle group. For those that have serious hip issues, I will expose the glutes to do some myofascial forearm lengthening. In this instance the draping will be removed from the foot to the hips on the same leg, making sure to tuck everything in and not to expose anything that shouldn’t be. Including the gluteal cleft.
So if you are wondering what to wear or not to wear during a massage session, it is simple. Do what you are comfortable with. You have the info above and can decide to leave on or take off your underwear.

As you read above, it doesn’t matter unless we discuss major hip work prior to starting the session. For women, it is of course essential to remove your upper undergarments so that I can properly work on your back and posterior shoulders. If you are ever uncomfortable, please just let your therapist know and we are always happy to do what we can to change that.

1 Step Back, 3 Steps Forward

The last entry I wrote about pain during a massage; what about after?
When your muscles are tight, the fibers are shorter b/c some of the fibers are stuck in constant contracture. When this happens, the muscles are not able to function at its maximum capacity. That is when other muscles come in to help out and compensate. After you get a massage that loosens thing up, your muscles let go and therefore elongate. At this stage, your body has to what I like to call reorganize. The tight muscles let the other ones know they don’t need help anymore and move towards functioning on their own. At this time, some people experience a little bit of pain or discomfort. It can happen the next day or right when you stand up from the table. This is why I always encourage you to take a moment before getting up, when you do, act very slowly.
Another reason is inflammation. Many times my clients come in with tightness and discomfort due to overworked muscles. Since I am predominately a NMT, my sessions can pretty deep and intense. This can cause some inflammation after the massage as well. If you tell me that you tend to get sore afterwards, I can apply Biofreeze (a topical anti-inflammatory gel) after I am finished with a particular muscle group. Also, taking Advil or the like afterwards helps. It is important to not take pain medicine prior to the massage, as your nociceptors are not acting as they should and will not be able to give me appropriate pressure feedback. And the number 1 thing you can do to help prevent soreness….. Make sure you drink plenty of water before and after your massage!

Music

Speaking of speaking; or not….. What do I do for a whole hour if we are not talking?!?
Well, one thing is to relax and listen to the music. Music is such an important part of your massage session. It can totally affect and alter your mood at any given moment. Like I said before, this is your massage not mine. If you do not like the music I have playing, tell me. I have about 10 different playlists on my IPod that contain any genre of relaxing music you can think of. If you have a preference for a composer or genre, tell me, I most likely have it. Also, I can fit any size IPod in my speaker system, so I am more than happy to plug yours in! My office has a CD player as well, so if you have a favorite album, please feel free to bring it if you want to listen to that during your session.

It's my party and I will talk if I want to.

Every once and awhile someone asks me if it is alright to talk during the massage. I say it is your massage, talk if you want. If it makes you more comfortable chit-chatting in the beginning then tapering off, please do. If you want silence, that works too.
When you come in for an appt, I will ask how you are etc, and I really do want to know. I am an incredibly friendly person and am happy to hear about what is going on with you and your life if you feel like sharing. However, once we get on the table….. I WILL NOT TALK TO YOU UNLESS YOU TALK FIRST AND IT REQUIRES A RESPONSE. Of course, I will need to ask about pressure a few times, but that only requires 1 sentence by me and a few words by you.
So please do not feel obligated to talk to me or to remain in absolute silence. It is your massage and your time, speak if you must…

No Pain No Gain

One of my all-time favorite bands is U2. A very powerful line from Mysterious Ways is “To touch is to heal, to hurt is to steal…”
“If it doesn’t hurt, I feel like it is not really doing anything.”
“The pressure is perfect.”
“No pain, no gain, right?”
WRONG
A huge misconception with massage is that it has to hurt. It doesn’t have to hurt, but it can hurt in a good way. Let me explain. ;)
I like to call it ‘exquisite pain’. This is what we feel when a therapist is working out a particular stubborn “knot”. It is kinda painful, but not really, it feels oh so good, and just a liiiiitle bit longer and it will all be gone; the pressure as well as the discomfort from before. If you regularly receive deep tissue or neuromuscular massage, you are used to this and know what I am talking about. Like everything in life, there are levels. It is OK to feel a bit of discomfort, but I do not want you uncomfortable on my table. I have various levels of deep pressure that work at different speeds. I can easily adjust my technique so that you can get deep therapeutic work without hurting. If it just plain hurts, you will mostly likely get anxious and tense up. When this happens, your muscles will tighten up and I am not getting any work accomplished. It is counterproductive.
I don’t normally look at a client while I massage them, but if I am working on a Trigger Point, I will look down to make sure you are still breathing and not wincing. The first I can easily remind you to keep taking deep breathes. The latter, I will back off slightly until your face looks serene again. At this point, the client will sigh or take a deep breath and I know we are back to working together.
There is nothing wrong with asking, me to adjust pressure at any time during your session. I am there 100% for you and am more than happy to adjust the pressure for you; after all it is your massage! Even if you would like it adjusted form one muscle group to the next, which is fine. I’d rather you let me know then be disappointed later.

I have also had a few men ask what level of pressure I am using comparatively. It is not more masculine if you can take more pressure, especially since women can take much more pressure than any male counterpart!

More H2O

This is my first blog and I am very excited to get back into writing. What better way than to communicate with my clients and others searching for answers.

If you have ever had an appt. with me you know that I strongly urge you to drink plenty of water after your session. I see some of you gulping down your glass before you leave, while others roll their eyes at me like I am their nagging mother. Either response is fine, as long as 2-3 extra glasses on top of what you normally drink is imbibed.

Many massage therapists explain that “it flushes out the toxins”. What the heck are toxins and doesn’t my body naturally do that anyways? Your body does flush out the “toxins” on its own, but there are other forces at work during a massage. Number 1, your circulatory system is being amped up regardless of what technique you are receiving. Keeping this in mind, know that your blood is carrying more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles as well as taking away excess lactic acid and other cellular waste products. On another level, the “gunk” in your body is moving faster, hopefully to metabolize as waste. This includes all the chemicals in your food and the pollution in the air. Keeping hydrated helps your body cope with all of this…

On a side note: beer, wine, and anything alcoholic does not count. I have been asked this many times, mostly in jest. Alcohol dehydrates the body which is the exact opposite of what we are trying to accomplish. It has been noted that receiving a massage prior to drinking alcohol can increase its effects. This why it is best to have someone else drive if you are going to go out and have a few glasses the day of a massage.

So going back to what I always say, “Please remember to drink plenty of water today.”