I don’t want to plant the seed in my client’s mind that the pain will get worse before it gets better, after a massage. Most of the time, this isn’t the case, especially when people have been receiving bodywork for a while. Yet I often mention to new clients to allow their therapy 2–3 days to 'land.' This applies to any type of bodywork, whether it be chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, etc. It is not [...]
Pain in the neck, head, or jaw can be nerve-wracking, making simple activities challenging. Activities like chewing, talking, turning your head, sleeping, concentrating, listening, being vertical without pain, or going out in daylight without sunglasses. I've met so many people who have confessed to me that they aren't fond of the idea of taking pain meds every day because of the side effects of long-term use. Not feeling certain that a night guard while sleeping is [...]
When I first started massage school, I initially thought I’d be entering the spa industry. However, before I finished my training, I discovered a therapeutic bent in my style. During my advanced training, I had to complete case studies in my practical work, observing and documenting the effects of consecutive bodywork sessions. This provided context for how massage works as a therapy. After starting my private practice, I declared that I would never work in [...]
It's not that I have an aversion to the first session with a new client...It is just that I am barely getting to know a person and their body. Tuning in to their nervous systems for the first time, only beginning to assess the situation. I do enjoy getting to know new people. It's just that, of all the bodywork we will do together, it's my least favorite. I'll explain... During the first session, we [...]
Every now and then, a new client will come in and request a really deep massage for their session. Some of them tell me, I can't go hard enough. Let me preface that manual therapists work with a wide spectrum of pain thresholds. Some clients can only handle a very light, gentle touch. While others are on the other extreme - with a much higher tolerance for pain, often accompanied by a strong desire for a [...]
What most people who receive bodywork are wanting to achieve is therapeutic beneficial change. What they expect in exchange for their resources and time invested is to feel less stress, less tense, more relaxed and have less pain. With the primary intention being to feel noticeably better (to heal); how they achieve it might look different for each person. The aim remains the same. So what really can one expect from the therapies they participate [...]
Having even the slightest understanding of how the human body functions, as we discussed in #3 - Understand Basic Human Physiology and Nutrition) is super helpful in loving and protecting your body. However, a person must also be able to walk into any health care practitioner’s office or pharmacy (heck, everywhere you go down to the gas station market) and make informed decisions. You will have to protect your body and protect your health. We must [...]
There is certainly a time and place for consuming pain-relieving drugs to alleviate headaches quickly and easily. And then there are times when the pains calls for a wiser more involved choice. When the pain is demanding you look deeper than the loudest symptoms and when more support is needed. Not just band-aid fixes or chemical blocks to mask pain. The more chronic tension and stress have been in our body, the more outside intervention we [...]
