Let's move some stuff!

Why I love my work.

Two weeks ago a client came to me with pain in his breastbone (sternum). We knew it wasn't his heart. We suspected it was from a month-long cough he'd been unable to get rid of. I was able to get the muscles around the area to calm down but there was still.....something there. Some lumpiness.

After palpating it and talking to him, I suggested that all that coughing had jarred loose a rib and it was now slightly out of alignment where it joined his sternum. I'm no chiropractor and would never ever attempt a chiropractic adjustment.

But here's the thing: myofascial techniques don't just work on the muscles. They work on everything in that area, creating space and softening/lengthening tissue. I did some general fascial work on the center of his chest but he was still sore when he left.

The next day he told me that the rib had moved back into place overnight and he wasn't sore any more (and the lumpy place was gone).

I love my job.

CrossFit Gyms Everywhere

In the past 2 months I've noticed a sudden blossoming of CrossFit gyms across the city, specifically on/near Capitol Hill. CrossFit is very popular. I know people who participate and love it. I've seen the videos and they are impressive.

And scary. I can't speak knowledgeably about the workouts themselves (although this article does, in detail). What concerns me is the mindset. Which seems to be that (1) your body is a dumb animal to be pushed to do whatever you want, (2) pain is gain, and (3) more is always better. [No disrespect to animals -- smart or otherwise -- intended in that first point.]

That is not my experience. It's also not my philosophy of the body. Your body is brilliant beyond your imagining. The ways it regulates itself, repairs itself, and communicates with you are myriad, complex, and inspiring. The best thing you can do "to" your body is listen to it.

I can't condemn CrossFit because (1) I don't have enough experience with it myself and (2) so many are getting the results and satisfaction they seek. If that's you, I know how wonderful it can be when you've found what inspires and satisfies you.

But I will not be able to replicate the more / faster / harder / more painful mindset on my table. There are therapists who can and I'll help you find them if that's what you need.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz............

Some years ago, I was looking for ways to reclaim some control over my life, which seemed to be ruled by my eternal to-do list. I decided to try one new thing at a time and the first experiment was this:

For one month, make everything in my life secondary to getting a full night's sleep

You may jump right to "...but what about x, y, or z???"  That was my challenge too. I don't have children but I've got plenty of other responsibilities. That's why I approached this as an experiment.

It was challenging. I had a well-developed habit of skimping on sleep so I could take care of one (two, three, four....) more things. In my mind's eye, I saw myself as lazy, selfish, unprofessional, immature, and a host of other unattractive adjectives for putting something as childish as "sleep" at the top of my self-care list.

And weren't all the really interesting, accomplished, important people in the world getting by on limited sleep (or so their complaint/bragging seemed to suggest)? I reminded myself it was an experiment and struggled on.

It turned out to be a smart thing to do. I learned a few important things:

• Virtually everything in my life runs better when I've gotten a good night's sleep. Including all those to-do's and obligations I'd been tending to at the expense of my own sleep.
• A good night's sleep helped keep nascent illnesses at bay. Not all of them but it was delightfully surprising what physical maladies I could avoid (or at least reduce) by stopping when I realized they were coming on and getting some sleep.
• My world did not end, my practice did not tank, and my marriage did not fail. Turned out a lot of those Critically Important to-do's and obligations either weren't actually Critically Important or could survive being put on hold while I caught some critical zzzz's.
• My to-do list lost weight over night. What looked huge and implacable at 11 pm often looked smaller and softer (or even irrelevant) at 11 am after a good night's sleep.
• God bless a good nap. While most writers advise limiting naps to 30 minutes or less so you don't mess up your nighttime sleep, I'm one of those fortunate few who can nap for 1, 2, or even 3 hours as needed and still sleep well at night (I know, try not to hate me for this).

While researchers are still pondering exactly why we need sleep, they all agree it's absolutely critical to our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Many of us struggle with insomnia from time to time; for some it's an enduring problem. You've probably seen plenty of lists of ways to improve your sleep. And here's another one!

10 Tips To Get Better Sleep Tonight

I'm sharing it because it said a few things I haven't read before and it said them clearly and convincingly. Like most "top 10" lists, it's a quick read. So take a moment or two and see if it offers you any new, interesting, or useful insights (but, please, not in bed when you really ought to be getting some shuteye).

Massage and....colds and flu

Recent medical research indicates that massage therapy can help boost your immune system strength by increasing the activity level of the body’s natural "killer T cells,” which fight off viruses.

Studies in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine examined the effects of Swedish massage therapy on the body's hormonal response and immune function. Researchers found that participants who received Swedish massage had a significant decrease in the hormone arginine-vasopressin (which plays a role in regulating blood pressure and water retention) and concluded that Swedish massage produces measurable biological effects and may have a positive effect on the immune system.

Make sure you receive massage therapy when you're healthy—if you have flu symptoms, reschedule your massage appointment and consult your doctor.

from the American Massage Therapy Association.

Going Back To My Roots

The first modality (type of massage) you learn in massage school is Swedish massage. It's perfect for relaxation, which is its primary use. Most of us go on to learn all kinds of more technically challenging modalities and we often forgot about poor old Swedish massage. In fact, some massage therapists (not me! not me!) may have been over-heard referring to Swedish massage as "fluff and buff" and not in a complimentary sort of way.

I recently had a chance to get back in touch with my Swedish skills and I'm so grateful!

A regular client had a nervous system that was so tightly strung you could have used it for banjo strings. Between a stressful job, a tweener at home, and a medication not behaving as it normally does, the client's nervous system was in overdrive. The client hadn't slept more than a few hours in 5 days and was getting desperate.

Rather than the "advanced" techniques available to open up tissue and get things moving again, this situation called for Swedish, pure and simple. So that's what we did. Low lights, quiet music, sloooooow strokes, and a couple of extra minutes at the end of the session to not go anywhere and not do anything.

I know it worked well for the client, whose voice was several notes lower at the end of the session and who reported finally feeling appropriately tired. It also reminded me how relaxing Swedish massage is for me as the massage therapist! I was pretty darned zen at the end of it too.

Swedish massage. An oldie but a goodie.

The Long-Term Woes

I've realized over the years that I particularly enjoy working with people with long-term conditions such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, etc. I really do like helping people live well in their own bodies.

There's a large body of research that shows that keeping stress under control can keep these kinds of conditions under control as well. We all know it's all-but-impossible to have a stress-free life. Massage helps you bring the stress back down to a manageable level. In my own work, I've seen it improve balance, improve sleep, reduce soreness, and help people breathe a little more deeply and comfortably.

If you have -- or know -- someone working to live with a long-term condition, here's some of the research to back up my claims:

Research published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice showed that adults with rheumatoid arthritis may feel a decrease in pain, as well as greater grip strength and range of motion in wrists and large upper joints, after receiving regular moderate-pressure massages during a 4-week period. “This research demonstrates the potential value of massage therapy for the estimated 1.3 million Americans living with this chronic condition, with women outnumbering men 2.5 – 1.

Helmick CG., et al. Estimates of the Prevalence of Arthritis and Other Rheumatic Conditions in the United States. Arthritis & Rheumatism. 2008 January; 58:15-25.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome characterized by generalized pain,joint rigidity, intense fatigue, sleep alterations, headache, spastic colon,craniomandibular dysfunction, anxiety, and depression. This study demonstrated that massage myofascial release techniques improved pain and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. 

Castro-Sánchez, A.M., Matarán-Peñarrocha, G.A., Granero-Molina, J., Aguilera-Manrique, G., Quesada-Rubio, J.M., Moreno-Lorenzo, C. (2011). Benefits of massage-myofascial release therapy on pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011:561753.

Travelling in 2014

I will be out of the country for one month this spring. March 17 - April 18. As you can imagine, my practice will be closed. 

Some of you know that I lived in Brisbane Australia from 2010 - 2011 and loved it, just loved it. I'm finally getting a chance to go back. I'll visit friends, see places I loved, go to some places I didn't get to visit while I lived there, get back up to the Great Barrier Reef for a few days of snorkeling. I'm looking forward to it.

I promise to post pics.  J

You may be able to wait a month for me to return. You may not. If you need a referral to another massage therapist while I'm gone, let me know. I have an excellent referral list.

I'm excited about my vacation. Tell me what I can do to help you during my absence.