Pain is necessary. It alerts your body to injury, illness, and infection. But untreated can lead to loss of motion and more pain. So, understanding the pain cycle can help you take control of managing your pain. The Creation of the Pain Cycle Let’s assume you sustain an injury. The initial pain you feel is…
Also known as lymphatic edema, lymphedema is a condition that is more common than many people think. Certain forms of this condition affect as many as one in every 6,000 people. The good news is that there are a number of ways to treat this condition and provide some relief to those who live with…
Michael Phelps made cupping known and popular to the world. I’m sure everyone knows what it is now. But if you don’t, I’ll explain. This year I got cupped because of some trouble I was having with my right shoulder. I must admit I was skeptical. Surprisingly, it felt good and loosened up the joint.…
I became interested in Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) after seeing the benefits clients received from it after just one session. So I had it done on myself and became a believer too. That’s when I began learning about the application of the technique and it’s usefulness. A combination of hands-on massage with IASTM is…
“The definition of insanity is to continually do the same thing over and over expecting a different result” – Albert Einstein A Massage Therapist Perspective Hi All. I’m a big fan of exercising. Exercising includes everything from yoga to weight-lifting to running marathons. However, I’m not a big fan of continuing to exercise through an injury…
Remember the boring stretches we did in high school? Well guess what? Those stretches can really benefit us now as adults. Who knew? Our P.E. teacher did that’s who. In all seriousness, taking 5-10 minutes out of our day to do stretches like these can really help us in the long run. Just follow the…
Drink Water Regularly, it does a body good! Every day, clients ask me all sorts of questions, most commonly: Is that normal for my muscles to be so tight? Why do I constantly feel sore here? Why do I always feel bloated? Why is there so much tightness around my joints? Why won’t this swelling…
Health Insurance and Massage Therapy I have been a massage therapist for quite some time now. I’ve looked into different ways to market my services, which includes telling customers that I accept and bill health insurance. I tried this on and off for about three years before I finally called it quits. Working with insurance…
The Almighty Foot Massages When I go for a massage, I often tac on an extra 30 minutes specifically for a foot massage. I sometimes just go in for a 30 or 60 minute foot massage! A proper foot massage is AWESOME. Here is why. Why Foot Massages Matter You may be scratching your head…
What Are Knots? A knot, otherwise known as a trigger point or a myofascial trigger point, is a sensitive spot in muscle tissue that makes certain movements irritating or annoying. Try not to think of a knot as a “knot” in the traditional sense. They are not muscles wrapping around each other to form a…