Okay, so I am taking a Time Out from my Time Out for massage types blogging to talk a little about a group of my clients.
When I got into massage as a profession I had the idea that I would work in a day spa and work on professional men and women like myself. People who sat at desks all day and would end up with the neck kinks, and the shoulder issues and just the stress factors. So I thought, what better thing for me to do than work in a spa doing nothing but Swedish relaxation massage? In school they called those fluff and buff massages.
So I went through school and learned all about deep tissue and trigger point thinking it would be a sub-specialty I could offer. Just something I might use on a handful of clients who might need a little extra work. But I really thought the majority of my work would be on office workers looking for a little mini-vacation in the middle of their day. A fluff and buff specialist!
So imagine my surprise as my client base of athletes continues to grow. And imagine more of my surprise as I find how much I enjoy working on them. Athletes bring to the table (only a small pun intended) a real understanding and appreciation on how their bodies work. They tend to be regular clients because they know that massage helps them to recover and heal and perform better at their next competition. They also tend to share their secrets with other athletes. If they get a PR in a race, lift more than they were lifting the week before, recover from an event faster they tell people what their routine is, and they mention massage as part of that routine.
Athletes generally trend towards the deep tissue and trigger point work that I described earlier. But I also do myofascial release work and cranial sacral work and of course Swedish. What ever they need right then to help their bodies perform at the level they demand of them. And they are generally really open to suggestions from me on what work needs to be done, and what they need to do to follow up on their own aftercare.
Now selfishly, one of the things I really enjoy about my athletes is watching their bodies change and shift during their various seasons. Different muscle groups come to the forefront depending on what they are working on competition wise. Runners have different leg development depending on if they are marathon runners or sprinters. Someone who uses the rowing machine to train in the winter has different shoulder development than when they are crewing on the boat in the river during the summer. And I get to see the changes and work on the muscle groups. After studying each muscle in school, after viewing them in the cadaver videos and after feeling them on a normal body type, it's very cool for me as a therapist to see the muscle in stark relief on a client's body. I also like to think that when a client of mine does well in a competition, that I had something to do with it.
So if you are a weekend warrior or a hard core hard body, remember to add massage into your training routine. Your benefits? Quicker recovery times. Someone else to give you feedback on how your muscles are developing and potential problems or training imbalances. And it just feels good to have a massage.
See you soon!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Time Out for Chair Massage
Hello, again! I hope you have been staying cool and comfortable in the summer heat! Make sure you are drinking lots of water!
So today it's all about chair massage. Most everyone has seen a massage chair by now. They kind of look like a folding chair that wasn't unfolded quite right. You see them at the mall, at airports, at street fairs. That's really the beauty of a chair massage, it's completely portable.
Chair massage as we see it today (with the specialty massage chair) was originated by David Palmer. He was the co-creator of the first massage chair and started the first programs to teach chair massage. Now, chair massage has been around for as long as there have been chairs. If I walk up behind you and massage your shoulders while you are sitting at your desk, that's technically chair massage. But David Palmer designed the first massage chair, and the basic design hasn't changed much from what you see today. The benefit of using a massage chair rather than just a normal desk chair is better access to the full back and the ability to let the client fully relax against the sternum and arm rests for the massage.
Chair massage is done fully clothed and in smaller time increments than a full body massage. Anywhere from 10-30 minutes with 15 being pretty standard. I have a smaller intake form you would fill out then you just climb onto the chair get comfortable and relax. I can work your back, arms, neck and head very easily and can even work legs if you don't mind me stepping on you. Sounds odd, but feels pretty darn good.
The strokes are similar to what I have told you about already. It's a blending of Swedish, Deep Tissue and even Trigger Point. In fact if you are a headache sufferer a chair massage once a week to keep your neck and shoulders relaxed can work wonders. Though chair massage is quicker than a full body massage the work is usually a little deeper. This is due to the angle of the chair. I can lean into a stroke and go much deeper into the muscle belly much quicker than I could if you were flat on the table, it's all about the angles. But as with any sort of massage, the depth and pressure is up to you. Even if it's only a 15 minute break in your day, it's your 15 minute break so enjoy it fully! I usually finish off the massage with some tapotement (the rhythmic thumping) and then some quick fast strokes that are designed to re-energize you and get you ready to face the rest of your day.
Most of time with chair massage I come to you. Either your office or a gathering or a health fair. The possibilities are endless. Having a wine tasting party and want to make it just a little more special? Bridal party at the last dress fitting, or after the rehearsal? Over to the left of where you are reading there is a little slide show of pictures going on. See it? That is one of my favorite regular chair massage groups. A group of lovely ladies (they are not only clients but dear friends) would get together monthly for a potluck lunch. I would set up my chair in the living room and give 15 minute chair massages all through lunch. It was fun and relaxing!
So chair massage, it's great for a group, either in an office or a party. It's fun, it's easy and it's a nice little break in your day! See you soon!
So today it's all about chair massage. Most everyone has seen a massage chair by now. They kind of look like a folding chair that wasn't unfolded quite right. You see them at the mall, at airports, at street fairs. That's really the beauty of a chair massage, it's completely portable.
Chair massage as we see it today (with the specialty massage chair) was originated by David Palmer. He was the co-creator of the first massage chair and started the first programs to teach chair massage. Now, chair massage has been around for as long as there have been chairs. If I walk up behind you and massage your shoulders while you are sitting at your desk, that's technically chair massage. But David Palmer designed the first massage chair, and the basic design hasn't changed much from what you see today. The benefit of using a massage chair rather than just a normal desk chair is better access to the full back and the ability to let the client fully relax against the sternum and arm rests for the massage.
Chair massage is done fully clothed and in smaller time increments than a full body massage. Anywhere from 10-30 minutes with 15 being pretty standard. I have a smaller intake form you would fill out then you just climb onto the chair get comfortable and relax. I can work your back, arms, neck and head very easily and can even work legs if you don't mind me stepping on you. Sounds odd, but feels pretty darn good.
The strokes are similar to what I have told you about already. It's a blending of Swedish, Deep Tissue and even Trigger Point. In fact if you are a headache sufferer a chair massage once a week to keep your neck and shoulders relaxed can work wonders. Though chair massage is quicker than a full body massage the work is usually a little deeper. This is due to the angle of the chair. I can lean into a stroke and go much deeper into the muscle belly much quicker than I could if you were flat on the table, it's all about the angles. But as with any sort of massage, the depth and pressure is up to you. Even if it's only a 15 minute break in your day, it's your 15 minute break so enjoy it fully! I usually finish off the massage with some tapotement (the rhythmic thumping) and then some quick fast strokes that are designed to re-energize you and get you ready to face the rest of your day.
Most of time with chair massage I come to you. Either your office or a gathering or a health fair. The possibilities are endless. Having a wine tasting party and want to make it just a little more special? Bridal party at the last dress fitting, or after the rehearsal? Over to the left of where you are reading there is a little slide show of pictures going on. See it? That is one of my favorite regular chair massage groups. A group of lovely ladies (they are not only clients but dear friends) would get together monthly for a potluck lunch. I would set up my chair in the living room and give 15 minute chair massages all through lunch. It was fun and relaxing!
So chair massage, it's great for a group, either in an office or a party. It's fun, it's easy and it's a nice little break in your day! See you soon!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Time Out for Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger Point Therapy is one of the things that convinced me to become a massage therapist. I had always appreciated the relaxation and feeling of well being that comes with a good Swedish massage but had no idea how much change a massage could make in every day health.
As many of you do, I worked at a desk for 8 hours a day. I spent a large part of that time on the phone, right shoulder cocked up to my ear holding the receiver in place while I typed on my keyboard. Or with my hand on the mouse. I had no idea the damage I was doing to my body on a daily basis. One morning I woke up after sleeping on my arm wrong with serious pain in my shoulder. And it just kept getting worse and worse. After numerous trips to the doctor and then the physical therapist I got the pain to manageable through icing and Advil. And it stayed that way for a long time.
I would like to say I am the only person in the world who thinks manageable is an acceptable level for pain, but I see it time and time again. We all do it. We get to the point where it hurts just a little less, where we can function again and then we leave it at that. This is really not okay. If your body is hurting it's trying to tell you that something is wrong.
Eventually I found an acupuncturist who specialized in what she called mousing shoulder. And she did a great job. What she explained to me is that I had trigger points in my back muscles and that they were causing the pain in my shoulder and my arm. She would place the needles directly in these trigger points that that would help them to feel better. This was my basic understanding of the procedure. Now, I had no idea what a trigger point was, but what she was doing was helping more than anything anyone else had done.
After starting treatment with her I had a massage scheduled at a local spa. During the intake interview the therapist saw that I had recently received acupuncture. I explained to her why and what it was doing and she let me know that she did trigger point therapy as well and asked if I would like to try. By this time I was open for anything that would make the pain completely go away so I said sure, have at it. And have at it she did. And that day getting off the table I had full range of motion back in my arm for the first time in years! It was amazing.
So when I started school to become a therapist I was very excited to learn how to do trigger point therapy and made sure it was one of my specialty classes.
So now you are probably wondering, what exactly is trigger point therapy? First off I am going to explain (very basically) how a muscle contraction works. Here we go...
When you think of your muscles you probably think of them as a whole, your biceps, your quadriceps, your triceps, your abdominals. Now as we have talked about before what you think of as your main muscles are most often individual muscle groups. And each one of those groups breaks down further into fascicles (or bundles of muscle fibers) and then the individual muscle fibers themselves. The contracting (or working) part of the muscle fiber is called the sarcomere. And the sarcomere is made up of actin and myosin strands. The actual muscle contraction is when the actin and myosin pull together (sort of like an elastic Velcro) and then when they release the muscle relaxes. Aren't you feeling smarter already?
So...trigger points what are they? Sometimes when the actin and myosin are supposed to release, they don't. Imagine a long thread of Velcro hook and eye closures. In the middle of that strand one or two don't come unattached when they should. In our example this thread was also elastic so now to reach the two anchor spots the thread has to stretch to reach meaning there is extra strain on the strand. Now imagine a small bundle of those threads all bunching up at the same spot. The rest of the group keeps doing its job, closing the gap, opening the gap, but this little bunch stays stuck. That's a trigger point.
Trigger points are different from your normal muscle soreness in a few ways. One is that they stay sore. If you have a workout and you work your muscles in a new way you expect to be sore for a few days afterward and then you get better. With a trigger point, that soreness doesn't go away. The most defining part about a trigger point is referred pain. A trigger point in one part of your body doesn't necessarily cause issue in that part.
Remember my shoulder and arm pain? It was caused by trigger points in my back. Specifically in my serratus posterior superior, supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Or my shoulder blade area (just showing off there!) The pain from those groups of trigger points caused pain in my deltoids (top of the shoulder) and down my biceps and triceps. During physical therapy I was receiving treatment directly in those areas and it did very little good. Both my acupuncturist and my massage therapist being familiar with referred pain patterns treated a completely different area of the body and brought relief.
So treatment of trigger points, what can you expect?
Trigger point therapy is a specialty subset of deep tissue massage. It's just more targeted. The particular type of trigger point therapy I learned relies on a large amount of muscle warm up. The reason is that trigger point therapy hurts. A lot. That therapeutic pain we talked about with deep tissue? Well if you are thinking in levels of pain, that's about a 4-5 and what we are looking for in trigger point is a good solid 7. We don't hold at that 7 for long, but we really want to reach it. The more I have warmed and prepared the muscle tissue the fewer times I have to go back to that 7 for the trigger point to release.
If you are coming in for trigger point therapy we are going to talk about what hurts. What you have done for treatment in the past and how long it's been an issue. I have a great series of charts we can use together to pin point where your areas of concern are. Then we start the massage. It works the same in the beginning as Swedish or deep tissue. Just warming the tissue. Then I will look for the trigger point. There is a line along the muscle tissue where the trigger point will most like form. When I feel what I believe is the trigger point I will ask for your feedback. When I apply pressure do we replicate the symptoms you were having? For instance, if you were to press on the trigger point in the top of my shoulder blade I would feel pain in my shoulder and my elbow. Referred pain = trigger point.
So now we have a trigger point that needs treated. I am going to go over the area a few times using a variety of strokes progressively working deeper into the muscle tissue. Then I will stop and apply direct firm pressure over the trigger point. This is where you breathe deeply and we count. Know that I won't hold that spot for longer than 6-8 seconds at a time. Then I will smooth the muscle out and do some light Swedish type strokes on the muscle (I call this making nice) and we will try again. Sometimes the spot is already gone, sometimes we need to repeat one or two more times. Sometimes you will feel the trigger point release and sometimes only I do and all you feel is the lack of referred pain when I press on the area again.
When we are done with an area I will finish some more nice work to smooth and sooth the muscles and most likely do some passive stretching to get the muscle thinking about how to work properly again.
Another thing to keep in mind with trigger points is that I can help get rid of them, but if you don't change the behavior that is causing them they are going to come right back. My shoulder issue? The entire time I had the job where I spent most of the day on the phone or mousing it kept coming back. As long as I kept on treatment for it, it never got as bad as the first time, but until I stopped that abuse on my body, my body kept reminding me it wasn't a good idea to sit like that!
So treatment is a partnership. I can help you feel better and I can give you suggestions on how to stay that way, but you have to do your part as well. Drink your water, ice the area we worked on, let's make a follow up appointment and I will see you again soon!
Trigger Point Therapy. It's amazing.
As many of you do, I worked at a desk for 8 hours a day. I spent a large part of that time on the phone, right shoulder cocked up to my ear holding the receiver in place while I typed on my keyboard. Or with my hand on the mouse. I had no idea the damage I was doing to my body on a daily basis. One morning I woke up after sleeping on my arm wrong with serious pain in my shoulder. And it just kept getting worse and worse. After numerous trips to the doctor and then the physical therapist I got the pain to manageable through icing and Advil. And it stayed that way for a long time.
I would like to say I am the only person in the world who thinks manageable is an acceptable level for pain, but I see it time and time again. We all do it. We get to the point where it hurts just a little less, where we can function again and then we leave it at that. This is really not okay. If your body is hurting it's trying to tell you that something is wrong.
Eventually I found an acupuncturist who specialized in what she called mousing shoulder. And she did a great job. What she explained to me is that I had trigger points in my back muscles and that they were causing the pain in my shoulder and my arm. She would place the needles directly in these trigger points that that would help them to feel better. This was my basic understanding of the procedure. Now, I had no idea what a trigger point was, but what she was doing was helping more than anything anyone else had done.
After starting treatment with her I had a massage scheduled at a local spa. During the intake interview the therapist saw that I had recently received acupuncture. I explained to her why and what it was doing and she let me know that she did trigger point therapy as well and asked if I would like to try. By this time I was open for anything that would make the pain completely go away so I said sure, have at it. And have at it she did. And that day getting off the table I had full range of motion back in my arm for the first time in years! It was amazing.
So when I started school to become a therapist I was very excited to learn how to do trigger point therapy and made sure it was one of my specialty classes.
So now you are probably wondering, what exactly is trigger point therapy? First off I am going to explain (very basically) how a muscle contraction works. Here we go...
When you think of your muscles you probably think of them as a whole, your biceps, your quadriceps, your triceps, your abdominals. Now as we have talked about before what you think of as your main muscles are most often individual muscle groups. And each one of those groups breaks down further into fascicles (or bundles of muscle fibers) and then the individual muscle fibers themselves. The contracting (or working) part of the muscle fiber is called the sarcomere. And the sarcomere is made up of actin and myosin strands. The actual muscle contraction is when the actin and myosin pull together (sort of like an elastic Velcro) and then when they release the muscle relaxes. Aren't you feeling smarter already?
So...trigger points what are they? Sometimes when the actin and myosin are supposed to release, they don't. Imagine a long thread of Velcro hook and eye closures. In the middle of that strand one or two don't come unattached when they should. In our example this thread was also elastic so now to reach the two anchor spots the thread has to stretch to reach meaning there is extra strain on the strand. Now imagine a small bundle of those threads all bunching up at the same spot. The rest of the group keeps doing its job, closing the gap, opening the gap, but this little bunch stays stuck. That's a trigger point.
Trigger points are different from your normal muscle soreness in a few ways. One is that they stay sore. If you have a workout and you work your muscles in a new way you expect to be sore for a few days afterward and then you get better. With a trigger point, that soreness doesn't go away. The most defining part about a trigger point is referred pain. A trigger point in one part of your body doesn't necessarily cause issue in that part.
Remember my shoulder and arm pain? It was caused by trigger points in my back. Specifically in my serratus posterior superior, supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Or my shoulder blade area (just showing off there!) The pain from those groups of trigger points caused pain in my deltoids (top of the shoulder) and down my biceps and triceps. During physical therapy I was receiving treatment directly in those areas and it did very little good. Both my acupuncturist and my massage therapist being familiar with referred pain patterns treated a completely different area of the body and brought relief.
So treatment of trigger points, what can you expect?
Trigger point therapy is a specialty subset of deep tissue massage. It's just more targeted. The particular type of trigger point therapy I learned relies on a large amount of muscle warm up. The reason is that trigger point therapy hurts. A lot. That therapeutic pain we talked about with deep tissue? Well if you are thinking in levels of pain, that's about a 4-5 and what we are looking for in trigger point is a good solid 7. We don't hold at that 7 for long, but we really want to reach it. The more I have warmed and prepared the muscle tissue the fewer times I have to go back to that 7 for the trigger point to release.
If you are coming in for trigger point therapy we are going to talk about what hurts. What you have done for treatment in the past and how long it's been an issue. I have a great series of charts we can use together to pin point where your areas of concern are. Then we start the massage. It works the same in the beginning as Swedish or deep tissue. Just warming the tissue. Then I will look for the trigger point. There is a line along the muscle tissue where the trigger point will most like form. When I feel what I believe is the trigger point I will ask for your feedback. When I apply pressure do we replicate the symptoms you were having? For instance, if you were to press on the trigger point in the top of my shoulder blade I would feel pain in my shoulder and my elbow. Referred pain = trigger point.
So now we have a trigger point that needs treated. I am going to go over the area a few times using a variety of strokes progressively working deeper into the muscle tissue. Then I will stop and apply direct firm pressure over the trigger point. This is where you breathe deeply and we count. Know that I won't hold that spot for longer than 6-8 seconds at a time. Then I will smooth the muscle out and do some light Swedish type strokes on the muscle (I call this making nice) and we will try again. Sometimes the spot is already gone, sometimes we need to repeat one or two more times. Sometimes you will feel the trigger point release and sometimes only I do and all you feel is the lack of referred pain when I press on the area again.
When we are done with an area I will finish some more nice work to smooth and sooth the muscles and most likely do some passive stretching to get the muscle thinking about how to work properly again.
Another thing to keep in mind with trigger points is that I can help get rid of them, but if you don't change the behavior that is causing them they are going to come right back. My shoulder issue? The entire time I had the job where I spent most of the day on the phone or mousing it kept coming back. As long as I kept on treatment for it, it never got as bad as the first time, but until I stopped that abuse on my body, my body kept reminding me it wasn't a good idea to sit like that!
So treatment is a partnership. I can help you feel better and I can give you suggestions on how to stay that way, but you have to do your part as well. Drink your water, ice the area we worked on, let's make a follow up appointment and I will see you again soon!
Trigger Point Therapy. It's amazing.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Time Out for Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massage is the work horse of the massage world. It's also the most frequently misunderstood type of massage in my opinion. Almost every therapist will tell you they have had clients ask for deep tissue massage, or state that they only like deep tissue massage but when you question them further you end up discovering what they really wanted was a firm Swedish massage.
What's the difference you ask? Well let me tell you...
You've read the Time Out for Swedish Massage blog and now you know what a nice Swedish or classic relaxation massage is all about. In the realm of relaxation massages one of the things you as a client help to determine is the amount of pressure you like. In my intake paperwork one of the questions is what type of pressure do you prefer? Light, medium or firm. So a firm Swedish massage just means the pressure the therapist puts behind those basic strokes we talked about before. It's still all about overall relaxation.
Deep tissue, on the other hand, isn't about overall relaxation. Deep tissue is focused massage on a specific area. Athletes are prime candidates for benefiting from deep tissue massage. I believe I will stay with my previous format of walking you through a session to help you understand deep tissue a little better.
You are an athlete coming to me because your legs are spent from a long run you have had, or your arms are toast from a training cycle you are just beginning. We would go through the same basic intake process as a Swedish Massage, the difference being, before you get on the table you point out to me areas on your body where you are sore or stiff. We are also going to spend some time talking about areas to avoid. Blisters on your feet, road rash from a tumble off the bike, chaffing from your heart monitor any open wounds or bruising needs to be avoided during the massage session. Doesn't mean you can't have a massage, just means I need to know before we start.
I leave the room you disrobe and get on the table, seems familiar right? Let's say we are focusing on your legs today. This is the biggest difference between deep tissue and Swedish massage, we might not even touch your back or your arms depending on what is going on with your legs and how long it takes to work on those issues. Deep tissue is focused work. When I come back in to the room we are going to begin with your hamstrings and then move on to your calves.
The warm up work is much like Swedish massage, I am going to use some of the same strokes. The layers of tissue must all be warmed up so I can work with them. So I want to bring blood to the surface, and I want to get everything moving. I also am using this time to feel for areas that are tense, tight or congested. I want to "see" with my touch what I am working on. Sometimes people will come in complaining of hamstring tightness and we discover it's not the hamstrings at all, it's the gastrocnemius (part of the calf) or vice versa. I take the time I am warming the tissue to determine this.
Once the tissue is warmed up the work begins. And what I am going to do is lean. Deep tissue work is slow and focused and the best way to perform the work is just to lean into the tissue. Now this sounds really simple and you might think reading this that nothing is happening, but I guarantee you my clients will tell you you are wrong. The other part about deep tissue work is that it can be uncomfortable. Uncomfortable being the nice way of saying pain. It's a therapeutic pain, but it's still pain. There should never be a sharp pain, or an unbearable pain, but there will be some discomfort. It ranges from a mild pressure to a "breath deep" ache. What I am looking for is a release of tension in the muscle, basically you have a knot, I lean into it, it releases. Or for the muscle to begin to work independently again.
What do I mean by work independently? I will use the calf and the thigh as examples. You probably know that the thigh is made up mostly of the quadriceps and you might have heard triceps surae for the calf. But those aren't just words. Quad is four and tri is three. Meaning those are separate muscles that should be working independently though in co-operation with each other. What tends to happen is they get "sticky" either through dehydration, over use, or even micro tears and the muscle groups start to stick to each other instead of slide against each other as they work. In the quads this can cause your running stride to pull to the left or right, causing strain on your hips, knees and ankles. In your calf this can cause you to stay in a semi-flexed position causing fatigue and those wonderful evening leg cramps that wake you from a deep sleep.
So what I want to do is unstick them. And to do that I am going to lean. And then when I feel the tissue start to soften I am slowly going to move up the muscle still leaning into it. Sometimes I am going to use a really broad pressure, like my entire forearm, sometimes it's going to be more targeted, like an elbow or a knuckle. Sometimes I am going to add a little vibration to the lean from my other hand. But the basics are still there. Deep slow pressure until the tissue releases. Or until we get as much release as we can.
Sometimes you need more than one session to really get into an area. And sometimes the body does not want to release an area at all. Usually, that's a guarding mechanism that means something else is wrong. So if I work on an area for awhile and it won't release we will leave it alone. Either until the next session or if it is particularly troublesome until you can get to a doctor and have the area checked out for a possible underlying injury.
Now as I am leaning and moving the muscle you will feel when the group unsticks. It's an interesting feeling and hard to describe, but you will know when it happens. The next thing you will feel in the area is a tingle or a rushing feeling. This is your body sending in blood and fluids to help rehydrate and keep that area moving freely. After spending time getting the muscles to move I am going to jostle the muscle around a little then stretch it out. We want the muscles to move freely and to be happy to do so. Depending on the time we can do a few areas, legs and arms, legs and back. Back and shoulders. Or we can focus deep tissue on one area and a nice firm Swedish for the rest.
Again, it's your time and you can customize it how ever you would like. Usually with my athlete clients we focus on the area that needs the most work for half of the session and then give the rest of the body a quick touch up for the other half. Long distance runners need lower back and leg work most of all, but their shoulders and neck shouldn't be ignored. Body builders and multi-sport athletes need everything depending on their training schedules for that week. You can also book a longer session if you know you need some focused deep tissue on one area but would really like a relaxation massage as well. A 90 minute session can help you achieve both goals.
Once the massage is done and I leave the room I am going to have you spend a little time before you stand up and get dressed kind of shaking your arms and legs out. You need to let your body know where everything is again. I know it sounds a little silly, but trust me, after a deep tissue session you don't want to pop right off the table or you might end up falling right down.
Exit interview is the same, drink a LOT of water. I will recommend that you ice the area we worked on and you will promptly ignore me because no one likes to ice. :-) And if it's your first session we will talk about how you should feel over the next few days. Depending on how deeply we worked the odds are that you are going to feel a little sore the next day. It's the soreness you feel after a work out. Again, no sharp pains, just a dull yeah, that muscle got worked pain. By the second day you should feel better than you did before you came in to the studio. For some very lucky people, and my more hard core athletes, the next day soreness seems to be very little and they are feeling better right away. We can then make your next appointment and I will see you soon!
So now you know the difference between Deep Tissue and Firm Swedish. Next time we will talk about Trigger Point Therapy. Aren't you excited? ;-)
What's the difference you ask? Well let me tell you...
You've read the Time Out for Swedish Massage blog and now you know what a nice Swedish or classic relaxation massage is all about. In the realm of relaxation massages one of the things you as a client help to determine is the amount of pressure you like. In my intake paperwork one of the questions is what type of pressure do you prefer? Light, medium or firm. So a firm Swedish massage just means the pressure the therapist puts behind those basic strokes we talked about before. It's still all about overall relaxation.
Deep tissue, on the other hand, isn't about overall relaxation. Deep tissue is focused massage on a specific area. Athletes are prime candidates for benefiting from deep tissue massage. I believe I will stay with my previous format of walking you through a session to help you understand deep tissue a little better.
You are an athlete coming to me because your legs are spent from a long run you have had, or your arms are toast from a training cycle you are just beginning. We would go through the same basic intake process as a Swedish Massage, the difference being, before you get on the table you point out to me areas on your body where you are sore or stiff. We are also going to spend some time talking about areas to avoid. Blisters on your feet, road rash from a tumble off the bike, chaffing from your heart monitor any open wounds or bruising needs to be avoided during the massage session. Doesn't mean you can't have a massage, just means I need to know before we start.
I leave the room you disrobe and get on the table, seems familiar right? Let's say we are focusing on your legs today. This is the biggest difference between deep tissue and Swedish massage, we might not even touch your back or your arms depending on what is going on with your legs and how long it takes to work on those issues. Deep tissue is focused work. When I come back in to the room we are going to begin with your hamstrings and then move on to your calves.
The warm up work is much like Swedish massage, I am going to use some of the same strokes. The layers of tissue must all be warmed up so I can work with them. So I want to bring blood to the surface, and I want to get everything moving. I also am using this time to feel for areas that are tense, tight or congested. I want to "see" with my touch what I am working on. Sometimes people will come in complaining of hamstring tightness and we discover it's not the hamstrings at all, it's the gastrocnemius (part of the calf) or vice versa. I take the time I am warming the tissue to determine this.
Once the tissue is warmed up the work begins. And what I am going to do is lean. Deep tissue work is slow and focused and the best way to perform the work is just to lean into the tissue. Now this sounds really simple and you might think reading this that nothing is happening, but I guarantee you my clients will tell you you are wrong. The other part about deep tissue work is that it can be uncomfortable. Uncomfortable being the nice way of saying pain. It's a therapeutic pain, but it's still pain. There should never be a sharp pain, or an unbearable pain, but there will be some discomfort. It ranges from a mild pressure to a "breath deep" ache. What I am looking for is a release of tension in the muscle, basically you have a knot, I lean into it, it releases. Or for the muscle to begin to work independently again.
What do I mean by work independently? I will use the calf and the thigh as examples. You probably know that the thigh is made up mostly of the quadriceps and you might have heard triceps surae for the calf. But those aren't just words. Quad is four and tri is three. Meaning those are separate muscles that should be working independently though in co-operation with each other. What tends to happen is they get "sticky" either through dehydration, over use, or even micro tears and the muscle groups start to stick to each other instead of slide against each other as they work. In the quads this can cause your running stride to pull to the left or right, causing strain on your hips, knees and ankles. In your calf this can cause you to stay in a semi-flexed position causing fatigue and those wonderful evening leg cramps that wake you from a deep sleep.
So what I want to do is unstick them. And to do that I am going to lean. And then when I feel the tissue start to soften I am slowly going to move up the muscle still leaning into it. Sometimes I am going to use a really broad pressure, like my entire forearm, sometimes it's going to be more targeted, like an elbow or a knuckle. Sometimes I am going to add a little vibration to the lean from my other hand. But the basics are still there. Deep slow pressure until the tissue releases. Or until we get as much release as we can.
Sometimes you need more than one session to really get into an area. And sometimes the body does not want to release an area at all. Usually, that's a guarding mechanism that means something else is wrong. So if I work on an area for awhile and it won't release we will leave it alone. Either until the next session or if it is particularly troublesome until you can get to a doctor and have the area checked out for a possible underlying injury.
Now as I am leaning and moving the muscle you will feel when the group unsticks. It's an interesting feeling and hard to describe, but you will know when it happens. The next thing you will feel in the area is a tingle or a rushing feeling. This is your body sending in blood and fluids to help rehydrate and keep that area moving freely. After spending time getting the muscles to move I am going to jostle the muscle around a little then stretch it out. We want the muscles to move freely and to be happy to do so. Depending on the time we can do a few areas, legs and arms, legs and back. Back and shoulders. Or we can focus deep tissue on one area and a nice firm Swedish for the rest.
Again, it's your time and you can customize it how ever you would like. Usually with my athlete clients we focus on the area that needs the most work for half of the session and then give the rest of the body a quick touch up for the other half. Long distance runners need lower back and leg work most of all, but their shoulders and neck shouldn't be ignored. Body builders and multi-sport athletes need everything depending on their training schedules for that week. You can also book a longer session if you know you need some focused deep tissue on one area but would really like a relaxation massage as well. A 90 minute session can help you achieve both goals.
Once the massage is done and I leave the room I am going to have you spend a little time before you stand up and get dressed kind of shaking your arms and legs out. You need to let your body know where everything is again. I know it sounds a little silly, but trust me, after a deep tissue session you don't want to pop right off the table or you might end up falling right down.
Exit interview is the same, drink a LOT of water. I will recommend that you ice the area we worked on and you will promptly ignore me because no one likes to ice. :-) And if it's your first session we will talk about how you should feel over the next few days. Depending on how deeply we worked the odds are that you are going to feel a little sore the next day. It's the soreness you feel after a work out. Again, no sharp pains, just a dull yeah, that muscle got worked pain. By the second day you should feel better than you did before you came in to the studio. For some very lucky people, and my more hard core athletes, the next day soreness seems to be very little and they are feeling better right away. We can then make your next appointment and I will see you soon!
So now you know the difference between Deep Tissue and Firm Swedish. Next time we will talk about Trigger Point Therapy. Aren't you excited? ;-)
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Time Out for Swedish Massage
Hello again, everyone!
I am going to do a series of blogs describing the types of massage I specialize in. I am going to start with the easiest first.
When most people think about getting a massage the first image that comes to mind is a nice relaxing visit to a spa. Or that great massage they got on vacation, possibly on the beach or poolside at a resort. Most likely the type of massage that you are picturing is Swedish massage or classic massage. This is the starting point for most people.
Swedish massage consists of five basic components; long flowing strokes (effleurage), kneading strokes (petrissage), rythmic tapping (tapotment), friction and vibration. Your therapist might use any combination of these at any time depending on the type of massage you need that day.
I think the easiest way to describe Swedish massage is to walk you through a typical visit to my studio. If this is your first visit I start with the paperwork. It's not a lot that has to be filled out but it's important that it's done. This lets me know what I need to be aware of physically and what you are expecting from our session. Then I will visit with you a little bit and see how you are feeling, what you would like worked on and if you have anything you want me to be aware of. We will also discuss the type of pressure you prefer. Some people will say they want a deep tissue massage when what they are really looking for is a firm Swedish massage. In a future blog I will let you know what the difference is. If this isn't your first visit we can skip right to the visiting portion. :-)
After we get the paperwork and the expectations out of the way I will leave the room. The standard line therapists use is for you to "undress to your level of comfort" and then you will get on the table in between the sheets. It doesn't matter to me if your level of comfort is completely nude or with your underwear on. Except for the body part I am working on at that moment the rest of you will be covered at all times. After you have had time to disrobe and get on the table I will make sure you are covered and I will come back in the room.
I use either a massage oil or a massage lotion depending on your preference. For our example I will just go over the beginning of the massage. Let's start with your back. I will undrape your back (fancy word for pull the sheet down) and tuck in the sheet around your waist. Using long gliding stokes (effleurage) and a little massage oil I will begin by warming up the tissue. This is where you start to relax. The long slow strokes are designed to bring blood to the surface of the tissue and to warm the area before any deeper work is done. But what happens to the person on the table (you lucky client you) is your breathing starts to slow and starts to even out. It's a lovely phenomenon. After the tissue is warm I might move on to some friction or some kneading (petrissage) depending on what your muscles have told me.
Did you know that massage therapists are talking to your muscles as they begin the massage? Now you do. While I am warming the tissue I am feeling for any tightness or congestion or any knots that might need worked out. Often I will have clients tell me that they couldn't believe I knew just where to work. It's not magic, though I wish it were! Any trained therapist can usually tell by the way you hold yourself during the intake interview where you carry your tension. And if the intake didn't give it away, those warming strokes will.
This combination of warming strokes and then deeper work is used from head to foot on you while you relax. If you want to fall asleep, go ahead. I will wake you up when it's time to turn over. You don't have to be awake to get the benefit of the massage. In fact, if your body needs sleep then sleep and a massage will do you wonders!
During a typical hour long Swedish massage session you will have your back, legs, feet, arms, neck, shoulders and head all massaged. Each session has its own rhythm and each therapist has their own style. Odds are you will never get the same massage twice. Not even if you see the same therapist for years. One day you might need more work on your shoulders, one day on your legs. You might be having a lot of stress at work and want some extra time on your head and neck.
Each massage is customized. Each experience is uniquely your own. And since it's your own you get to call the shots. Like to chat? We will chat. Like silence? Silence is yours. I usually play either classical music or the ubiquitous adult contemporary, but you can choose that as well. In fact if you want we can plug your iPod into the dock and play your own play list. Always remember this is your time. You call the shots. I want you to enjoy your time and leave the studio feeling better than you did when you arrived.
When the massage is over, I will leave the room and give you time to get off the table and get dressed. This is still your time, so take as much or as little as you need. Stretch out and get your bearings as you sit up. Take your time. When you are dressed again I will come back in the room and talk to you about how you are feeling. I will also make sure you have water in your car, if you don't I will send you home with a bottle. This is a really important step. Drink a lot of water after your massage. This will prevent "massage hangover" the next day. We can now reschedule for your next appointment and I will see you again soon!
Now you know the basics of Swedish massage. Any questions?
I am going to do a series of blogs describing the types of massage I specialize in. I am going to start with the easiest first.
When most people think about getting a massage the first image that comes to mind is a nice relaxing visit to a spa. Or that great massage they got on vacation, possibly on the beach or poolside at a resort. Most likely the type of massage that you are picturing is Swedish massage or classic massage. This is the starting point for most people.
Swedish massage consists of five basic components; long flowing strokes (effleurage), kneading strokes (petrissage), rythmic tapping (tapotment), friction and vibration. Your therapist might use any combination of these at any time depending on the type of massage you need that day.
I think the easiest way to describe Swedish massage is to walk you through a typical visit to my studio. If this is your first visit I start with the paperwork. It's not a lot that has to be filled out but it's important that it's done. This lets me know what I need to be aware of physically and what you are expecting from our session. Then I will visit with you a little bit and see how you are feeling, what you would like worked on and if you have anything you want me to be aware of. We will also discuss the type of pressure you prefer. Some people will say they want a deep tissue massage when what they are really looking for is a firm Swedish massage. In a future blog I will let you know what the difference is. If this isn't your first visit we can skip right to the visiting portion. :-)
After we get the paperwork and the expectations out of the way I will leave the room. The standard line therapists use is for you to "undress to your level of comfort" and then you will get on the table in between the sheets. It doesn't matter to me if your level of comfort is completely nude or with your underwear on. Except for the body part I am working on at that moment the rest of you will be covered at all times. After you have had time to disrobe and get on the table I will make sure you are covered and I will come back in the room.
I use either a massage oil or a massage lotion depending on your preference. For our example I will just go over the beginning of the massage. Let's start with your back. I will undrape your back (fancy word for pull the sheet down) and tuck in the sheet around your waist. Using long gliding stokes (effleurage) and a little massage oil I will begin by warming up the tissue. This is where you start to relax. The long slow strokes are designed to bring blood to the surface of the tissue and to warm the area before any deeper work is done. But what happens to the person on the table (you lucky client you) is your breathing starts to slow and starts to even out. It's a lovely phenomenon. After the tissue is warm I might move on to some friction or some kneading (petrissage) depending on what your muscles have told me.
Did you know that massage therapists are talking to your muscles as they begin the massage? Now you do. While I am warming the tissue I am feeling for any tightness or congestion or any knots that might need worked out. Often I will have clients tell me that they couldn't believe I knew just where to work. It's not magic, though I wish it were! Any trained therapist can usually tell by the way you hold yourself during the intake interview where you carry your tension. And if the intake didn't give it away, those warming strokes will.
This combination of warming strokes and then deeper work is used from head to foot on you while you relax. If you want to fall asleep, go ahead. I will wake you up when it's time to turn over. You don't have to be awake to get the benefit of the massage. In fact, if your body needs sleep then sleep and a massage will do you wonders!
During a typical hour long Swedish massage session you will have your back, legs, feet, arms, neck, shoulders and head all massaged. Each session has its own rhythm and each therapist has their own style. Odds are you will never get the same massage twice. Not even if you see the same therapist for years. One day you might need more work on your shoulders, one day on your legs. You might be having a lot of stress at work and want some extra time on your head and neck.
Each massage is customized. Each experience is uniquely your own. And since it's your own you get to call the shots. Like to chat? We will chat. Like silence? Silence is yours. I usually play either classical music or the ubiquitous adult contemporary, but you can choose that as well. In fact if you want we can plug your iPod into the dock and play your own play list. Always remember this is your time. You call the shots. I want you to enjoy your time and leave the studio feeling better than you did when you arrived.
When the massage is over, I will leave the room and give you time to get off the table and get dressed. This is still your time, so take as much or as little as you need. Stretch out and get your bearings as you sit up. Take your time. When you are dressed again I will come back in the room and talk to you about how you are feeling. I will also make sure you have water in your car, if you don't I will send you home with a bottle. This is a really important step. Drink a lot of water after your massage. This will prevent "massage hangover" the next day. We can now reschedule for your next appointment and I will see you again soon!
Now you know the basics of Swedish massage. Any questions?
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Time Out for Dad
Bill Cosby does a wonderful joke about Dads and kids. He tells the story of how Dad teaches the boy how to play football. Brings him his first football at age 2. Teaches him how to catch, how to throw, how to tackle. Lets him loose on the high school team, the whole time Dad is in the stands cheering him on there for every game, still helping him out. He talks about how the boy goes off to college, makes a beautiful catch in the big game, national TV coverage, stands are packed, the boy runs through the defense for the game winning touchdown, the camera zooms in on his face and he beams and says..."Hi, Mom!"
Such is the fate of dear old dad. Dad works behind the scenes and Mom gets the glory. Did you know that Mother's Day is the busiest holiday for phone calls? And Father's Day? Busiest day for COLLECT phone calls. Poor dad, we remember him when we need a ride, need cash or need a jar opened. Even Father's Day isn't his own. It's always Dads and Grads in the advertising. Can you even imagine an ad for Mother's Day that would be Moms and Proms? But poor old dad has to share his special time of the year with all the graduates.
Show your Dad you remembered him this Father's Day by sending him to Time Out for a change! Come on, you know you've always wanted to.
Oh, and don't forget those Grads! ;-)
Such is the fate of dear old dad. Dad works behind the scenes and Mom gets the glory. Did you know that Mother's Day is the busiest holiday for phone calls? And Father's Day? Busiest day for COLLECT phone calls. Poor dad, we remember him when we need a ride, need cash or need a jar opened. Even Father's Day isn't his own. It's always Dads and Grads in the advertising. Can you even imagine an ad for Mother's Day that would be Moms and Proms? But poor old dad has to share his special time of the year with all the graduates.
Show your Dad you remembered him this Father's Day by sending him to Time Out for a change! Come on, you know you've always wanted to.
Oh, and don't forget those Grads! ;-)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Time Out to Breathe
Busy day? Busy week? Busy life? Take some time to breathe. Yes, you think you are breathing right now, but really Breathe. Capital B Breathe!
When clients are on the table I have them breathe deeply to help cue their bodies in to relaxing. Shallow quick breathing signals panic time to your body. Deep slow relaxed breathing means everything is okay. You are safe. Follow the wisdom in your breath. It's one of the things you can do for yourself everyday that will make an instant difference in your state of mind. There is a reason you tell someone to take a breath when they are angry. To breathe deeply when they are anxious It helps.
Try this breathing exercise. If you can, lay down the first few times you do this to get a proper feel for the technique. Put a hand on your belly and a hand on your upper chest and as you breathe in you should feel your belly expand not your chest. Now take a deep breath in, really thinking about how your lungs work, fill them completely with the breath. Take a full five seconds to fill your lungs. Then hold that breath. Try another five seconds. Then let it all out again. You got it, five seconds to fully let that breath back out. Repeat. Oh let's say...five times. Go ahead, do it right now...I'll wait for you. Now how do you feel? Can you feel yourself naturally breathing deeper now? Do this at least once a day to remind yourself to fully breathe. As you get used to the deep breathing expand the amount of time you take with each breath. Eight seconds, ten seconds. Fully inhaling and exhaling each time.
And for those of you that have a hard time unwinding to fall asleep try this tonight. After you are in bed and relaxing trying for sleep take in a full deep breath for four seconds, hold it for seven then exhale for eight. Repeat this at least 5 times. I like to imagine the day's stresses and worries leaving my body during that eight second exhale. After you are done with your deep breathing just let yourself drift, again you will naturally slow and deepen your breathing.
So relax. Take some Time Out to Breathe today.
See you soon!
When clients are on the table I have them breathe deeply to help cue their bodies in to relaxing. Shallow quick breathing signals panic time to your body. Deep slow relaxed breathing means everything is okay. You are safe. Follow the wisdom in your breath. It's one of the things you can do for yourself everyday that will make an instant difference in your state of mind. There is a reason you tell someone to take a breath when they are angry. To breathe deeply when they are anxious It helps.
Try this breathing exercise. If you can, lay down the first few times you do this to get a proper feel for the technique. Put a hand on your belly and a hand on your upper chest and as you breathe in you should feel your belly expand not your chest. Now take a deep breath in, really thinking about how your lungs work, fill them completely with the breath. Take a full five seconds to fill your lungs. Then hold that breath. Try another five seconds. Then let it all out again. You got it, five seconds to fully let that breath back out. Repeat. Oh let's say...five times. Go ahead, do it right now...I'll wait for you. Now how do you feel? Can you feel yourself naturally breathing deeper now? Do this at least once a day to remind yourself to fully breathe. As you get used to the deep breathing expand the amount of time you take with each breath. Eight seconds, ten seconds. Fully inhaling and exhaling each time.
And for those of you that have a hard time unwinding to fall asleep try this tonight. After you are in bed and relaxing trying for sleep take in a full deep breath for four seconds, hold it for seven then exhale for eight. Repeat this at least 5 times. I like to imagine the day's stresses and worries leaving my body during that eight second exhale. After you are done with your deep breathing just let yourself drift, again you will naturally slow and deepen your breathing.
So relax. Take some Time Out to Breathe today.
See you soon!
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