December 29, 2014

Go Easy on Yourself, a Wave of Research Urges

"Do you treat yourself as well as you treat your friends and family?
That simple question is the basis for a burgeoning new area of psychological research called self-compassion — how kindly people view themselves. People who find it easy to be supportive and understanding to others, it turns out, often score surprisingly low on self-compassion tests, berating themselves for perceived failures like being overweight or not exercising.
The research suggests that giving ourselves a break and accepting our imperfections may be the first step toward better health. People who score high on tests of self-compassion have less depression and anxiety, and tend to be happier and more optimistic." 
Full article here: http://nyti.ms/1vD3uWD
By , New York Times

November 29, 2014

Gift Certificates Available Online!

Just in time to take the stress out of your Holiday shopping - Mending Hands now has Gift Certificates available for purchase online! 

Whether you want to get all of your gifting done while cozied up to your morning coffee or you remembered that special person who could use a massage the night before the big event - you can give the gift of relaxation at your convenience! 

Online Gift Certificates here: http://bit.ly/1Bg78gH


You can review the Mending Hands list of Services here: http://bit.ly/bD506f

September 27, 2014

Study Shows Massage Therapy Improves Blood Flow in Aching Muscles

Contributed by Jolie Haun, PhD EdS LMT, Pualani Gillespie, MS RN LMT, Beth Barberree, BA RMT

It is a natural tendency to rub the injured area when someone has overexerted a muscle. This stress on the muscle tissue and related injuries is known as "exertion induced muscle injury." Individuals often seek massage therapy to relieve the soreness in these muscles. For example, this is a basic concept of sports massage, as athletes have a tendency to over exert themselves and often experience much relief from receiving massage therapy.

The Massage Therapy Foundation and the massage therapy profession have a great deal of interest in understanding the mechanisms of muscular injury phenomena, and the role of massage therapy in improving function and recovery. In fact, the Foundation recently supported the work of a group of researchers, Franklin and colleagues, to examine the role of vascular endothelial function in exercise-induced muscle injury and recovery supported by massage therapy. The purpose of this study was to: investigate the mechanisms of systemic endothelial dysfunction of the brachial artery, which develops after exercise-induced muscle injury of the lower extremities; and determine if treatment of the lower extremities with massage therapy reduces endothelial dysfunction. The authors hypothesized that a massage therapy treatment performed after exposure to exercise-induced muscle injury would protect against impaired endothelial function.

FULL article HERE:

August 29, 2014

Massage Efficacy Beliefs for Muscle Recovery from a Running Race

By Albert Moraska, PhD in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork

Abstract
Background: Belief in efficacy of CAM therapies has been sparsely reported and may be different than reported use of the therapy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify efficacy beliefs of massage for muscle recovery following a 10-km running race.

Setting: Finish zone of a 10-km race.

Research Design: Participants completed a brief survey regarding running race characteristics, prior use of massage, and belief in efficacy of massage regarding muscle recovery from the race.

Participants: The subject pool consisted of 745 individuals who completed a running race and were within 60 minutes of race completion.

Main Outcome Measures: Subjects reported demographic information (age, gender), race information (finish time, perceived exertion, muscle soreness, fatigue), prior use of massage, and belief regarding efficacy of massage for postrace muscle recovery.

Results: Most study participants believed that massage would benefit muscle recovery following the running race (80.0%), even though only 43.9% had received a massage previously. Those who had received at least one massage were significantly more likely to believe that massage would benefit muscle recovery (91.9% vs. 70.4%, p < .001). Females were more likely than males to have had a massage (52.3% vs. 36.0%, p < .001) and to believe it would benefit recovery (83.1% vs. 77.1%, p = .046).

Conclusions: Massage is well-accepted as a muscle recovery aid following a running race, but females and those who have used massage were significantly more likely to perceive it as advantageous. Belief in a therapeutic value of massage for muscle recovery exceeds its reported use.



July 27, 2014

Taking a Break to Rejuvenate!

It's always good to practice what you preach! That being said, Mending Hands Massage Therapy will be closed from August 21st  - 30th,  2014. If you know you want a session before that time, or would like to secure a session following the break - let's get a time secured now! 

Please contact melissa@mendinghands.com

Availability reference calendar here: http://bit.ly/1lACUrD

All appointment requests made between August 21st  - 30th will be addressed in the order in which they are received. Therefore, it might be a good idea to send along a few options that would work for you -  to ensure we get you on the schedule for your massage!

July 06, 2014

Regimens: Massage Benefits Are More Than Skin Deep

Does a good massage do more than just relax your muscles? To find out, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles recruited 53 healthy adults and randomly assigned 29 of them to a 45-minute session of deep-tissue Swedish massage and the other 24 to a session of light massage.
All of the subjects were fitted with intravenous catheters so blood samples could be taken immediately before the massage and up to an hour afterward.
To their surprise, the researchers, sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health, found that a single session of massage caused biological changes.
Volunteers who received Swedish massage experienced significant decreases in levels of the stress hormone cortisol in blood and saliva, and in arginine vasopressin, a hormone that can lead to increases in cortisol. They also had increases in the number of lymphocytes, white blood cells that are part of the immune system.
Volunteers who had the light massage experienced greater increases in oxytocin, a hormone associated with contentment, than the Swedish massage group, and bigger decreases in adrenal corticotropin hormone, which stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol.
The study was published online in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
The lead author, Dr. Mark Hyman Rapaport, chairman of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai, said the findings were “very, very intriguing and very, very exciting — and I’m a skeptic.”
First seen HERE

June 28, 2014

Adhesive Capsulitis: Freezing, Frozen, Thawing Shoulders

Adhesive Capsulitis: What Is It?
Adhesive capsulitis is the currently accepted term for one of several disorders grouped under the umbrella heading "frozen shoulder." This group includes any combination of shoulder conditions that contribute to reduced range of motion (ROM) at the glenohumeral joint, including arthritis; bone spurs; bursitis; rotator-cuff tears; and impingement syndrome. These problems occasionally lead to secondary adhesive capsulitis, but require different types of intervention for complete resolution.

Adhesive capsulitis is an idiopathic (of unknown cause or origin) problem with a peculiar and unique presentation. It typically has a long, slow, painful onset ("freezing"), followed by a period during which pain is reduced, but function is severely restricted ("frozen"), and finally, a period during which all pain subsides and function is fully or nearly fully restored ("thawing"). The entire process can take anywhere from a few months to well over a year.

Adhesive capsulitis can afflict anyone at any age, but it is seen most frequently among women in their 50s. Some researchers suggest that it affects as much as 2 percent to 3 percent of the population at some point, and somewhere between 10 percent and 15 percent of those patients may have it bilaterally.

Etiology, Signs and Symptoms

Because the shoulder joint has less supporting connective tissue than most joints in the body, it has unparalleled mobility and a huge normal range of motion. Even the capsular ligament that links the humeral head to the glenoid fossa is looser than most joint capsules. This increases mobility, but it leaves the shoulder vulnerable to a number of injuries other joints typically don't face, because they're better protected.

Stage I: Freezing

When the process of adhesive capsulitis starts, the joint capsule begins to adhere to the humeral head. Sometimes, this process is secondary to another injury that limits shoulder use, but it also can occur without any discernable trauma or trigger. This time frame, during which the adhesions between the humerus and the capsular ligament progress and worsen, is the first of three stages, sometimes referred to as the "freezing" stage. The first stage of frozen shoulder can last for two to four months, and is acutely painful in both active and passive movements of the shoulder. Typically, range of motion is lost in medial rotation first, but may progress to all directions.

Stage II: Frozen

The second or "frozen" stage of adhesive capsulitis lasts anywhere from four months to a year. During this time, the joint capsule thickens and essentially glues itself to the humeral head - particularly the anterior portion. Although range of motion is severely limited during this time, much of the pain usually subsides.

Stage III: Thawing

Perhaps the most mysterious thing about adhesive capsulitis is that after many months of severely limited movement in the shoulder, and progressive formation of connective tissue adhesions between the joint capsule and humeral head, the condition begins to resolve spontaneously. The joint capsule becomes free, pain is eradicated and movement is restored. This process may take a long time; a year or more is not unusual. If completely untreated, it is likely that range of motion at the shoulder joint may not be fully re-established, but the percentage of lost function (again, this is usually in internal rotation) is often not significant enough to warrant further interference. The goal of many treatment options is to ensure that when the adhesions begin to melt, the fullest possible range of motion is recovered.

Full Article HERE

June 16, 2014

What is Oncology Massage?


Oncology massage is the modification of existing massage therapy techniques in order to safely work with complications of cancer and cancer treatment.  Anyone who has ever received cancer treatment, from those in active treatment to those in recovery or survivorship, as well as those at the end of life, are best served by a massage therapist who has received training in oncology massage.

Essential aspects of an oncology massage therapist's skill set are an informed understanding of the disease itself and the many ways it can affect the human body; the side effects of cancer treatments, such as medications, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation; and the ability to modify massage techniques in order to adapt for these side effects, as well as for the disease.


More info in this Video:
Oncology Massage: Supporting Cancer Patients
Lauren Cates is an Oncology Massage Therapist. Advanced massage training in oncology massage addresses specific problems due to cancer and cancer treatments. It also offers a level of service and support that is needed during cancer.

Learn more about the 2014 National Visioning Conference HERE: 

June 05, 2014

Father's Day Gift Certificates Available!

As a private practice, during a very busy time of year, I thought I would post a bit of a guide of how we can sort you out with a gift this season!

Depending on when you need the gift certificate, I can send you (or the recipient) a physical gift card in the mail or I can send an e-certificate (which will be helpful for any last minute purchases)!  

The following information will be needed: 
1. Recipients full name

2. Who you would like to say the gift is from

3. How long of a session or dollar amount you would like the GC to cover

4. If there is any special message you wanted to add

5. Physical address is sending a card OR e-mail address if sending an e-certificate

The best way to send me this information would be over email melissa@mendinghands.com

For payment, I can accept a major CC over the phone or payment through paypal.

May 14, 2014

Massage May Enhance Exercise Benefits

Massage May Enhance Exercise Benefits, Study Finds - While some may enjoy a massage to soothe pain after an intense workout, new research gives some evidence that the effects of a massage go beyond providing a good feeling.

People who worked out for 70 minutes and then had a massage showed a marked increase in their muscle cells' energy production, and a decrease in inflammation in the cells, a small study from Canada found. Full Article Here: http://bit.ly/13Jjb3K

April 26, 2014

Give the Gift of Massage this Mother's Day!

Mending Hands Massage Therapy offers Gift Certificates so you can treat your mother or grandmother to the gift of relaxation and rejuvenation!

As a private practice, during a very busy time of year, I thought I would post a bit of a guide of how we can sort you out with a gift this season!

Depending on when you need the gift certificate, I send you (or the recipient) a physical gift card in the mail or I can send an e-certificate (which will be helpful for any last minute purchases)!

The following information will be needed:
1. Recipients full name

2. Who you would like to say the gift is from

3. How long of a session or dollar amount you would like the GC to cover

4. If there is any special message you wanted to add

5. Physical address is sending a card OR e-mail address if sending an e-certificate

The best way to send me this information would be over email melissa@mendinghands.com

If you would rather make this happen over the phone, please email the best phone number to reach you and a window of time I might be able to call.

For payment, I can accept a major credit card over the phone or payment through paypal.

Email HERE: melissa@mendinghands.com

April 12, 2014

Post-Pregnancy Massage: Good for Mom and Baby

By Phyllis Hanlon

Once your client has delivered her baby, she has even more reason to continue getting regular massage. The physical and emotional stress of delivery can become exacerbated as she adjusts to her new role as a mother. You helped her weather the discomfort and anxiety of her pregnancy; now it’s time to help restore her prepregnancy health.

Massage might be the last thing on a new mom’s mind, but it could be one of the best things she does for herself. So how long after delivery should your client wait to schedule her massage? The answer is, it depends. Some new mothers have massage within 24 hours after delivery, while others wait a few days or weeks. Your client’s obstetrician may provide guidelines and should always give approval for that first massage after a baby’s arrival.
Once your client does book an appointment, she can expect benefits similar to what she would receive from a massage in other circumstances. However, in this situation, you’ll focus on addressing issues directly related to the birth. In most cases, the process of delivery involves significant physical exertion with particular strain on the abdomen, back and hips. Massaging the abdomen helps to restore tone to muscles that have been stretched for nine months. Additionally, manipulating skin in the abdominal area helps to shrink the uterus and break up subcutaneous scar tissue and may also reduce cramps and muscle spasms.

The physical stress of carrying a growing fetus over the course of nine months can affect a woman’s posture. Working the back muscles with trigger-point therapy or deep massage can alleviate back pain and improve posture.

Nursing mothers may find their breasts are tender or sore and, in some cases, quite painful. If ducts are blocked, breast massage can help to open them up, reducing the risk of developing mastitis. (Note: Check with your state law for any restrictions regarding the use of breast massage in your practice.)
Not only does massage help relieve the physical aftereffects of delivery, but it can also address emotional repercussions. During pregnancy and after delivery, a woman’s hormonal balance shifts dramatically, causing baby blues or, more seriously, postpartum depression. Massage helps to regulate hormones; adding oils, such as bergamot, grapefruit, orange and geranium, to the session can enhance emotional benefits.

While massage offers many benefits for the new mom, there are times when massage after delivery should be avoided. Basically, follow the same guidelines you use when your client is in her third trimester. You should nix deep legwork, since it may induce clots. If your client has a rash, blisters, boils or open wounds, you should advise her to wait until these conditions have healed. Women who have had a cesarean section may want to resume massage only after their incision heals. It’s not advisable to do massage on your client with any medical complication, including high blood pressure. And if during delivery your client developed a hernia, she should put off massage until she gets clearance from her doctor.

Giving massage to a woman who has just delivered a baby can be rewarding, not only for her personally, but also for her ability to care for her newborn. 
Found Here: http://bit.ly/Q0MmMj

April 01, 2014

Happy Anniversary!

Mending Hands Massage Therapy is celebrating our Anniversary this month! 

As a thank you to my clients for making this past year absolutely wonderful, schedule a massage this month and receive a relaxing candle from the Sarasota Candle Company! This blend of eucalyptus, mint and basil will help your post massage feeling linger longer at home! 

Email: melissa@mendinghands.com to schedule your April session! 

Want to know what sessions are still available? Check out my availability calendar here: http://bit.ly/1lACUrD


One candle per person, while supplies last. 

March 26, 2014

Dosage Affects Immune and Endocrine Response to Massage

By Massage Therapy Foundation Contributor and Massage Today, Contributed By Derek R. Austin, MS CMT, Jolie Haun, PhD EdS LMT, Sandra K. Anderson, BA, LMT, ABT

If a weekly massage is helpful for stress relief and immune function, then two weekly massages must be twice as beneficial, right? The results might surprise you.
The Massage Therapy Foundation's previous monthly research columns have reported research suggesting massage may reduce pain, stress, depression, anxiety and cortisol levels, and enhance certain immune function parameters. However, how massage produces these outcomes remains a largely unanswered question. In a new study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Dr. Mark Rapaport and his colleagues investigated the mechanisms of repeated massage.

The authors compared once and twice-weekly Swedish massage to two equivalent doses of light touch. Fifty-three participants were randomized to one of four intervention groups: five weeks of Swedish massage once-weekly or twice-weekly, or control light-touch once-weekly or twice-weekly. Eight of the 53 participants did not complete the five-week protocol for reasons unrelated to the study intervention, leaving 45 participants (22 male and 23 female). Therapy sessions of 45 minutes were performed by licensed massage therapists using a standardized, specified protocol with nonaromatic oils. The light-touch condition followed the same protocol as the Swedish massage except that the therapist used only light touch with the back of the hand. Blood neuroendocrine and immune samples and salivary cortisol samples were collected prior to and following the therapy sessions.
The twice-weekly massage group demonstrated greater changes in oxytocin, arginine vasopressin, ACTH, and cortisol than the twice-weekly touch group. Twice-weekly massage also increased mean pretreatment levels of CD56+ cells, but decreased all other circulating immune markers. Changes in pretreatment levels of cytokines in the once-weekly group were similar to the authors' previous study showing sustained decreases in many pro-inflammatory and other cytokines. Interestingly, these decreases in markers of inflammation were not observed in the twice-weekly intervention groups. The authors note that the weekly massages were separated by 7 to 8 days, while the twice-weekly sessions were separated by 3 to 4 days; therefore, observed differences may represent differences in length of time between sessions. Heart rate variability was also measured, but no differences were found between the groups. This is not surprising, since young, healthy (i.e. relatively unstressed) sample participants were studied.

March 06, 2014

Patients with Fibromyalgia Find Comfort in Massage Myofascial Release Therapy

By Massage Therapy Foundation Contributor

A recent article published in the journal, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, described the "Benefits of Massage-Myofascial Release Therapy on Pain, Anxiety, Quality of Sleep, Depression, and Quality of Life in Patients with Fibromyalgia."

This article, authored by Castro-Sanchez and colleagues, defined fibromyalgia as "a chronic syndrome characterized by generalized pain, joint rigidity and intense fatigue. Other frequently associated symptoms are sleep alterations, headache, spastic colon, anxiety and depression." The authors suggest fibromyalgia often leaves patients feeling incapable of performing basic daily life activities, even resulting in painful symptoms and conditions such as, "myofascial trigger points, degenerative joint disease, inflammatory joint disease, bursitis, tendinitis, development alterations, hypermobility syndrome, neuropathic pain, injuries, traumas, repeated muscle pulls, visceral pain, disk herniation, spinal stenosis and recurrent cephalalgia (headaches)."

To date, there is no known cure for fibromyalgia, thus treatment is focused on symptom control. Myofascial release therapy is commonly used to treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Myofascial release therapy, a soft tissue therapy, uses palpatory feedback to release myofascial tissue (the fascia that surrounds and separates layers of muscle). This accomplishes increased circulation, lymphatic drainage and relaxation of contracted muscles by stimulating the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia. The purpose of this study was to "determine the benefits of massage-myofascial release therapy on pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia".

Castro-Sanchez and colleagues conducted a two-group (i.e., treatment and control) randomized controlled trial to determine the benefits of massage-myofascial release therapy in patients with fibromyalgia. Of the 64 fibromyalgia patients recruited, 59 participants completed the study; 30 in the treatment group and 29 in the control group. The treatment group received a 90-minute massage-myofascial release therapy session, weekly for 20 weeks. The treatment consisted of "massage-myofascial release at insertion of the temporal muscle, release of falx cerebri by frontal lift, release of tentorium cerebelli by synchronization of temporals, assisted release of cervical fascia, release of anterior thoracic wall, release of pectoral region, lumbosacral decompression, release of gluteal fascia, transversal sliding of wrist flexors and fingers and release of quadriceps fascia." The control group received a weekly 30-minute session of disconnected magnetotherapy for 20 weeks. Patients in the control group were unaware they were receiving a sham treatment.

Pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life were measured at baseline, after the last treatment session, and at one and six months after finishing treatment. Changes in scores for anxiety, pain, depression and quality of life were analyzed for group differences between the treatment and control group. After the twenty weeks of treatment, and when measured again one month post-treatment, anxiety levels, quality of sleep, pain and quality of life were significantly improved in the treatment group over the control group. At six months post intervention, there were only significant improvement in the quality of sleep measure.

Castro-Sanchez and colleagues demonstrated the effects of a 20-week massage-myofascial release treatment program for fibromyalgia patients, with significant improvements in pain, anxiety, quality of sleep and quality of life. Findings indicate the treatment reduced sensitivity to pain, particularly at the lower cervicals, gluteal muscles and near the greater trochanters. In this study the treatment resulted in no changes in depression scores.

February 22, 2014

March Massage Special!


All new clients who book a massage in March will receive 10 minutes FREE added to your NEXT session with Mending Hands Massage Therapy!

Email to secure your session: melissa@mendinghands.com

Must mention deal when booking. Cannot be combined with any other discounts or freebies. Valid thru March, 31 - 2014

February 15, 2014

Massage Therapy Reduces Low Back Pain


By Massage Therapy Foundation Contributor and Massage Today
However, the Massage Therapy Foundation is always looking for scientific evidence to support clinical recommendations. This month's review illustrates study findings supporting the use of massage therapy to manage chronic low back pain.
A controlled trial was recently published in theAnnals of Internal Medicine. Dr. Daniel C. Cherkin and his colleagues at the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle, compared massage plus usual care to usual care alone in their study of participants, ages 20 to 65 years old (n=401). Study findings, "suggest that both relaxation massage and structural massage are reasonable treatment options for persons with chronic low back pain." Participants in the study received 10 weekly treatments at no cost, which consisted of either relaxation massage or structural massage, randomly assigned. Twenty-seven licensed massage practitioners, all of whom had a minimum of five years experience, received 1.5 days of protocol training and provided massage treatments. The LMPs knew which type of massage they were performing, which they did not disclose with participants. Additionally, participants were provided kinesthetic exercises to do in the home setting to help relieve their back pain between treatments.
FULL article here: http://bit.ly/1g6Yl1G

January 24, 2014

Valentine's Day Gift Certificates Available!

YES! Mending Hands Massage Therapy offers Gift Certificates so you can treat your sweetheart to a lovely massage!

As a private practice, during a very busy time of year, I thought I would post a bit of a guide of how we can sort you out with a gift this season!

Depending on when you need the gift certificate, I can send you (or the recipient) a physical gift card in the mail or I can send an e-certificate (which will be helpful for any last minute purchases)!  

The following information will be needed: 
1. Recipients full name

2. Who you would like to say the gift is from

3. How long of a session or dollar amount you would like the GC to cover

4. If there is any special message you wanted to add

5. Physical address is sending a card OR e-mail address if sending an e-certificate

The best way to send me this information would be over email melissa@mendinghands.com

For payment, I can accept a major CC over the phone or payment through paypal.

January 23, 2014

Massage Therapy and Jaw Pain


I suffer from jaw pain. Clenching, clicking, some grinding and the occasional headache. While earning my degree in massage therapy at The Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences in NYC, I was definitely a total nerd when the TMJD (temporomandibular joint disorders) classes began. I knew I would be learning the skills to help fellow sufferers as well as explore some self-care to help myself! I was also trained in intra-oral massage techniques which have been shown to bring a vast improvement in TMJD symptoms!

Let's start with some of the basics. What is TMJD?

"Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) occur as a result of problems with the jaw, jaw joint and surrounding facial muscles that control chewing and moving the jaw." 



What are SOME of the symptoms?
  • Pain or tenderness in the face, jaw joint area, neck and shoulders, and in or around the ear when you chew, speak, or open your mouth wide
  • Limited ability to open the mouth very wide
  • Jaws that get "stuck" or "lock" in the open- or closed-mouth position
  • Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth (which may or may not be accompanied by pain) or chewing
  • A tired feeling in the face
  • Difficulty chewing or a sudden uncomfortable bite – as if the upper and  lower teeth are not fitting together properly
  • Swelling on the side of the face
  • May occur on one or both sides of the face
  • Other common symptoms include toothaches, headaches, neck aches, dizziness, earaches, hearing problems, upper shoulder pain, and ringing in the ears (tinnitis).


So what causes it? Many things. But the most common are:
  • Arthritis
  • Improper bite (how teeth fit together)
  • Jaw dislocation or injury and
  • Stress! 


"Stress is thought to be a factor in TMD. Even strenuous physical tasks, such as lifting a heavy object or stressful situations, can aggravate TMD by causing overuse of jaw muscles, specifically clenching or grinding teeth (also known as bruxism)."

So what can expect from a TMJD Focused session at Mending Hands?

First - we'll talk about your pain! I'll want to know when it started and if you know why is started (injury, dental or muscular issues, etc). I'll ask you if there is anything you are doing that makes the pain better or worse. We'll talk about any self - care you are employing (night guards, stretches).  It will also be helpful to be informed about your specific symptoms - clicking, locking, headaches, tenderness to the touch and anything else that you are experiencing surrounding this condition.

Next - I'll get to work! It has been my experience working with many people who suffer from TMJD, that relief may come from treating the entire upper body. You have many muscles in the shoulders, neck and back that attach up into the head. Unnecessary tensions here can contribute to tension and pain in the jaw and head. I will treat all aspects of the neck, with special attention to the anterior muscles which tend to tighten, and in some cases shorten, due to certain posture habits. I will address your entire head, scalp and jaw. Believe it or not, many of your "chewing" muscles go all the way up the sides of your head! Making scalp work imperative when looking at the whole picture. If needed, I can work the jaw muscles intra-orally as well. Full disclosure - some of these techniques can be intense. It is absolutely normal to "warm up" to some of these deeper techniques and I will check in with you every step of the way!

Finally - We'll discuss a treatment plan. We can figure out how often massage will be appropriate for relief and maintenance. I'm also a big believer in my clients feeling better in-between sessions, so we can talk about some ways you can help yourself!

I'm extremely passionate about what I do. I'm also committed to trying to find individual ways to make my clients feel better. If you have any more questions or would like to book a session, you can email me at melissa@mendinghands.com.

Image: Jean Galbert Salvage, c.1812

January 17, 2014

Gladiators and Babies



The other week I had the pleasure of receiving a massage (I do my best to practice what I preach!) and I experienced something I'm sure many clients have felt. I experienced the physical juxtaposition of being both a Gladiator and a Baby -  when it came to pressure. See, my upper back, shoulders, hands and feet love, and I mean LOVE, very deep pressure. My sacrum, calves and the little area on the armpit edge of my scapula (the muscles known as teres major and minor) need the tenderist of care. Those areas are most suited to be coddled.

This is is why I check in with my clients about pressure and why I encourage them to speak up during their session. 

It's a great start to say "I live for deep pressure!" or "Ya know, I want to feel relaxed and breezy. Not like I'm being beaten up." Sharing that kind of request and expectation is essential to getting the kind of massage you want. 

It's also important to acknowledge not only is every client different - various area's of the body feel pressure differently, too. Furthermore, even regular clients can have different levels of sensitivity each time they come in!  

So many factors contribute to how the body feels pressure. Time of day, stress levels, recent physical activity, hormonal changes, even weather can contribute to your body's sensitivity level. And that is just fine. It's human

So don't judge yourself if some of the areas being worked on are more touchy than others. Don't be afraid to communicate those details to your massage therapist whenever you feel the need to especially if I have the honor of hosting you on my table!