Reader Question: A Broken Foot

A reader asks:

"I broke several bones in my foot a number of years ago. Most of the time it's just fine. However, once in a while, it aches, is stiff or causes mild pain when I walk.

Can massage therapy help?"

It very well might and is certainly worth a try. Since it's your foot, a place you can easily reach, you can probably do this on yourself.

Besides the bones in your foot having been broken, no doubt the trauma that caused it also strained the ligaments, tendons, and muscles in your foot, too.

Here's where knowing exactly the right stroke to use can really make a difference. While gliding strokes may feel good, they won't be very effective. What will probably work best in this case is lots of friction (rubbing strokes).

The foot is very bony. There are lots of ligaments holding the bones together and lots of tendons going to the toes and around the ankle. The muscles in the foot are small and a little hard to access. They are between the five long bones that lead to the toes and on the underside of the foot beneath the thick skin of the sole and the thick tendonous structure known as the plantar fascia.

I'll describe how you can treat the entire foot. If the ache or stiffness is confined to a particular area you can concentrate on that area.

Friction is a rubbing stroke whereby you rub the skin over the tissue underneath. You can do it with or without oil but if you use oil, use only a little so that you still get some friction. Take the pads of your fingers and rub back and forth. Say you are starting at the ankle. You would rub the area thoroughly. The pads of your fingers will glide over the skin just a little as your are gradually moving around from place to place, but your fingers are not gliding a lot over the skin. It is as if you are reaching through the skin and "scrubbing" the joints, ligaments, whatever, underneath. Do this thoroughly, work around all those bony nooks & crannies. It should create a little warmth. This is very good for the joints, tendons, and ligaments. Do this all over the foot or concentrate around the area of discomfort.

Getting at the muscles between the long bones is a little challenging, but you can take your fingertip and friction between the long bones of the foot located between the ankle and the toes. As I said before, imagine that you are trying to scrub between those bones.

The underside of the foot is also a little challenging because the structures we want to affect are beneath some very thick tissue. If you make a loose fist and use it to rub the area, you can penetrate the thick sole of the foot. Using your thumbs to press into this area and stroke the arch longitudinally is good, too.

Gently mobilizing the many joints of the foot can be helpful, too. Firmly grasp your foot in both your hands and gently move the foot so that the various joints are moved as much as is comfortable. This should not cause any pain.

This can be done regularly or occasionally when the foot is feeling fine as a preventive measure. If the foot is feeling achy, it can be done to try to relieve discomfort. If you know you are going to be in a situation that may cause discomfort, it can be done beforehand, during the stressful activity, and afterwards.

By the way, this treatment is also good for dancers, runners, and anyone who stands on their feet a lot.

I hope this helps!

A Reader's Question: Pre or Post Dance Masssage?

A reader asks:

"Hi Alice, is it best to get a massage the week before a dance weekend or the week after?

Love the blog!

Thanks Alice.

Pam"

Well, shoot! How about both?

Lots of people like to opt for massage after intense physical activity. It feels particularly good at that time and can help speed recovery. Soreness and fatigue will pass more quickly. Post activity massage will help your muscles to recover more thoroughly so that the tightness will not linger. However, those in the know realize that massage before intense physical activity is a great way to prepare your muscles. They'll be loosened up, the tight spots will be minimized, and you'll be able to dance (or do whatever else you're doing) with more ease. You'll be able to dance longer without getting tired, sore, and stiff. You'll be less likely to get cramps and have less post exercise soreness. You'll have more stamina and energy. You'll recover more quickly afterwards.

In a nutshell: post-activity massage will feel good and speed recovery, but pre-activity massage will not only speed your recovery, it can improve your performance, prevent muscle problems from occurring, and leave you with less to recover from! And it still feels good!

If you can have only one, I'd go for the pre-activity massage. But really, why not have the best of both worlds and do both before and after? Your muscles will be glad you did!

By the way, be sure and check back again. I'm planning on writing about the Care and Feeding of Dancers' Feet!

Thanks for your kind words and be sure and tell your dancer friends to pay a visit to Ask The Massage Therapist!

A Reader's Question: Stiff Neck

A reader asks:

"I am not sure where to post my question. I am attending a massage school and have a student therapist. I generally have stiffness around my neck from sitting at a computer all week. What should I ask my student therapist to do to release the tension from my neck and shoulder area?"

Thanks for asking your question! And yes, you posted it in exactly the right place.

I'll do my best to answer specifically what your student therapist can do to help your neck. I'll also include some suggestions of things you can do to help minimize the strain on your neck outside of the massage room.

First, you have to understand that a student is a beginner and is not going to have the skills that a more experienced therapist may have. Their palpatory skills are not going to be as well developed yet. In addition, there are advanced techniques that should only be taught to experienced therapists. However, there are still things a student therapist can do to help a person with a stiff neck.

A word of caution: all massage on the neck described here is to be done on the muscles on the back of the neck. The sides and the front of the neck should be avoided unless the therapist is experienced and has been specifically trained to work in these areas.

With the client face up on the table, the therapist should begin with some gentle effleurrage (gliding stokes.) The neck may be gently tractioned (stretched) during the up stroke from the shoulders to the head. The effleurage in this case may be done in one direction (from the shoulder to the head) or alternating both up and down.

After some effleurage, the therapist can begin circular friction with the pads of the fingers on the muscles on either side of the back of the neck. Both sides can be done at the same time, with the fingers on either side of the neck, and can be done both up and down the neck. Depending on the size of the client's neck and the therapist's fingers, there may be room for only one or two fingers. Remember, when doing friction the pads of the fingers are rubbing the skin over the muscles underneath; the fingers are not gliding over the skin. One of my clients liked to call this "scrubbing the ickiness out." Friction should be done firmly but gently. Done correctly, this should cause no pain to the client.

Finish with a few more gliding strokes and then turn the head gently to the left. Use some gliding strokes down the right side of the neck (remember, you're concentrating on the back of the neck) and then begin to thoroughly friction the posterior muscles on the right side of the neck with the pads of the fingers. The client should be feeling the muscles relaxing. They may feel as if they are warming. Finish with a few strokes of effleurage and then repeat for the left side.

When both sides of the neck have been thoroughly massaged, return the neck to the center. Use the pads of the fingers to circular friction the suboccipital muscles along the base of the skull. You can start with both sides at once, using both hands, and then concentrate first on one side, then the other.

Finish with a few more strokes of effleurage and then have the client turn onto their stomach to massage the shoulders.

Standing on the client's left side, facing the body, reach across the body and use continuous effleurage off the right shoulder. Beginning with the hands at the midline, one on the upper trapezius and one hand positioned just medial to the shoulder blade, push one hand off the shoulder, then the other, back and forth with each hand following the other in continuous gliding strokes. After a bit, begin using circular friction with the heel of the hand. Your left hand will be frictioning the upper trap, your right hand will be frictioning over the shoulder blade. When the tissue begins to warm, begin to use the pads of the fingers to friction in more detail along the edge of the shoulder blade, the attachments along the spine, all of the muscles of the area. In areas that are particularly tight or sore, give them a little extra attention. However, don't overdo it.

You can return to some more general circular heel of the hand friction, finish off with some gliding strokes, and end with some vibration. Rest the hand on the shoulder and gently shake back and forth for a few seconds. Repeat the entire treatment for the left shoulder.

Remember: pressure should always be within the client's comfort zone. This treatment should feel good to the client and should not cause any pain. Do not overtreat. This entire treatment should not take more than 15 minutes: no more than 5 minutes on the neck and on each of the shoulders. Overtreating will cause the muscles to tighten back up and create too much congestion in the area.

After treatment, the muscles should not be treated again for at least 48 hours. The ideal would be to repeat this treatment every other day for 10-15 treatments. If you can do it two or three times a week for a couple of weeks, you will get the most progress and will probably start seeing longer lasting results within a week. Short, frequent treatments are more effective than longer, infrequent treatments. You are trying to retrain the muscles so that they will not go back to the way they were. When the desired results are achieved, then you can taper off the treatments. Periodic "tune-ups," perhaps once a month, would be a good idea if needed. After all, since you are probably going to continue to sit at the computer, you'll need an ongoing plan of maintaining your muscles so you don't end up back in the same situation.

Outside of the massage room there are steps you can take to help maintain the health of your neck. If you must be at a computer for long periods, get up and walk around and stretch every 20 minutes. Set a timer so you won't forget. Avoid leaning your head forward for extended periods or turned to one side for extended periods. Rearrange your computer desk for better body mechanics if you need to. Make sure you have low back support when sitting. When we sit, the curve in our low back flattens out and forces our head forward, straining the neck muscles. A low back support that helps maintain the lumbar curve will help to sit more vertically, lessening the strain on the neck.

Let me know how this works for you!

P.S. If you found this helpful, will you do me a favor? Tell your other massage student friends and ask them to visit this site. Help me get the word out so this site can be a resource for others, too! Thanks!

How To Contact Us

If you have a comment or a question about massage therapy in general or about a point raised in a particular article, please leave your question or comment in the "Comments" section of that article or in the section "Ask Your Questions Here!"

However, if you need to contact me personally, send an email to:

askthemassagetherapist [at] gmail.com

Of course, I've spelled out the "at" symbol in an effort to foil the bots that roam the internet harvesting email addresses so they can spam them. Be sure to use the appropriate symbols for "at."

I look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks,

Alice

Back Pain: Part II Muscle Strain

Perhaps the easiest type of back pain to resolve is simple muscle strain from overuse. Most of us have experienced this at some point in our life. We may have spent too much time working in the yard on a nice day when we haven't been accustomed to the activity. Perhaps we've been sitting too long at the computer, in meetings, or on a long car ride. Fatigue and overuse take their toll and we find ourselves feeling stiff with a dull, nagging ache.

Such a simple strain can respond well to rest and perhaps modest use of non-prescription pain relievers. It often will resolve itself in a day or two, although the symptoms may linger for longer periods. If this common back ache will pass with time and rest, why use massage therapy?

There are two very good reasons to use massage therapy at a time like this. First, massage therapy can speed recovery. Second, recovery can be more thorough with massage therapy.

Let's look at the advantage of faster recovery: Life keeps coming at us and back pain can interfere in our ability to live fully. It may keep us from doing the things we want or need to do. Even when we are functional, feeling sore and stiff can distract us and drain our energy. Let's face it: being in pain and feeling stiff is no fun. It makes us feel tired, old, and cranky. Why spend any more time in that state than we need to? Life is difficult enough without adding unnecessary strain.

Massage therapy can hasten recovery and return us to being fully functional more quickly. When we are unburdened with unnecessary tension and pain, we move with ease and regain our natural energy. Who wouldn't want that?

In addition, massage therapy can promote a more thorough recovery. Muscles are like elephants: they never forget. Even after the obvious signs of strain pass, there is often tension that lingers in the muscles that is not obvious to us. Although this low-grade tension is tolerable, it erodes our ability to move freely and saps our energy. That chronic low-grade tension is actually work! Your muscles are wasting energy staying tense while they aren't accomplishing anything but adding to your feeling of stiffness and vague fatigue. This state can persist for years. We don't know it, but it's there, making us feel tired, stiff, and distorting our posture. In some cases, the muscles finally give out and go into spasm, leaving us wondering why a simple task such as taking out the trash caused our back to "go out."

Massage therapy can help "erase" the memory of that muscle strain and assist muscles to return to a more normal, fully functional state. By relaxing the muscles and restoring them to their natural state, chronic tension is eliminated. The low-grade stiffness and fatigue that could have plagued us for years is replaced by a natural ease and energy that should be our normal state. The likelihood of a simple task, such as taking out the trash, becoming a major incident is reduced.

It is much easier to stay well than to get well. By using massage therapy to get well quickly, we will stay well more easily.

Your Testimonials Can Make A Difference!

Have you experienced a particular benefit from massage therapy, either at my hands or at the hands of another therapist? Would you be willing to share your story? By sharing your experience, you could make a difference in someone else's life.

If you have found relief from pain, either chronic or acute, please tell us. It might help someone else find their own way out of pain.

If you are an athlete who has improved your performance, recovered more efficiently from an injury or a competition, or found massage therapy an important part of your training, sharing your experience might help another athlete achieve their goals. If you are a performing artist who has appreciated what skilled hands can do for you, let others know about it.

If you have found relief from the stress of everyday life and the sense of well-being that massage therapy can bring, let others know so they can experience it for themselves. If you are someone who just enjoys feeling good and likes getting a good massage, let us know about that, too. Feeling good is reason enough.

How do you post your testimonial? It's easy! At the end of this article you will find some small gray print. You'll see the word "comments" or "post your comment." Click on that and it will take you to a box that says, "Leave your comment." Write your comments there and click "post." Your comment should show up after the article pretty quickly.

I really do believe that helping to alleviate pain and creating a sense of well-being in people is one small way to make the world a kinder, gentler place. Help me to help others by telling your story. I appreciate the encouragement and support I've received over these many years from each and every one of my clients and others who have shared their experiences with me along the way. Thank you to all of you.

Massage Therapy and Back Pain: Part I

Mark asks, "Can you explain how massage helps each of the different types of back injuries: spinal (disc), nerve, and muscle (or tendon)?

Are there injuries where rest or exercise is the better treatment?"

That's an excellent question and a complex one. I'll try to answer as concisely yet thoroughly as I can, but the short answer is this: back pain can be a complicated problem and there is no short and easy answer to the question. However, in most cases I've encountered, massage therapy can be a helpful addition to other treatments, such as rest or exercise, and promote faster and more thorough recovery.

First, let me emphasize that a massage therapist is not qualified to diagnose any condition. Only a qualified physician can diagnose whether your back pain is due to a herniated disc, muscle strain, nerve irritation, or a combination of factors. When in doubt, always consult your primary health care practitioner. Especially when there is numbness, loss of function such as foot drop, or pain when there has been no history of pain and no obvious cause, medical attention should be sought promptly to determine the cause of pain. Sometimes back pain can be caused by very serious conditions that need immediate attention.

Back pain can take many forms and have many causes. It can range from mild discomfort from overexertion to serious, debilitating pain that interferes with any movement at all. The causes may be sore and tight muscles, trigger points, nerve irritation or entrapment, disc degeneration or herniation, or other factors. There can be a combination of factors.

Each situation is unique and treatment needs to address the particular problems involved. Often treatment will involve more than one modality. Rest, ice, heat, traction, chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, and massage may all be utilized, either alone or in appropriate combinations. Medications for relief of pain and/or anti-inflammatories may be recommended, either prescription or non-prescription drugs. Again, recommendations for medications should always come from the physician.

In most of the cases of back pain that I've encountered, massage can be a helpful addition to other therapies provided the therapist has the skills to handle the situation appropriately. If the therapist is unsure of their skills or what the nature of the condition is, it would be best to do nothing. The first rule is always to do no harm. For the massage therapist, it is always better to err on the side of caution. Too little may be ineffective but it will not hurt the client. Too much might make the client worse. When in doubt, don't.

I would not massage a person whose pain was strong, of sudden onset, with no history of pain or no obvious reason for it until they had been evaluated by a physician. I would not touch a person who was experiencing loss of sensation or control, such as foot drop, until they had been evaluated by a physician. I would not treat any person whose physician or physical therapist had recommended they not receive massage therapy.

Outside of those circumstances, skilled massage can often be a helpful addition to other treatment recommended by the primary health care practitioner. The choice doesn't need to be massage or rest or exercise. Massage, in addition to the rest or exercise, can help speed the healing process and can help recovery to be more complete.

Many chronic pain problems began as an acute injury that was not properly or thoroughly treated. Tightness from the initial trauma can remain in the muscles for years. The client may be aware of its presence through a persistent tightness or ache. Or it may be so low grade that the client is not aware of this continuing tension in the muscles, but it is still there waiting for the next opportunity to flare up. "All I did was bend over to pick up the trash and wham! - my back went out!" How often have you heard that? It isn't the trash. It's usually low-grade tension that keeps building until finally one movement becomes the straw that breaks the camel's back and sends the muscle into an acute spasm.

In the next few entries, I'll talk about some of the specific conditions that can cause back pain and exactly how massage therapy can help.

How Do I Ask A Question?

Jean asks, "How do I ask a question?" It's very easy.

I've created a section specifically for your questions titled "Ask Your Questions Here!" You can find that section easily by clicking on the label "Ask A Question" at the top right side of the screen. You'll be led to an entry inviting your questions and at the end of that entry you'll find some small print that starts with the words, "Posted by Alice Sanvito." It will give the time it was posted and, following that, it will say, "comments." If you click on that word "comments," it will take you to a page with a box where you can leave your question or comment. After you've written your question, you can select "publish your comment" or "preview." When you are satisfied with what you have written, select "publish." Your question will be forwarded to me and I'll respond as soon as I am able. Your response may come as its own article or entry, such as this one, or if it is a short response it may be posted in the comment section after your own comment.

Questions and comments about other articles may be posted in the comments following those articles. Every new entry is followed by a place where comments can be made. If your question or comment is specific to a particular entry, you can post your comment at the end of that entry. If you have more general questions or a topic you'd like to see covered, post it in the "Ask Your Questions Here!" section.

It's very easy. Thanks for asking!

Ask Your Questions Here!

Do you have a question about massage therapy?

If you have you never tried it but are curious and would like to know more, this is your opportunity to ask questions. Don't worry, your questions are not silly! If you are thinking of them, someone else is probably wondering the same thing, too. Do both of you a favor and go ahead and ask!

Are you an existing massage client who has questions? Please ask! I'd love to try to answer them.

Are you a beginning massage therapist who would like some input from an experienced therapist? We all start out with a lot of questions, from how to handle specific conditions to client/therapist relationships to getting those pesky oil stains out of the sheets. I've been practicing for seventeen years and would love to share the benefit of my training and experience with you.

Are you an experienced therapist who has some specific questions and would like another therapist's input? We never quit having questions and it's wonderful to have other experienced therapists to talk to. Get another experienced therapist's point of view.

Whoever you are, you are invited to submit any questions you may have. I'll do my best to answer them and be honest when I can't.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Russian Massage Protocol for Fibromyalgia

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Russian Massage is unique in that it is a system of massage entirely based on physiology. Developed in the former Soviet Union as a medical massage, sports massage, and part of their physical therapy, it is supported by over 150 years of serious scientific research. What this means is that they have investigated the various strokes and examined exactly what physiological changes each of these strokes, when done in various ways, produces in the body.

In Russian Massage, the approach taken towards fibromyalgia is to calm the central nervous system (CNS). The idea is that when the central nervous system is normalized, everything in the body functions better. This systemic approach is also used for chronic fatigue syndrome; I have also used it successfully on a client with sarcoidosis.

Russian researchers have found that the central nervous system responds best to shorter and more frequent treatments. Too long of a treatment can backfire and too infrequent is ineffective. The more severe the symptoms of fibromylagia, the shorter and more frequent the treatments should be. They have also found that the CNS responds best to regularity and so, ideally, the treatments are best given at evenly spaced intervals, preferably at the same time of the day.

Since the goal is to soothe the CNS, Russian Massage for fibromyalgia uses only very soothing strokes. Continuous effleurage and vibration on the back and the back of the legs is done for twenty to thirty minutes. This gentle, rhythmic treatment is very relaxing and causes absolutely no pain to the client. The client enters a deep state of relaxation and, since the treatment is relatively short, rises relaxed but regains alertness quickly.

Treatment sessions are usually 20 to 30 minutes each, twice a week. If the client is particularly flared up, treatments are shortened to no more than 20 minutes and increased to three times a week. Treatments are repeated for 12 to 15 sessions and then interrupted for two weeks. This repetition followed by an interruption in treatment allows the body to become accustomed to being more relaxed but not dependent on the treatments. It also prevents the body from becoming so accustomed to the treatments that it no longer responds to them.

In many cases, if the client is taking sufficient care of themselves outside of the treatments, they will start to experience a reduction in the severity of their symptoms within four or five treatments. Significant reductions in symptoms are often experienced by the end of the 12 - 15 treatments. If further progress is desired, another cycle of treatments may resume after the two week break. This cycle of 12 to 15 treatments with a two week break may be repeated as often as necessary until the desired results are achieved. As symptoms are reduced and the client begins to feel better, treatments should be tapered off. Intervals between treatments may be increased. Eventually, treatments can be reduced to once a month to help maintain improvement. At the first sign of flare-up, the client should resume more frequent treatments. If this is done before symptoms have seriously increased, return to a more normal state is often achieved more quickly.

Outside of the massage treatments, it is imperative that the client do everything they can to support their physical and mental health. A relatively healthy diet is a must. Alcohol, cigarettes, and caffeine should be kept to a minimum. Clients must maintain regular sleep habits and get adequate sleep. Unnecessary stress needs to be reduced or eliminated. Exercise is important. It is often recommended that patients with fibromyalgia exercise three times a week. However, one doctor has found that his patients who exercise every day get the best results and if they miss even one day, they feel worse for the next two or three days. It is not necessary to exercise the painful muscles to benefit. The effects seem to come from the overall hormonal effects of the exercise.

Over the years, almost every one of my clients with fibromyalgia who has followed this protocol has reported good to excellent improvement. The exceptions have had complications from other conditions.

As with any medical condition, massage therapy is not a substitute for proper medical attention. Massage therapy, however, can support other therapies and be a powerful adjunct.

One client, whose symptoms had gotten severe enough that she did not think she could continue working, told me after two months of treatment, "This has allowed me to stay in my job."

I firmly believe, based on my own experience and validated by investigations at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School, that the right kind of massage therapy could provide safe, natural relief to many who suffer from fibromyalgia. It is certainly worth giving it a try.

Natural Relief for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a poorly understood chronic pain condition that primarily afflicts women. Patients with fibromyalgia complain that they feel fatigued and ache all over as if they have the flu. They are generally otherwise healthy women and there seems no obvious reason for their pain. Many were very productive before they became afflicted. Symptoms can range from mild to severe but will persist for years. There is no known cause and there is no known cure. I once asked a pain management specialist what treatment conventional medicine had to offer fibromyalgia patients and his response was, "Not much." More recently, a new drug has been introduced that may offer relief to patients with fibromyalgia.

When I first began to practice massage seventeen years ago, it was difficult to find information about fibromyalgia. What information was available was often vague, confusing, and conflicting. At least half of all rheumatologists did not recognize fibromyalgia as a diagnosis and many sufferers went years before being diagnosed. Women often told me they hesitated to see a doctor because, as one put it, "I don't want them to tell me it's all in my head." When they were finally diagnosed, they were often told there was nothing to be done about it. What was a person with fibromyalgia to do? What was a massage therapist with fibromyalgia clients to do?

In my experience, the pendulum seems to have swung in the opposite direction. In recent years, a woman in pain is often told she has fibromyalgia whether she fits the profile for a diagnosis of fibromyalgia or not. I even had one healthy young woman, who had no pain, fatigue, or other symptoms, report that she was told by a doctor (who had never seen her before and was a sub for her regular doctor) that she had fibromyalgia. Two other female clients, who were later diagnosed with and treated successfully for frozen shoulder, were initially told that they had fibromyalgia. What's going on here?

Unfortunately, musculoskeletal pain is not well understood by many doctors. Overworked physicians who are under pressure to see too many patients in a day often do not feel they have the time to thoroughly investigate their patient's pains, pains which may be vague, not easily diagnosed, and do not seem life threatening. It's easy to dismiss them with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. When these clients come to my office, I do what I can to relieve their muscular pain and help them to determine what perpetuating factors may exist in their daily lives. When it is clear that they need additional help, I direct them towards doctors, chiropractors, and physical therapists who I know will take the time to help them resolve their pain.

But what about the clients who truly have symptoms of fibromyalgia? Can massage therapy help? And, more importantly, what kind of massage therapy?

Fortunately, I met a Russian Massage teacher, the well known Zhenya Kurashova Wine. Russian massage, developed in the former Soviet Union, is supported by over 150 years of serious scientific research into the physiological effects of massage on the body. They can tell you, with evidence to support it, exactly how a particular stroke done in a particular manner will affect the physiology of the body.

I'd been taught to use deep tissue massage on clients with muscle pain but I quickly noticed this made clients with FM only worse. I'd started to lighten up but was afraid I wouldn't be effective. When I began to study with Zhenya, she taught me very specifically how to work with clients with fibromyalgia. As soon as I began to take her advice, I began to get much better results. And when my clients with fibromyalgia followed the suggested protocol, they reported a significant decrease in the severity of their symptoms and the frequency and intensity of flare-ups.

Tomorrow I'll describe the Russian Massage protocol for fibromyalgia and also mention some other conditions for which it has worked well.

Free Chair Massage at Kaldi's Kirkwood

If you were hoping to get a free chair massage - sorry, the event is over! However, Anne Thomassaon, Maureen Hoock, and I spent three hours giving free massages to the patrons of Kaldi's Coffee Company in Kirkwood. The occasion was Massage Therapy Awareness Week, sponsored by the American Massage Therapy Association. The purpose was to increase awareness of what massage therapy can do for you.

Anne is a member of Kaldi's bicycle team and more than one bicyclist took advantage of the opportunity for a free massage. Other customers included students, a police officer, new parents, and a roller derby queen! We massaged people of all sizes, shapes, and ages, those with aches and pains and old injuries and those without. Many of them had never had a massage before! Every single one of them said they enjoyed the experience and they felt good after only a ten or fifteen minute massage.

Thanks to Anne for organizing the event and to Kaldi's for offering us a place to have it. Kaldi's took great care of us and we are grateful for this opportunity to bring massage to people who might not otherwise experience it.

Living Without Pain

So many people live with unnecessary pain. Are you one of them? I'm astounded and dismayed at the number of people who believe that they have to live with their aches and pains, pains that could be alleviated, often quickly and easily. They seem to believe that there's nothing to be done. They say, "I guess I'm just getting old." Are you one of them?

Is that really true? Is pain an inevitable part of life at 40? 50? 60? If you feel that badly now, what will you feel like ten years from now? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in pain when it isn't necessary? What kind of life is that?

How do I know that you can feel better now? Quickly, easily, and naturally? Because I've seen it happen hundreds of times and I've experienced it myself.

I am not going to tell you that all your aches and pains will vanish in an hour massage. It simply isn't true. However, what I can tell you is that the vast majority of clients get up from my table feeling significantly better than they did when they first lay down. In almost every case where pain relief is the goal, they experience at least some immediate reduction in pain.

There is no magic bullet for chronic pain. But if there were a magic bullet, massage would be pretty darn close to being it. I'll estimate that at least 90% of my clients say they "feel a lot better" when they get up from my table. Massage can work wonders. And I'm not talking about any massage. I'm talking about the right kind of massage.

"What?!" you say. The "right kind" of massage? What do you mean by that? Are you talking about "sports massage," "Swedish," "deep tissue"? Not exactly. What I'm talking about is this: does the massage therapist know exactly what to do, specifically what combination of strokes, will be most effective at relieving your specific problem? Do they know the difference between using massage for today's muscle strain and a chronic condition that has existed for years? Or do they do the same massage on everyone that walks in the door? You see, the right kind of massage can be very effective quickly. The wrong kind of massage at best will be ineffective and at worse may make you feel worse.

I'll be coming back to this topic of specifically what kind of massage will best help you and how it can make a difference. I'll be returning to this idea of living without pain. And I'll be reminding you again that you don't need to live in pain, that you can feel better naturally. But you must be willing to do what it takes.

I'm not going to tell you that I have the only answer to your pain. Chronic pain can have multiple sources and perpetuating factors. Finding them and addressing them can require persistence and a willingness to be investigative. Chiropractors, doctors, physical therapists, changes in habits may all be a part of the long-term answer. Part of my job is educating you, the client, how to take care of yourself outside of my office so that you can live a life that you love, free of unnecessary pain and stress.

Yes, pain and stress are an inevitable part of life and in some cases there are conditions that just aren't going to go away. Even in those cases, the severity of symptoms can often be reduced. Usually the condition can be managed in a way that at least some relief can be achieved. For most of us, though, the aches and pains that plague us can be reduced and often eliminated.

The choice is yours. Will you make the choice to live without pain? Or will you keep plodding along, burdened by life's stresses and strains? Which will you choose?

Welcome to Ask The Massage Therapist!

Hello! And welcome to Ask The Massage Therapist! I'm Alice Sanvito and I'm excited to be here to answer your questions about massage therapy. I'll be sharing some of my experiences as a massage therapist over the last seventeen years and perhaps a few other things that I hope will be of interest. Your questions and comments are welcome; I'll respond as best I can. I'll be sharing with you my own unique approach to massage therapy that's developed over these many years of experience. I love helping my clients learn how to feel better and perform better and have a strong preference for evidence-based therapies. Check back frequently to see what's new and let me know what you think!