I Wrote a Book about Massage!

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It’s called “Massage Is Weird,” and it’s about massage, communication, treating pain (and dealing with it yourself), and beating burnout. If that seems kind of broad… it is! This book is everything I know about being a massage therapist, with a special focus on living a life of quiet satisfaction. Click here to order (eBook and softcover versions available), or continue below to read some samples.

Text: "Beat burnout. Communicate effectively. Prevent pain and make more money."

Who is this book for? It’s for new massage therapists who are still trying to find their place in the massage world. Do you need to work for someone and give up 75% of your income for the first 5 years, or can you skip to the part where you’re paid what you’re worth? Is wrist pain and thumb pain a necessary part of the process, or can you skip that too? Why is pain so mysterious, and why aren’t you producing all those massage miracles that you see the gurus talk about? ... continue reading.

Video: Working with ticklish massage clients

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New video! This one’s about working with ticklish massage clients in a tickle-free way:

This might not seem like a big deal, but to especially ticklish clients? This is a huge deal. Let me explain why.

The phenomenon we’re discussing here is called “gargalesis,” which is the type of tickling where intrusive contact is applied to sensitive areas, often resulting in tensing and involuntary laughter. When you’re a kid in a tickle fight with a friend, this can all be good fun. When you’re a massage client trying to get help for a painful shoulder? That same tickle response can feel downright unpleasant. If your massage therapist isn’t able to make the changes necessary to prevent it from happening repeatedly, it can result in an exhausting hour of anxiety. ... continue reading.

Video: Myofascial release for iliacus and psoas

Here’s how I work with the hip flexors. While I show some variations for clients who prefer more direct contact, my usual approach for iliacus and psoas is one of broad contact and slow sinking.

My reasoning:

First, these muscles are rarely touched, and so it doesn’t take a lot of stimulus for them to reduce their tone and sensitivity. I find that simply making contact and waiting can produce fairly pronounced softening in a short period of time. It’s like they’re waiting for a chance to take a break.

Second, these can be sensitive areas, and it’s worth keeping the human in mind as you approach them. Attempts to dig into psoas can be anxiety provoking for some people, and even the best work can be counteracted if the contact is perceived as threatening. Why not start with what’s friendliest to the client’s nervous system and see what results you get? ... continue reading.

Video: 5 Confidence-Building Exercises for Massage Therapists

In this video we do some bear walking, we tear phonebooks in half, we throw fireballs… it all makes more sense in context.

Basically, I want everyone watching this video to try to find the outer boundaries of what feels good, and then step back, at least when working with friends who will give you the straight dope. By always anticipating what might feel like too much and preemptively avoiding it, we can wind up with a massage that feels a little bit small or accidentally superficial.

This is also a great way to preserve your own body! Always holding back and letting things come from smaller joints means more muscular effort, and more repetitive movement. Allowing your massage to be more about dancing and playing means always having variety built in to your day.

Let me know what you think about this one. It was a bit of an experiment in and of itself, and I’d love to know if it hit home. Also, if you post a video of yourself trying these exercises anywhere (especially if you leave your partner’s feedback in) I’d love to see it! ... continue reading.

Video: Myofascial release for “tech neck”

We’re talking posterior neck pain and tension, and the protracted posture that might develop from years of working with computers (or cleaning teeth, fixing cars, painting tiny models, etc.). This isn’t so much about “fixing” as it is about helping clients feel a sense of freedom. As they stand up from the table, I’d like them to say, “ahh, it feels like I can stand up straight.” Between our work on the table and small changes they make through their day, I find that even previously persistent neck pain can resolve fairly quickly!

And that brings me to the topic of our sermon today: Emphasizing resilience and adaptability. During our sessions, we can send a variety of messages, often without meaning to. For instance, let’s say we spend an hour digging into the back of the neck. The message that might get received is, “this part is broken, it’s gummed up like a poorly maintained transmission, and it needs to be repaired.” Not only can this reinforce some self-stigma that the client might already have about a painful part, it’s also false! That part isn’t broken, and it doesn’t need to be fixed by a someone with special tools. ... continue reading.

Video: Myofascial Release for “That Damn Spot”

My goal with this session is for the client to stand up from the table feeling ease and freedom in their posture. If they say something like “I feel an inch taller,” I know I did it right.

Why not just “dig out the knot”? Because I don’t think that spot is to blame. This seems to be an area that becomes sensitized when the upper back muscles are in an untenable position: Being required to stay long and strong for hours a day, and generally being overpowered by the pecs. If we can get all the nearby muscles to give up some of their baseline tone (which I think myofascial release is a great choice for), then that gives the client’s nervous system a chance to reevaluate that tug-of-war.

And that brings me to something I’d like to address: Client buy-in. Are you giving the client an idea of your clinical reasoning before you proceed? Are the two of you determining the best course of action together? This has implications for a lot of things that we value as massage therapists: Pain outcomes, rapport building, informed consent, and client return rate. ... continue reading.