Benefits Of Massage For Parents: A Guest Post by Ryan Howard

 

Life as a new parent can be a lot of fun… it can also be really overwhelming!

In fact, the personal life that you may have cherished before all but vanishes as you take on the responsibility of parenthood. Having said that, while you might find yourself spending the majority of your time taking care of your little one, it’s important to carve out some time for yourself as well. Not only will this make you happier, there are many other benefits as well. In this article, I dive into some of the benefits of massage for new parents.

Take Some Of The Stress Out Of Your Life

Massage has often been thought of as a great form of stress relief. After all, it’s hard to think of many things that leave you feeling as relaxed and refreshed as getting a great massage.

Massage for parents, particularly new parents, is very important since they tend to have loads of stress.

For starters, new parents have a brand new person to take care of every moment of the day. This takes a lot of effort, believe me. Beyond that, kids are pretty expensive. There are hospital bills, clothes, cribs, reversible strollers, diapers, and all sorts of other baby stuff. For that reason, it’s not uncommon for money to be a little tight after kids arrive. Any way that you can relieve the stress is a big help. (Click here to check out our blog post on how to take the benefits of massage therapy home with you).

For More Information: Massage Therapy

Massage for Arthritis: Everything You Need To Know About the Benefits

Arthritis is a scary word for most folks. It sounds like some kind of point of no return as we get older. Once we have it, the thinking goes, we just have to suffer with it. However, the reality is a lot more complex than that. The good news is that there are many ways to relieve the pain. Both at home, and with integrative medicine such as licensed massage therapy for arthritis. Getting massage therapy in New York for arthritis can be especially helpful. New York State has the highest education requirements for licensed massage therapy of any state. This includes hundreds of hours of training in medical massage.

What is Arthritis and how can Massage for Arthritis Help?

Any time that you see “itis” attached to a medical term it means “inflammation of.” Arth is short for arthron which is Latin for “joint.” Arthritis is simply a catch-all phrase referring to inflammation of a joint or joints.

There are several main types of arthritis…

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degeneration of the structures inside of the joint: bones and cartilage. It is usually due to overusing a joint, ie a wear and tear injury. It develops over time, first with the larger cartilage between the bones breaking down. Eventually the cartilage that encases the bone wears down as well. Then the bones start grinding together. Symptoms range depending on the severity of the degeneration. This can include stiffness and achiness, all the way to sharp debilitating pain.

For More Information: Massage Therapy in New York

How has sports massage in NYC benefited our clients? Part 1: Massage for Crossfit Injuries

 

Competitive athlete? Weekend warrior? Recreational fitness enthusiast? At Bodyworks DW, we work with a wide variety of active individuals. Our therapists provide custom-designed sports massage for crossfit sessions focused on helping you maximize your activity enjoyment. This can include sessions for injury recovery, injury prevention, tune-ups and maintenance. Sports massage in NYC for active people and athletes is hardly a luxury – it’s an investment!

Sports massage for crossfit provides targeted, therapeutic treatment tailored to the biomechanics and physical needs of the athlete. In other words, it’s not going to be like your typical fluff n’ buff spa massage  You’re going to be moving around a bit for analysis. You and your therapist will be working together on increasing range of motion and unwinding injuries. And you’re going to get some homework!

Curious how a sports massage for crossfit injuries in NYC might work for you? We’ve taken some of our most common client-athlete cases and given you a run-down of how a sports massage could benefit each one. Keep reading more to dive in!

Update August 2020: Sports massage for athletes is especially important right now after months of COVID-19 shutdowns! We’ve all been trying to exercise via Zoom in ways that we aren’t used to and without the ability of trainers to give us hands-on adjustments to form and posture. Most of us are feeling more pain and stress than we are used to and could use a tune up 

All-Around Athletes: CrossFitter (CrossFit, Boot Camp)

The CrossFit community is known for its high-intensity, highly variable workouts. These incorporate anything from gymnastics to Olympic weightlifting to aerobic conditioning. In particular, CrossFit places a high demand on the shoulders. There are a lot of overhead movements. And also plenty of movements that require quite a bit of shoulder stability AND mobility. We get a lot of clients coming in for sports massage for CrossFit with shoulder injuries from pushing a bit too much too soon. 

Shoulder stability and mobility is a complex interaction between the scapular-thoracic interface and the glenohumeral (GH) joint. The scapulae (shoulder blades) sit near the upper half and outside portions of the back of the rib cage. The GH joint (or shoulder joint) is at the side of your upper arm. It’s where your arm attaches to your shoulder. Both have to work together to keep your entire upper body properly positioned when doing any overhead movement. 

For More Information: Sports massage NYC

Want to hear some good COVID-19 massage news? Massage Therapy with safety protocols is SAFE!

 

Our COVID-19 safety measures for massage therapy are working great – Read Our in Depth Safety Plan Here

Hi! So, we have been open now since July 6th and steadily rebuilding our team. The first couple of weeks felt pretty stressful. We have a whole list of new safety protocols and cleaning procedures to practice. What once felt routine and easy (all the things that happen before and after your massage) has took a while to adjust to, but is now the new normal. It feels good to be able to share some good COVID-19 massage news. Whew!

Our track record over the past 4 months is now over 1,500 appointments since reopening with zero issues of covid transmission. Therefore, I feel that I can comfortably say that massage therapy is a safe activity with our safety protocols securely in place. Thank you to all NYC’ers for taking masks and social distancing seriously! All of our hard work is what’s allowing businesses to stay open and for us specifically to be able to offer medical massage in New York.

With the recent uptick in cases in NYC, we are re-instituting mandatory PCR covid testing for our therapists. Since we reopened, I myself have had 7 tests, all were negative. As long as testing is readily available, therapists will test every two weeks even though it’s not required by NYS. You can view the therapists’ test results here.

For More Information: Medical Massage in New York

Massage Therapy for Diastasis Recti: A Case Study with Debbie J

 

Getting to the core of the issue

First off, what is this strange sounding condition?

Diastasis Recti is most common among pregnant or postpartum women. About two thirds of pregnant women have it. So why have you never heard of it? People don’t talk about it! And hardly anyone knows that massage therapy for diastasis recti can help. 

The facts:

Diastasis Recti is a condition where the rectus abdominis splits down the middle causing a vertical gap in the abdominal muscles. It can cause lower back pain, constipation, and urine leaking. It can even make it harder to breathe and to move normally.

How to treat it if you have it:

Massage therapy for Diastasis Recti can be very helpful to rebuild proper abdominal tone as long as you’re also working with a physical therapist who specializes in this issue. An experienced massage therapist can open stuck tissues that are pulling the abdominal muscles outward. These stuck tissues are generally from previous injuries that have left scar tissue behind. In addition to this kind of bodywork, you’ll need physical therapy exercises to knit the torn muscles back together.

For More Information: Massage Therapy NYC

Are you noticing pain in your body? Pain often starts with breathing restrictions!

What is the most common issue you see with your clients?

There are many common areas of pain that I see with my clients. Clients will often experience tension in their neck and shoulders. They may also experience low back pain that runs down the side of the leg. But after assessing clients both on and off the table, there seems to be an even bigger commonality. One that affects the whole body. Most of us are experiencing some level of breathing restrictions.

Often this means our core is weak. This can lead to spine destabilization. Although, while the diaphragm is the primary breathing muscle, it’s not always the problem muscle. So, it’s very important to do a thorough intake to get a full scope of an issue.

How do you work to correct issues with breathing restrictions?

There isn’t one right way to treat a client. Everybody is different and can change on the daily. Recently, I’ve been asking my clients do a standing flexion & extension test. The subsequent steps will depend on what has a bigger dysfunction (flexion or extension). Since the body will sacrifice mobility for stability, I check there first. Stability comes from the core. The core includes: the Transverse Abdominals, Internal Abdominal Oblique, Pelvic Floor, Erector Spine group, Diaphragm, Multifidus.

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What to look for in a sports massage therapist

New York City can be an intense and high-energy place. It attracts similar sorts of people.

Everyday you see thousands of runners and cyclists making their way up and down the West Side highway training for races. There are thousands of professional dancers performing in the various musical theatre venues in the city each day as well. Physically active types are a big part of the NYC population. Even the folks you see putting in long hours at their desks during working hours often leave to go workout right after work. They swing kettlebells at their Crossfit gym or do handstands at their yoga studio. With all the athletes in the city, it’s no surprise that working with a top notch sports massage therapist is what many of our clients are searching for.

But what should you look for in a sports massage therapist?

What is sports massage and how can it benefit you?

Before looking for specific qualities in a sports massage therapist, it’s helpful to understand what to expect from a session. Sports massage can comprise any of the manual techniques that a licensed massage therapist is trained in. These techniques are performed with the intention of addressing your specific concerns around your active and/or physically demanding lifestyle.

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The Rise of Medical Massage in New York City

How massage is grew out of its luxury spa roots into a respected alternative medicine for pain management

David Weintraub LMT & Owner at Bodyworks DW writes about how massage therapy has shifted during his career and how he and his colleagues are pushing the envelopes of what’s possible with massage!

A lot has changed in the 12 years since I graduated massage therapy school. And started practicing medical massage in New York City. When I attended the Finger Lakes School of Massage (FLSM) in 2007, I was part of a very small minority of potential therapists interested in learning medical massage. Our school was one of few programs that taught myofascial release as a major part of it’s program. Larger schools such as Swedish Institute focused almost exclusively on Swedish massage and shiatsu (aka acupressure).

FLSM offered direct training in medical massage and myofascial release techniques. This was one of the main reasons I left NYC and moved to Ithaca for 6 months to attend. FLSM’s program was intensive. 6 months straight working 9-5 monday through friday. Plus many additional hours each day of study and hands on clinic work. Here’s a fun fact to give you an idea of how intensive the program was.

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Deep Tissue Massage & Swedish Massage: What you should know about their differences

Germain Phanord, LMT at Bodyworks DW, writes about the differences you need to know between Deep Tissue Massage and Swedish Massage. Read below!

Swedish massage and deep tissue massage sound like two completely different forms of massage. Surprisingly, they have a fair amount of overlapping techniques. They also have their differences. Knowing these will help you choose the one that works best for you!

The primary goal of Swedish massage is to relax the entire body. Swedish massage uses long gliding strokes, and light to medium pressure. The best way to think of it is like a general tune up.

Deep tissue massage is best for giving attention to painful trouble spots in your body. Generally, it uses slower, more deliberate strokes with medium to deep pressure. Deep tissue massage is used most often for chronic aches & pains such as a stiff neck and upper back, lower back pain, and leg muscle tightness.

Swedish massage techniques for general relaxation

Swedish massage is usually a full-body massage treatment. Some exceptions apply such as in areas that are medically contraindicated. Or if the client asks the therapist to steer clear of an area. Depending on the client’s preferences, a Swedish massage session may involve several or all of the following basic techniques.

Effleurage

Effleurage is the most common stroke in Swedish Massage. It’s a free flowing and gliding movement towards the heart. Often times, effleurage is used to begin a Swedish massage. Since this stroke is used to warm up the muscles and relax the body, it’ll calm the nerves, improve blood circulation, & improve lymphatic drainage.

Petrissage

This technique resembles kneading dough. It involves lifting and rolling the tissue under or between the fingers. Similarly to effleurage, petrissage is designed to release muscle tension, improve blood flow, & increase lymphatic drainage.

Friction

Friction strokes are great for removing scar tissue. The massage therapist will apply pressure by placing either the pads of thumbs, knuckles, fingers, or forearms on the affected area. The movement will be a continuous back & forth motion or an alternating circular motion.

Vibration

Vibration is performed by gently shaking the body with the palm or fingertips. It will release muscle tension in small areas, such as along the spine. It’s also super relaxing!

Tapotement

Tapotement, or tapping and percussion, is a quick choppy rhythmic movement that has a stimulating or toning effect. You see this often in massage done on TV or in a movie as it looks very dynamic. The effects are similar to vibrational techniques but it’s a bit more vigorous.

Deep Tissue Massage Techniques for Specific Issues 

Although Deep tissue and Swedish massage use many of the same techniques, they have different intentions. The amount of pressure used in these two kinds of massage vary greatly. In addition, deep tissue massage includes more specialized techniques for treating specific issues. The most common two are below: 

Myofascial Release

What’s fascia, you ask? Well, fascia is the connective tissue that glues your muscle fibers together. It many ways, it holds you together, but it can also get stiff and tight, causing you pain. Myofascial Release is a technique involving slow, sustained pressure into muscle tissue. This slow pressure stretches and releases your fascia. In addition, this technique can effectively break up knots and release trigger points. It helps improve movement, flexibility, exercise related soreness, and muscle function. Over a series of sessions, myofascial release will also realign and improve posture!

Trigger Point Therapy

A trigger point is a tight area within muscle tissue that causes pain in other parts of the body. These points are frequently formed as a result of trauma to the muscle fibers. Trigger Point Therapy consists of pressing and holding these points for 5-20 seconds. At first, this can feel intense, but it will then release into major relief. This type of therapy can help clients that are experiencing headaches, low back pain, sciatica, sports injuries and more. You can experience a significant decrease in pain after just one treatment!

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Shoulder Pain Treatment and Relief

Sometimes we feel like we are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders due to stress or anxiety from work or other areas of our life. Many times stress as well as injury can make the shoulders physically feel like the weight of the world is pressing down on the body. When it comes to shoulder pain, it is essential to find some sort of treatment and relief. Shoulder pain can easily get out of hand, leading to headaches and other issues. By learning more about shoulder pain massage in the New York area, you can find ways to treat your symptoms.

 

Interfering With Life

Shoulder pain can be exhausting and easily interfere with your daily life. You may have trouble completing tasks at work due to the immense pain you are feeling or fall behind with your chores at home. You may be unable to play with your kids or help with bath time or even pick up your child due to the pain you are feeling. You may be asking yourself, how to do I find shoulder pain massage near me? What can services provide? By accessing this quality treatment option, you can find relief for your all your shoulder pain symptoms.

Shoulder Pain Causes

Shoulder pain is common among adults, due to a variety of reasons. The shoulders tend to be susceptible to injury due to the unstable design of this area of the body. The ball and socket joint system can easily be affected by dislocation or injury. We use our shoulders for lifting, pushing, reaching and throwing, among other movements, so any odd twists or turns can cause an injury.

Once injured, you will need treatment in order to heal the area. Massage is a great way to provide physical therapy to the body and help the muscles get back to normal.

Common Shoulder Conditions

Shoulder pain massage in the New York area can be used to treat a number of conditions. Of course, if your shoulder is injured and pain is intense, you should consult a physician first. They will then help you find a source of treatment which can include massage.

One example of a common shoulder injury involves the rotator cuff. Most injuries of the rotator cuff are a result of repetitive stress on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the shoulder and/ or the scapula. When you have a repetitive motion in this area, the cuff is worn down and inflammation begins which causes pain and limited mobility.

With physical therapy and massage, you can begin to feel less pain and heal the injury. Massage balls are often used in this area to work out the tension as well as the pain felt due to the injury.

Another common issue involving this area of the body is known as Frozen Shoulder. Basically, the shoulder is immovable. The area is susceptible to sticky inflammation and this creates a reduction in the amount of mobility of the shoulder. The symptoms are similar to arthritis.

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Massage Therapy for your Office Injury: Why they occur and how to stop them!

Meghan Krupka

Meghan Krupka, LMT, talks about the demands of your job, the toll it can take on your body, and the office injury it may come with.




According to studies completed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, musculoskeletal disorders cost approximately $15 billion in workers’ compensation costs each year. Per data collected in 2013, musculoskeletal disorders also accounted for about 33% of all office injury and illness cases. The most common of these injuries are related to the neck, shoulders and back. In addition, sedentary time and time in front of screens has only increased over the years.

Today, the work hard, play hard and hustle mentalities are the foremost attitudes adopted by many New Yorkers. We spend a lot of time sitting in front of computers, on phones and handling stressful situations. The pile up is causing more and more office related injuries. What can you do to help alleviate your pain? Seek out a medical massage in New York City!

Our bodies are designed to move and be dynamic!

However, modern day work and office culture emphasizes sitting for long periods of time. Prolonged sitting wreaks havoc on our spines. This creates muscle imbalances and restricts our ability to move easily. Over time poor posture can lead to an office injury and inhibit our enjoyment of daily life.

Massage therapy, particularly medical massage, offers a holistic approach to combating office injuries and postures. It goes beyond addressing just the symptoms of your pain. Medical massage can also address emotional issues related to pain and stress such as depression, anxiety and poor sleep. These are also commonly tied to office stressors.

First things: what exactly do we mean by posture? And “good” posture?

Posture refers to how you hold yourself upright. It is how you carry yourself both in motion, stillness, and rest. Posture is dynamic, it is not static. Even when you are still, your muscles are working in concert to keep you upright.

Posture is also your body’s response to any resistance that tries to disrupt your balance. The most well-known resistive force is, of course, gravity 🙂 Our posture is also a collection of our physical and emotional habits in relation to others.

Having “good” posture then means your body is able to adapt to the physical and emotional stresses imposed on it. Without causing you pain. It needs to be able to do this dynamically. “Good” posture is being able to move and change your shape to minimize stress. The “best” posture for any given situation is the most efficient. The one that needs the least muscular force and uses the least amount of energy to sustain.

Therefore, “poor” posture would be highly habitual shapes that overuse muscles and energy to resist outside stressors. The result is an uncomfortable shape. Over time the discomfort will progress to pain or office injury. These “poor” postures frequently arise in an office environment. Let’s face it, our bodies were not designed to sit for long periods. If they were, we’d probably be shaped like a weeble wobble!

Upper Crossed Syndrome: hunched shoulders, rounded back and forward head posture

Upper crossed syndrome is your typical upper body desk posture after a long day of staring at the screen. You are leaning in close to your computer, shoulders rolled forward, head and neck craning towards your screen and upper back is rounding. In this position, your front (anterior) muscles are in a contracted or shortened position. Your back (posterior) muscles are being overstretched. This postural habit, when prolonged, frequently results in neck, shoulder and back pain. It can even end up restricting breathing.

Medical massage therapy in New York City is great for lengthening and encouraging the muscles that are shortened to release. Great medical massage therapists will also provide at-home corrective exercises to address the stretched muscles. These often need strengthening and activation exercises to fully address upper crossed syndrome.  These are great ways to combat your office injury.

In an office or desk setting, upper crossed syndrome can often go hand in hand with lower crossed syndrome.

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Prenatal Massage: A Guide to a Peaceful Pregnancy

Ruth Anselm, Senior LMT, explains what prenatal massage is & why it helps. Read below to find out how we can help you have a smooth pregnancy.

Pregnancy is accompanied by thousands of emotional and physical changes. Even the “easiest” and “best” ones come with an array of challenges. An effective prenatal massage therapist can help with these challenges, both throughout your three trimesters and after pregnancy. In decades past, most women were advised to avoid massage during the first trimester. Medical studies have since found that as long as you are healthy, massage during the first trimester is totally okay!

Whether you’re looking for a massage therapist in midtown or downtown New York, you’ll want to make sure you are seeing a massage therapist who has experience with pre and postnatal massage. One who can help set some of your concerns at ease. There are a tremendous number of things that newly pregnant women are told they “should” and “must” do or not do. These messages can be overwhelming 🙂 A great prenatal massage therapist makes sure that you feel listened to, comfortable, and that lines of communication are open.

From Finding Out to a New Family: What happens along the way?

The following is a loose guideline on what to expect and when you’ll likely experience it. As well as how to find massage therapy in midtown, downtown, and the greater New York area to help.

1st Trimester/Prenatal Massage: “It’s positive!” to “This is really happening!”

This is the first 12 to14 weeks where women tend to feel exhaustion, mild to severe nausea, hormonal fluctuations, headaches and constipation. During this time prenatal massage is helpful for treating headaches and for managing stress levels. However, if you have a high risk pregnancy, massage is not recommended during the first trimester. If nausea is severe you likely won’t be interested in massage or able to travel to it.

If you’re feeling well, though, this is a great time to start getting into a regular routine of self care. This includes prenatal massage therapy! Keeping yourself as relaxed as possible is very important throughout the entire pregnancy to create a happy home environment for the baby that they will want to stay and grow in.

2nd Trimester: Mama’s got a whole new body.

Somewhere between 13 and 27 weeks you will start to notice your belly growing. Physically, things start changing very quickly during this time. Many suggest this is the time you will feel your best. It is also when prenatal massage starts becoming more essential for maintaining maximum comfort.

You may have already started experiencing Round Ligament Pain. This is normal (it’s a sharper pain around the groin and front of the hip area). Unfortunately not much can be done for this except making minor adjustments on your own when standing up. It is, however, a foreshadowing of what many women begin to experience around weeks 20-30.

Your hips start to widen relatively fast to support your growing belly. A typical complaint may be a deep ache in the outer hips and/or low back and often feels constant! The muscles supporting this area tend to go into spasm in response to the expansion. They benefit greatly from detailed and specific massage to release them.

Leg cramps are another common issue. They can wake you up in the night suddenly or just be an ongoing tight area. There are some specific points around the ankles and feet that should be avoided. A trained prenatal massage therapist will know about them. Work in the hips and upper legs can help with blood flow to the lower leg. More gentle work can be done in the lower legs to help relieve cramping.

3rd Trimester: Please give up your seat to the elderly, disabled, and PREGNANT LADY!

This is 28 weeks up to the time you give birth. At this point your body is likely dying for a prenatal massage! Although you’re getting so close, the last 10-12 weeks can feel longer than the rest of the pregnancy combined. You have trouble with shoes and stairs… and SLEEP.

Sleep is vital and the most important thing you can give yourself is rest. Getting comfortable is what it is all about now. Having a date with yourself and your massage therapist may only bring temporary relief, but often leads to the best sleep you get all week later that evening! The strain on your body tends to be pretty substantial. Some women notice it just in their legs and hips. Others in their neck and jaw, any and all parts of the back, and many times the feet. You name it, we’ve heard and seen it in our prenatal massage clients.

You never know how your body will respond to pregnancy and it’s always unique to the individual. Working to create as much ease in the areas of discomfort can make more room for the baby to find a comfortable position. Anytime more room is made, that little child is going to find it and take it. If muscles are relatively relaxed it helps with efficiency in the body when moving with that extra weight. Later it helps with the labor!

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Working Below the Knee May Help Your Neck Pain

Rachel Simhon

Rachel Simhon, LMT and featured therapist of the month tells us why working below the knee can relieve neck pain. Don’t believe it? Take a look yourself!

Why did you get into massage therapy?

My background as a yoga and Pilates instructor specializing in pain management and injury rehabilitation inspired me to pursue a career in massage therapy. I’ve always been a very hands-on movement instructor. Manual therapy felt like a natural extension of the sort of work I was already doing. I also very much experience the world around me through touch! It made sense to take a step further, seeking formal training in a modality where I could focus on that. Keep reading to learn about the connection between your neck pain and everything below the knee!

Most common pain your clients experience?

The most common pain issue clients report to me is neck pain & shoulder pain. However when clients are on the table, everywhere below the knee frequently seems to be the most aggravated. This isn’t a coincidence. I often find a relationship between forward head carriage and tension in the calf muscles. I always do a thorough movement assessment at the beginning of an appointment. This helps me to see how the client is and isn’t able to move.

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What does a Massage Therapist do?

Meghan Krupka

Meghan Krupka, LMT at Bodyworks DW, writes about what your friendly neighborhood massage therapist is working on to improve their work when they aren’t working on you:) Read below!

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of your massage therapist is like? Certainly, a majority of our time is spent interacting with and treating you, our clients. In addition, a good massage therapist will also be spending time improving their craft. Staying up to date on current research, and working on your treatment plans!

Holistic healthcare practices have gained significant traction over the last decade. The role of the massage therapist in healthcare is now accepted and integrated into the mainstream. Studies have shown that massage therapy improves a person’s well-being, whether that be physical, mental, or both. Given its growing presence, we believe it is important for you to know a bit more about it. And about how the person who shows up when you search for “a good massage therapist near me” spends their time 🙂

The main event: massage therapy session

The primary job of a massage therapist is to work with and treat you in a session. We use touch and manual manipulation, also commonly called manual therapy. This affects muscles and their surrounding tissues. Clients may come to a massage therapist for a wide range of reasons. Relaxation, pain relief, injury management, stress relief, general wellness. The therapist aims to relieve pain, assist in healing injuries, provide additional bodily circulation, relieve stress and increase relaxation.

Let’s say you have made an appointment with a massage therapist in New York and have arrived at the studio. Your therapist will greet you, and take some time to review your medical history, daily routines & activities. As well as any recent or “out-of-the-norm” events such as injuries. You can also expect an experienced massage therapist to check out your posture and how you move. All of this information allows your therapist to carefully create a plan to best address your pain and chief complaints. Even if you are simply coming in for a maintenance massage, general well-being, or relaxation, you can still expect all the above so we can provide you with an optimal session.

Additional Evaluation Techniques Your Massage Therapist May Use

Depending on the reason for your appointment, your massage therapist may use additional testing techniques to evaluate your condition. These may involve modalities such as kinesiology which tests your relative muscle strength and function. Or looking at specific joints’ range of motion and tissue quality. These all help us to further determine which techniques to use. And which rehabilitative exercises or homework we may want to send you home with so you can continue to reap benefits.

After talking and evaluating, your massage therapist will lay out your treatment plan for you for today’s session and likely for follow up sessions. More often than not, multiple sessions will be needed to fully address your concerns. And for your body to accept and integrate changes. While we are the experts with anatomical knowledge and training, we always want to make sure you agree with and will be comfortable with our proposed approach before we start the massage.

Once the session is complete, your massage therapist will discuss with you how you feel and ask if you notice any improvements. They will also take another look at your posture or re-evaluate muscle and joint conditions to see what’s changed. And they will go over 1-3 at home exercises they think might be beneficial for you in between sessions.

Developing your treatment plan and course of action

Many times during a session, your therapist will find areas on you needing attention that weren’t initially included in the original plan for the massage. This is normal. As current aches and pains lessen, the older underlying roots of it may come to the surface. These can be addressed in future sessions.

Consider making a commitment to stick with it and work through these seemingly unrelated areas of the body. It will make a huge difference in whether or not your present pains stay away for the long term or come back later.

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How Often Should I Get a Massage?

 

Meghan Krupka, LMT at Bodyworks DW, writes about how often to get a massage at Bodyworks DW!

 

In the often hectic & stressful environment that is NYC, having a self-care plan or routine in place is key. A good self care plan can greatly aid in reducing the physical and mental effects of this stress. Deciding to integrate massage therapy into your self-care routine often begs the question: how often should I come in for a massage? There is no one-size fits all answer, but here are some general guidelines depending on your lifestyle and health. Hopefully, these will help you determine an effective frequency to keep you pain free!

 

General Recommendations: How Often Should I Get a Massage?

First rule: Don't wait for a crisis! Start adding massage therapy to your routine before you get injured. You'll need to come far less often and also vastly improve your ability to prevent future injury.

For any actual pain symptoms we recommend a series of massage therapy sessions with no more than 2 weeks between sessions. Depending on the severity of your pain and the causes the series will be anywhere from 3-8 sessions.

Once you are no longer experiencing pain, you can switch to a maintenance cycle of massage sessions. This is important to keep the pain from coming back. For people who work highly stressful jobs or work out hard regularly, we recommend a maintenance massage every 2-4 weeks. For the rest of you, a maintenance massage every 6-12 weeks usually does the trick of keeping you pain free!

 

When my job has me sitting at a desk for long hours

With a desk job over time your body starts accepting your sitting postures as your go to posture. Your body adjusts your muscles, nervous system, and fascia to make sitting easier to hold. This can be problematic when you go to do something more active. Like a run or yoga class. Or even something simple such as carrying groceries home. Or getting a heavy object down from a shelf. The long term build up of desk tension in the sitting position often leads to injuries.

Combatting the postural habits caused by sitting at a desk can be effectively managed with a series of weekly or biweekly massage therapy sessions.

A series of 3-8 massages with less than 2 weeks between them is usually enough. It will make a huge difference in your posture. And get you out of the chronic pain cycle. After you are pain free look at the general guidelines above for how often to get a maintenance massage.

A good massage therapist near you should also be able to provide you with corrective cues, exercises, other self-care practices. By practicing these you can lower the number of massage sessions you’ll need overall in the series. And you’ll be able to maintain your pain free life with fewer maintenance massage sessions too!

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Do You Have Low Back Pain? Here Are 4 Ways Massage Can Help!

Lower back pain is very difficult to deal with and it plagues many people across the nation. Finding the right way to get rid of the pain or relieve it can be hard to do. Most people do not want to have to rely on prescription medications to get relief from their pain. Lower back pain can cause you to miss out on work or life in general if it gets too bad.

Whether it is due to an injury, overwork, or just an issue you’ve dealt with for your lifetime, a back pain massage in New York may be the solution you’re looking for. Take a look at four different ways that a massage can help you relieve your lower back pain.

 

Increase The Blood Flow

If you have injured yourself when you were working out or if you were picking up items that were very heavy, back pain massage Midtown can help you out. By receiving a massage, it will increase the blood flow to the muscles around the injury which brings the nutrients to the area to help restore and heal. This is a great way to assist with healing any type of soft tissue injury you may have in your lower back region. Increasing the circulation and blood flow to the area will help to relieve the soreness as well.

 

Increase Your Endorphin Levels

Endorphin is the “feel good” hormone in your body. It helps you to feel relaxed and generally happy overall. When you’re dealing with back pain, it is hard to feel good as every move can be excruciating depending on the type of injury and severity. When you’re dealing with chronic pain in your lower back or neck area, you can face emotional struggles as well. Depression and anxiety can set in and the more endorphin you have going through your body, the better you will feel. By utilizing a back pain massage near you, your body can release endorphins to help you feel better and heal faster.

Top 5 Reasons to get a Medical Massage in Midtown

Evana Class

Evana Class, Senior LMT at Bodyworks DW, writes about why you should receive a medical massage in Midtown with Bodyworks DW! 

Bodyworks DW has always focused on the effectiveness medical massage for pain relief. We look for the root causes of your pain, taking care to learn why the pain/discomfort is there. This helps both us and you work together to your continuing a healthy lifestyle. Medical massage in Midtown and Fidi is not just for those of you who are injured or reviving form surgery. It can be a great tool for preventing pain and for preparing for a big event. That 100 meter race, marathon, or that redeye 10 hour flight!

Reason #1: We have the same fantastic qualified massage therapists in Midtown as in Fidi

Each massage therapist in midtown also works in our Financial District Location. Every massage therapist takes part in regular advanced trainings with owner David Weintraub. And combined these trainings with their own talents and skills to create unforgettable medical massage experiences. 

Each therapist is dedicated to improving their knowledge to meet the needs of many different kinds of clients. Our large team gives you the flexibility to find the therapist that feels like the best fit for you. 

There is also great communication among the team. If you have to change therapists due to a schedule conflict, you’ll be well taken care of by anyone on our team. Our massage therapists share notes with each other, do regular research, and ask advice when they feel like they have hit a roadblock. The entire team is dedicated to finding what treatments will work best for your pain. We work collaboratively to be the most helpful to you. 

This has lead to a substantial growth, since our happy clients send us their friends and family to work with. Our FiDi location is often fully booked on any given day. Especially during the popular post-work and weekend times. Which is the main reason we chose to create Bodyworks DW Midtown, so we can help more of you

Reason #2: Our Midtown Studio is Super Accessible!

Whether you live or work nearby or take public transportation, Midtown is very convenient. Grand Central Station is a mere 2 short blocks away. There are many subway lines through this major hub. The 4, 5, 6 green line trains running along the East side of Manhattan stops here. The 7 trains from Time Square to Queens stops here. And the S shuttle to Times Square stops here.

Coming from Westchester or Connecticut? You can leave the car and take Metro North, also at Grand Central station. Lots of our clients make a stop here after work before heading back North. It’s great place to take a break from the office or after work before the long commute home!

For those of you working or living in midtown or anywhere North of 14th street, Bodyworks DW Midtown is available for your best medical massage in New York!

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