Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Chronic Wrist Pain & Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

 


In our modern device driven world, wrist pain and carpal tunnel syndrome have gone from rare to ubiquitous. Between typing, holding up our phones all day, carrying bags everywhere, etc. our high paced way of life takes a toll on our vulnerable wrists. Luckily, wrist pain and/or a carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis does not mean you'll wind up in surgery. With a few lifestyle adjustments, more breaks in your routine, and a series of advanced massage therapy sessions, wrist pain can be a thing of the past for anyone.

Elizabeth Dashiell interviews Senior Massage Therapist Evana Class on Wrist Pain & Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Elizabeth: What kind of pain do you address in your clientele at Bodyworks DW that you're very successful at treating? 

Evana: I have been really successful at working with clients that have chronic wrist pain and/or a diagnosis for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Elizabeth: How do you tend to address this kind of wrist pain?

Evana: I begin with a range of motion assessment. Is the client able of open and close the hand? Can they move each finger independently, flex and extend at the wrist?

Doing this will tell me which muscles in the forearm and hand are “tight” or restricted. The massage will start at the palm of the hand and moves through towards the elbow on both sides of the arm.

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Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Neck Pain Relief: How we assess the root causes and get you the best result

 


Neck pain is a super common concern. Physicians estimate that 7 out of 10 of us will suffer from it at some point during our lifetimes. As a licensed massage therapist, neck pain relief is the number one request clients make to me during intake. It’s often coupled with its close relative, shoulder pain — more on that below. Pain medications can help lessen the severity of the symptoms. However, they generally won’t be able to target the root of the problem.

A licensed massage therapist experienced in assessing the causes of neck dysfunction can help you get to the bottom of your pain. In order to address it most effectively during your visit. They can also help you understand some of the reasons why your neck pain started in the first place. And suggest simple lifestyle changes you might need to make in order to prevent it from coming back as a chronic issue.

Intake 101: Helpful basic information for neck pain relief

Like a detective trying to solve a crime, a medical massage therapist will want to know certain details about your symptoms. The more clear and precise you can be, the easier you can make it for your therapist to help. Some of you already know exactly what caused or causes the pain. To others, it’s a mystery. To help unmask the root culprits, we’ll ask a series of questions usually from totally open-ended to narrowing down specifics. Read more Neck Pain Massage Midtown

Friday, September 30, 2022

Holiday Massage Gift Cards

 


Like a lot of us, I’ve asked my body to keep up with me in ways it might not have expected. I’ve met what seems like every kind of doctor there is searching for answers. I wish my family had gotten me a massage gift card earlier!

Here’s what I was told by traditional medicine

1.      Stop what you’re doing, it’s stupid. (I’m a modern/contemporary dancer)

2.      Surgery is the only way to fix this. (surgery, small or large scale, is invasive and generally the most expensive and time consuming route to healing)

3.      Wear a hard cast on both feet (???) for two months to reset them….

BASICALLY, I WAS LEFT LIVING IN PAIN WITH NO WAYS OUT THAT WORKED FOR ME. I ACCEPTED THIS AS REALITY AND CONTINUED ONWARD. BY LETTING MY PAIN BECOME THE NORM.

This experience was shared among my college peers. We ignored our pain. My friends and I didn’t have the time to research our options or the finances to invest in our bodies. Money was tight and my shoulders were tighter. It didn’t cross my mind once to ask for help (typical college student, right??).

 

So I trucked along silently. If someone had just validated my pain and set me in the right direction it might have been a completely different story.

Ahem….a massage gift card would have been nice.