Old Remedies Massage Therapy

I work with people’s nervous systems every day. I also work with the muscles and soft tissues surrounding those nerves, helping reduce tension and irritation in areas where a nerve may be compressed or inflamed. I thought I understood enough about nerves to be truly helpful.

Now I understand them even better.

By January 2024, I had been dealing with severe, almost constant pain from carpal tunnel syndrome for three years. The symptoms themselves had been there for more than ten years. Keep in mind, I had already been practicing massage therapy for nearly 25 years.

Eventually, I reached the point where I could not take the pain anymore, so I went to see a surgeon. He used an ultrasound to show me the nerve traveling through the carpal tunnel in each wrist.

On my right wrist, we could see the nerve, the inflammation around it, and at least some movement. On the left side, there was no visible movement at all.

I had heard of nerve slithering before, but I did not fully understand it until I saw that ultrasound image. As the body moves, nerves are supposed to glide and slide through the surrounding tissues. They need room to move.

Mine did not have that room. The nerve was so compressed that it was no longer gliding normally.

That was the moment it finally clicked for me.

When a nerve becomes irritated or compressed, it may lose some of its normal movement through the tissues around it. That can create pain, tingling, numbness, burning, or the feeling that something is simply stuck.

So when you feel stuck, and there is nerve pain involved, you may not be imagining it. Your nerve may truly need more space to move.

What nerve slithering means

The clinical term is nerve sliding, nerve gliding, or neural mobilization.
Nerves must move slightly as the body bends, reaches, and changes position.
They slide through muscles, connective tissue, joints, and narrow passageways.

How a healthy nerve moves

A nerve acts somewhat like a cord moving through a sleeve.
During movement, it needs to:
Slide back and forth
Lengthen slightly
Adjust to changing joint positions
Maintain healthy blood flow

What nerve compression means

Compression occurs when pressure is placed on a nerve or its surrounding tissues.
This pressure may reduce blood flow and irritate the nerve.

Possible causes include:
Muscle tension
Swelling
Scar tissue
Disc problems
Arthritis
Narrow anatomical spaces
Repetitive positions or movements
Common nerve symptoms
Shooting or electric pain
Burning
Tingling
Pins and needles
Numbness
Sensitivity to touch
Weakness
Reduced grip strength
Symptoms traveling into an arm or leg

How massage may help

Massage may help by relaxing the muscles and soft tissues surrounding the nerve pathway. When those tissues are tight or guarding, they can add pressure or pulling around an already irritated nerve. By reducing that tension and improving movement in the nearby joints and muscles, massage can help the body move more comfortably.

This is also why I do not always work only where the pain is felt. The area causing the problem may be somewhere else along the nerve pathway, so I look at the surrounding muscles and joints that may be contributing to the irritation.

Massage does not physically push a nerve back into place, and it cannot correct every type of nerve compression. What it can do is reduce some of the tension around the nerve and create a better environment for the body to move and heal.

What Does Massage Actually Do to Your Body?

It makes you feel better, right? But why?

Like any experience in life, massage therapy is about feeling better and about being heard. When you get the perfect massage, there is a blend of environment, talking (or not talking), and muscle or pain relief. If these three things don't come together, the massage just won't give you that dopamine you're looking for.

Most people know massage can help them feel better, but massage does much more than simply relax sore muscles. It affects the muscles, connective tissue, nervous system, circulation, joints, stress response, and even the way the brain interprets pain.

It Helps Muscles Stop Guarding
Muscles can become tight from overuse, repetitive movements, stress, injuries, or staying in one position too long. Sometimes the original activity is over, but the muscle continues to brace as though it still needs to protect you. It is trying to help, but isn't quite getting it right.

Massage uses pressure and movement to help reduce that guarding. As the tissues relax, the muscle will move and lengthen. Remember, massage therapy only does one thing. It lengthens.

Despite what you may have heard, I am not crushing knots into submission. Your body is not bread dough. Much of the change happens because massage gives the nervous system new information.

It Calms the Nervous System
Touch, pressure, warmth, and slow movement send sensory messages to the brain. These signals may help the body feel safer and allow it to shift away from fight-or-flight mode and toward rest-and-recovery mode.

That is why your breathing may slow, your body may feel heavier on the table, and you may suddenly realize you have been clenching your jaw since Tuesday.

When the nervous system relaxes, muscles often stop bracing so strongly.

It Can Change How Pain Feels
Pain is not based only on what is happening inside a muscle. Your brain also considers stress, sleep, previous injuries, emotions, and whether it believes an area is in danger.

Massage provides new sensory information through pressure, warmth, and movement. This can temporarily turn down pain signals and help movement feel safer.

That does not mean the pain was imaginary. It means pain is complicated, and the nervous system plays an important role in how strongly you feel it.

It Can Improve Movement
When tight or guarded muscles surround a joint, movement can become stiff or uncomfortable. Reducing that tension may improve short-term flexibility and range of motion.

Massage does not force bones back into place. It helps the muscles around the joint stop pulling and protecting so strongly, which may allow the joint to move more freely.

It Supports Circulation and Fluid Movement
Pressure temporarily compresses the soft tissues. When the pressure is released, blood returns to the area. Massage and muscle movement can also support the normal movement of fluid through the tissues.

However, massage does not “flush toxins” from your body. Your liver and kidneys already handle that job, and they are probably relieved we are not trying to replace them.

It Interrupts the Stress-and-Pain Cycle
Stress can cause shallow breathing, tight shoulders, headaches, jaw clenching, muscle tension, and increased sensitivity to pain.

Pain then creates more stress.

Before long, your entire body is participating in a very unhelpful group project.

Massage can help interrupt that cycle by giving the body time to slow down, breathe, and stop protecting every sore area as though it is preparing for battle.

Everyone
Most of the people I work on, no matter the initial complaint, have a certain amount of tension throughout their body. When I massage you, I can tell if the tightness is from tension or from injury. When it is injury, I work in a specific order to release the muscles from the pulley system it is stuck in. When the tightness is from tension, your muscle usually starts to relax in under one minute from being massaged. I goes from tense to goo in my hands. That is how I know if you have had a stressful week or not. The muscles always tell me the truth.

The Basic Benefits of Massage
Massage may help:

Reduce muscle tension and stiffness

Ease common aches and soreness

Improve flexibility and comfortable movement

Calm the nervous system

Reduce stress and promote relaxation

Support recovery after physical activity

Improve overall well-being

Help you notice tension before it becomes a larger problem

Massage is not a cure for everything, and it should not replace medical care for serious injuries or unexplained symptoms. But when discomfort is connected to stress, posture, overuse, or muscles compensating for one another, massage can give the body an opportunity to reset.

In simple terms, massage tells your body:

You can stop guarding so much.

You can breathe.

You can move.

You can relax.

Remember, don't just get a massage; get better.

Summer is in full swing, and I want to talk about something that happened to me last week.

My husband and I went on a little overnight backpacking trip. The hike was only about three miles with a 500-foot incline, so we were not doing anything crazy. I had made sure I was hydrated the day before, and I started the hike feeling great.

I carried 2.5 liters of water with two packets of Liquid I.V. mixed into it. It was hot, and I drank it all throughout the day. I even finished the last of it before going to sleep.

Apparently, it still wasn’t enough.

That night, I woke up with full-body muscle cramps. Not one little calf cramp. My whole body was joining the party, and nobody was having a good time.

Muscle cramps can be a sign that your body has lost too much water and salt through sweating. Sometimes you feel fine during the activity, and then your body lets you know later that it needed more.

One of my clients once told me that when his cramps started, he ate some of his electrolyte powder while sipping water because he wanted it to work quickly. I understand the desperation, but please mix electrolyte products according to the package directions. Your body still needs the water that goes with them.

The next morning, I started working on my hydration. We were also staying near a hot spring, and soaking helped my muscles relax. However, a hot spring is not a good idea if you are still overheated, dizzy, weak, or nauseated. Cool down and rehydrate first.

Even when you think you have planned well, the heat can still catch you off guard.

While you are outside this summer, pay attention if you or someone with you suddenly develops:

Unusual weakness
A headache or dizziness
Nausea
Muscle cramps
Chills or goosebumps in the heat
A racing heart that does not calm down during a break
A sudden drop in energy or performance

Those are not signs that you need to toughen up and push through. They are signs that your body needs a break, shade, cooling, and fluids.

After you are finished, keep drinking gradually, eat something with protein, carbohydrates, and a little salt, and give your body time to cool down. Gentle walking, light stretching, or gentle massage may feel good, but massage cannot replace hydration.

Keep an eye on the people you are with, too. Heat problems can come on quickly, and sometimes the person experiencing them does not realize how bad they are feeling.

Sometimes being a good hiking buddy means being the person who says, “We are stopping now.”

Have a great summer and be safe!

Remember, don't just get a massage; get better!

Photos from the 5th Water Hot Spring in Utah.

Can’t Turn Your Head?
When your neck says, “Nope. Not today.”
Wow. It has been a whole week of clients who can’t rotate their head properly from side to side.

What are you people doing out there?

You know I’m kidding.

Mostly.

But seriously, how do you know when your neck will work itself out and when it is time to call your favorite professional and let me work out the kinks for you?

Let’s talk about it.

The Morning Neck Surprise
You wake up in the morning, five minutes before your alarm, ready to take on the day.

Then you get out of bed and realize something is very wrong.

Yesterday, you could turn your head to the left.

Today, your neck is stuck.

I see this all the time.

My first reaction is always this:

Call me that day before it gets worse.

Neck tension can start out as annoying and quickly turn into:

“I guess I’m turning my whole body to back out of the driveway now.”

What You Can Try at Home First
If coming in right away is not going to work, start simple.

Use heat.
Grab the heating pad and let the area calm down.

Massage gently.
Get out the massage gun, but please do not attack your neck like you are tenderizing a steak.

Gentle matters here.

Most of the time, this did not come out of nowhere.

It has probably been a little tender for days, but you hoped it would work itself out. Then overnight, your body finally said:

“We are done pretending this is fine.”

Why Did It Happen?
This is usually an accumulation of things you did during the week.

Maybe you tripped.

Maybe you lifted something too heavy.

Maybe you spent twelve hours in the car.

Yes, you.

You know who you are.

Maybe you sat at your desk, read a book, looked down at your phone, or slept in a weird position just long enough for your neck to get cranky.

Try to remember when it first felt sore.

Then check the rest of your body.

Is your shoulder tight?
Is your upper back irritated?
Did your low back or hip act up first?

Sometimes the neck is not the first problem.

It is just the loudest one.

Meet the Levator Scapulae
Now let’s learn a muscle that seems to be tightening up on everyone I meet lately:

The levator scapulae.

With a name like that, you can probably guess what it does.

It helps lift the scapula (shoulder blade).

You can usually find it pretty easily. Most neck muscles run more straight up and down from your head toward your back.

The levator scapulae runs at an angle from the top inside corner of your shoulder blade up toward the back and side of your neck.

When this muscle gets tight, it can make turning your head feel restricted, painful, or just plain stuck.

Common Things That Irritate It
The levator scapula does not love:

Driving
Desk work
Reading
Phone use
Stress
Sleeping weird
That slight downward head position we all pretend we are not doing all day long

The Simple At-Home Release
The at-home release is basic, but it can help.

Use heat.

Massage gently along the muscle.

Move slowly.

Do not force your neck to turn.

Sometimes the things that feel the most dramatic are actually the simplest to calm down, especially if you catch them early.

When to Call Me
If you wake up unable to turn your head, don’t wait until you are walking around like a robot.

Call me.

Let’s get it moving before your neck recruits your shoulders, upper back, jaw, and everything else into the drama.

https://youtu.be/ZKHcLQSJQ_w?si=SpX6zG6PhqIPD7Dm

Why Your Low Back Hates Standing Still
Low back pain can show up in a lot of different ways, but two of the most common things I see are pain with standing too long and pain with leaning forward.

Sometimes people already know they have an injury, arthritis, disc problems, or something more serious. That matters, and those situations deserve proper medical care.

But today we are talking about a different kind of low back pain: the kind that comes from the balance between your psoas, your sacrum, and the way your body holds you upright.

Your psoas is one of your deep core stabilizers. It connects your low back to your hips and helps support your body when you stand, walk, sit, climb stairs, and move from one position to another.

When the psoas gets tight, overworked, or protective, it can cause all kinds of problems.

The tricky part is this:

You usually do not feel psoas pain directly where the muscle is.

Instead, it often shows up as low back pain, hip tightness, SI joint irritation, or that deep ache that makes you want to bend forward, shift your weight, or sit down.

Then your sacrum can get involved.

Your sacrum is the triangular bone at the base of your spine, right between the two sides of your pelvis. It should have a little bit of natural movement when you walk, bend, twist, and stand. But when the psoas tightens, the sacrum may tighten in response.

Now your low back is stuck in the middle of a tug-of-war.

The psoas is pulling from the front.

The sacrum and pelvis are trying to stabilize from the back.

And your low back ends up taking the blame.

This is one reason standing can become so uncomfortable. Standing looks easy from the outside, but your body is constantly making tiny adjustments to keep you upright. If your psoas is tight and your sacrum is not moving well, your low back may have to work harder than it should.

Leaning forward can create the same problem in a different way.

Reaching into the trunk of your car, picking something up off the floor, leaning over a crib, loading the dishwasher, pulling weeds, or bending over to tie your shoes can all irritate this area. None of these may feel like a big injury in the moment, but when your psoas and sacrum are already fighting for balance, those small forward-leaning positions can be enough to push your low back over the edge.

That is why I do not always chase the sore spot.

If the low back is screaming, I still want to know who started the fight.

Is the psoas too tight?

Is the sacrum locked up?

Is the pelvis shifting unevenly?

Is your body protecting an old injury or compensating elsewhere?

The fastest change usually comes from helping your body find its balance again. Not forcing it. Not beating up the low back. Not stretching everything to the limit.

Just finding the right place to release tension so the body can stop guarding.

At the end of this newsletter, I am including videos to walk you through what you can do at home. These are simple tools to help you start calming the area and notice how your body responds.

And as always, if your back pain is getting worse, traveling down your leg, causing numbness or weakness, affecting bladder or bowel control, or came after a major injury, please see a doctor.

But if your back pain shows up mostly with standing, leaning forward, or that “my back just gets tired and angry” feeling, your psoas and sacrum may be a good place to start.

Low Back Pain When Standing Video
https://youtu.be/NTxZC_zimms?si=eKHFVWMy9kTbbfMZ

Low Back Pain When Leaning Forward
https://youtu.be/G8-_tmgeVbI?si=Ks9oT4z9x8bbtIVl

Why Your Elbow Is Mad
And why it might not be the problem
I have been seeing a lot of elbow pain lately, and most people assume the same thing:

“My elbow hurts, so something must be wrong with my elbow.”

That makes sense. Pain is loud. It points to one spot and demands attention.

But after years of doing bodywork, I can tell you the loudest spot is not always the starting point.

The better question is not always, “What is wrong with my elbow?”

The better question is:

Why did my elbow become vulnerable in the first place?

That is where things get interesting.

Your arm is not working alone.
Your arm is not an independent little island floating around doing its own thing. It is attached to your shoulder, ribs, spine, pelvis, hips, legs, and feet.

Everything is connected.

I know that sounds like a cliché people put on yoga studio walls, but in the body, it is very real.

What I often see in practice is not a sudden elbow problem. I see a chain reaction.

It may begin with a tight or restricted SI joint. When the SI joint and hip are not moving well, the hip may lose flexion, rotation, and freedom. Your body does not stop moving just because one area is restricted.

It adapts.

It borrows motion from somewhere else.

How the chain starts pulling
When the hip stops moving well, the spine may start compensating. The ribs adjust. The lat starts pulling differently. The shoulder blade changes how it sits and moves.

Then muscles like the upper trap, pec minor, short head of the biceps, and forearm start working harder than they should.

At first, your body handles it.

It is very good at cheating.

But eventually, all that extra effort has to go somewhere.

Then one day, your elbow throws a fit.

It feels sudden, but it usually is not random. It may be the result of weeks, months, or even years of overworking, bracing, gripping, and compensating.

The elbow is not failing you.

It is reacting to everything that led up to that moment.

Every day of life adds up
This can come from everyday life:

Sitting too much

Driving

Computer work

Reaching forward all day

Sleeping twisted

Yard work

Sports

Carrying kids

Lifting with poor mechanics

Old injuries

And old injuries are sneaky.

They do not have to keep hurting to keep affecting you. Sometimes an old ankle, hip, back, or shoulder injury changes how you move. Your body builds a workaround, and that workaround becomes your new normal.

Until it sends the bill somewhere else.

Often, that bill shows up at the elbow.

A real-life example
My husband has been dealing with elbow pain, and he is a perfect example of this.

At first, it looked like a typical elbow issue. Rest, ice, and massage on the elbow helped some, but they were not enough because the elbow was not the whole problem.

His right hip and SI joint were extremely tight. His hip and ankle were compensating, and his body was twisting to make up for the movement.

So yes, I worked on the elbow.

But the real key was working on his hips, sacrum, and the way the whole chain was moving.

Because:

The elbow was the smoke alarm.
The fire was lower in the body.

Why this matters
When the pelvis is off, it can affect everything above it.

The shoulder may lose clean, efficient motion. The arm has to work harder. The elbow and forearm start gripping and bracing to keep things functional.

Over time, that can lead to irritation, compression, tendon overload, nerve sensitivity, or inflammation.

So yes, your elbow might hurt because you overused it.

But the more important question is:

Why was it so easy to overuse in the first place?

Your hip tightness may be driving your elbow pain.

And yes, that sounds dramatic.

But your body is dramatic.

It will absolutely make your elbow pay for what your pelvis refuses to deal with.

The takeaway
If your elbow keeps coming back, does not fully resolve, or does not respond to rest, ice, and local treatment, it may be time to stop staring only at the elbow and start looking at the chain behind it.

Sometimes the place that hurts the most is not where the problem started.

https://youtu.be/1epse8dWJO4?si=RIklSedFNlJCyt3b

Should I Get This Spot Checked?
A massage therapist’s very unofficial, very practical guide to weird skin things
Through the years, I have seen all kinds of skin rashes, skin changes, moles, bumps, bruises, and sometimes even things that make me quietly think, “Well, that’s new.”

Because I work on backs, necks, shoulders, hips, and legs all day long, I often see parts of people they cannot easily see themselves. And more often than you might think, clients ask me:

“Do you think I should see a doctor for that?”

Here is my rule of thumb:

If it is getting better, you are probably okay to keep watching it.

If it is not getting better, it is time to see a doctor.

That does not mean panic. It does not mean every bump is scary. But it does mean your skin is talking, and sometimes it is worth letting someone with a medical degree join the conversation.

And yes, a lot of these questionable spots are on your neck, shoulders, and back. Places you probably cannot see very well. I can see them because that is part of my job.

The solution?

Get a massage once a week.

Just kidding.

Mostly.

A better solution is to pay attention to your skin, ask a loved one to check the areas you cannot see, and get an annual physical or skin check with your doctor. If something looks different, changes, bleeds, hurts, or refuses to heal, do not ask your massage therapist to diagnose it.

Ask your doctor.

Here are some basic rules to go by the next time you find something questionable.

1. If it is changing, get it checked.
Skin spots that are changing deserve attention. That includes changes in size, shape, color, height, texture, or sensation.

If a mole has looked the same for years, that is usually less concerning than one that suddenly starts acting differently.

Watch for:

A mole is getting bigger
A spot changing color
A flat spot is becoming raised
A bump is becoming crusty
A mole that starts itching, hurting, or bleeding
A spot that just looks different from the way it used to

Change is one of the biggest reasons to call your doctor.

2. Remember the ABCDE rule.
This is a simple way to think about moles and dark spots.

A is for Asymmetry.
One side does not match the other.

B is for Border.
The edges look uneven, blurry, jagged, or strange.

C is for Color.
There is more than one color, or the color is uneven.

D is for Diameter.
It is larger than a pencil eraser, although smaller spots can still matter.

E is for Evolving.
It is changing over time.

If your spot checks one or more of these boxes, it is worth having it looked at.

3. Watch for the “ugly duckling.”
This is one of the easiest rules to remember.

Most of your moles and freckles probably look like they belong to the same family. They may be different sizes, but they usually have a similar look.

If one spot looks completely different from the others, that is the ugly duckling.

It may be darker, oddly shaped, raised, crusty, or just visually “off.”

That does not mean it is cancer. It means it is different enough that a doctor should decide what it is.

4. If it will not heal, do not ignore it.
A sore that does not heal should be checked.

I am talking about a spot that scabs, bleeds, crusts over, opens back up, or looks like a little wound that keeps coming back.

Sometimes people say, “Oh, I just scratched it.”

Maybe.

But if you are “just scratching it” for six weeks, it is time to have someone look at it.

Especially pay attention to spots on sun-exposed areas like the face, ears, neck, shoulders, arms, and hands.

5. Rough, scaly, or crusty patches matter too.
Not every concerning skin change looks like a dark mole.

Some spots look pink, red, pale, shiny, rough, flaky, or crusty.

Some feel like sandpaper.

Some look like a dry patch that lotion never fixes.

Some look like a wart, a pimple, a bug bite, or an irritated spot that does not go away.

If it keeps coming back, keeps growing, or refuses to heal, get it checked.

6. Pain, itching, bleeding, or inflammation are warning signs.
A mole or spot that suddenly starts itching, hurting, bleeding, swelling, or becoming inflamed should not be brushed off.

Your skin can get irritated for many harmless reasons, but persistent symptoms are worth checking.

Again, this is not a panic button.

It is a “make an appointment” button.

7. Rashes have rules, too.
Most rashes improve with time, avoiding the irritant, or using basic care.

But a rash should be checked if it is spreading, painful, blistering, infected-looking, hot to the touch, not improving, or paired with fever or illness.

Also, if you have a rash and you are not sure if it is contagious, please do not bring it to your massage appointment as a surprise guest.

I love you.

But I do not want to share mystery rash energy with the rest of my clients.

8. When in doubt, let the doctor be the bad guy.
I cannot diagnose your skin.

I can notice something. I can tell you it looks different. I can suggest you have it checked.

But I cannot tell you it is fine. I cannot tell you it is cancer. I cannot tell you to ignore it.

That is not my lane.

My lane is muscles, movement, pain, compensation, and helping your body feel better.

Your doctor’s lane is the spot that changed color and started bleeding.

Final rule
If it is getting better, keep an eye on it.

If it is not getting better, get it checked.

If it is changing, bleeding, hurting, itching, crusting, growing, or just looks different from everything else, call your doctor.

And no, none of the rules say, “Ask your massage therapist.”

But if I see something on your back that looks questionable, I will tell you.

Because I care about you, and because sometimes what you cannot see is what needs attention.

Over the years, I have done massage and seen a lot. I have watched people recover from injuries, celebrate marriages, welcome babies, retire from careers, and accomplish goals they never thought possible.

I have also watched people experience loss.

The hardest loss of all is death.

This year alone, I have lost three friends to cancer and su***de. Loss has a way of reminding us how fragile and precious life really is.

Many of my clients have experienced loss, too. Some have lost spouses, parents, children, siblings, and dear friends. Others have lost dreams, relationships, or parts of themselves they thought would always be there.

One client in particular has stayed with me through the years. She came in for a massage between the death of her husband and his funeral. She had spent days holding everything together for her family. She was making phone calls, greeting visitors, answering questions, and carrying burdens no one should have to carry alone.

But when she walked into my massage room, she didn't have to be strong anymore.

She didn't have to hold it together.

She didn't have to pretend she was okay.

She simply got to grieve.

Sometimes people think massage is just about muscles. In my experience, it is often much more than that. The body carries stress, fear, exhaustion, and grief. Loss can show up as tight shoulders, headaches, jaw pain, difficulty sleeping, chest tightness, fatigue, or a feeling of being disconnected from yourself.

Massage cannot take away the loss.

It cannot bring back someone you love.

But it can give your nervous system a chance to rest. It can help your body breathe a little easier. It can provide a quiet space where you can feel whatever you need to feel.

Over the years, I have struggled with the idea of a business relationship versus a friendship. We spend so many hours together. I hear about your families, your vacations, your challenges, your victories, your children, and your dreams. I celebrate with you when life is good and hurt with you when life is hard.

Whether you realize it or not, many of you become part of my life, too.

So if you are carrying a loss right now, please know this:

You do not have to carry it alone.

My massage room is a place to heal, to be heard, and sometimes to mourn.

I am here.

I care about you.

And I love you.