ikigai bodyworks

02/12/2025

If you’ve followed bodyworkers like me long enough, you may have encountered the term myofascial and wondered, “What the heck is that?”

First, you have to understand . Fascia is a thin connective tissue enveloping your muscles. If your body were an orange, your skin would be the outside orange peel, your muscles would be the fleshy orange fruit itself, and the thin white membrane surrounding each orange segment would be the fascia. Or, to borrow from the great Obi-Wan Kenobi’s definition of The Force, fascia surrounds and penetrates our muscles and binds us all together.

Fascia surrounds every level of muscle tissue—muscle fibers, single muscles, and muscle groups. We refer to the integration of muscles ("myo") and fascia as the . As a , I do my best work here: addressing muscle hypertonicity, ischemia (reduced blood flow), and fascial adhesions to reduce pain and promote better movement.

So like, follow, and get ready! Over the next two weeks, I’ll take you on a journey that will blow your mind and give you a new perspective on what might be causing that nagging pain in your muscles.

02/04/2025

01/30/2025

Here's to humble beginnings: a shot from the end of my table at my new office in .

Want to know a simple trick for being customers obsessed as a ? lay on your own table and look around. if something annoys you, fix it, because it's probably going to annoy your clients as well.

Chester, the anatomical man on the wall, approves of this message.

01/24/2025

Do you wish you could experience therapeutic bodywork but haven't been able to fit it into your busy schedule? I hear you and want to remove barriers to serve you. Starting next week (January 27th), I'm expanding open hours to 9 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Click to Book Me link to begin.

09/09/2024

How can therapeutic massage support whiplash recovery?

First, a little terminology is in order. Whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) is the term used for a cluster of symptoms, including neck pain and disability, that typically result from an acceleration/deceleration movement of the neck following a motor vehicle crash (MVC).

WAD are the most common non-hospitalized injuries resulting from an MVC, estimated to account for 95% of all survivable MVC injuries in the USA. An estimated 3 million cases are reported in the U.S. each year, most commonly caused by rear-end car accidents.

There are several intentions in therapeutic massage for whiplash injuries: better range of motion, reduced scar tissue and adhesion formation, increased circulation to the sites of injury, and pain management. In any case, I would recommend we NOT begin within the crucial, first 72 hours post-injury - typically referred to as the “acute Inflammatory” or “reaction” phase of healing - when the body first responds to primary edema and inflammation. In fact, your first step would be to get clearance for massage from a treating physician. These are the people most qualified and trusted to make such a determination.

The intention of our first session would be to gently begin supporting soft tissue regeneration and repair. It would consist of a short period of slow, controlled motility (client moves their neck) bracketed by applications of manual lymphatic drainage to encourage the flow of lymph and inflammation from injury sites. Practice would progress over time into a combination of active and passive range of motion techniques intended to challenge the body commensurate to the stage of healing; neuromuscular techniques aimed at addressing adhesions, trigger points, and general holding patterns; and deep Swedish techniques to relax and reintegrate a traumatized area.

Are you seeking support in recovery from whiplash? Contact a licensed massage therapist in your area for a consultation.

09/07/2024

People commonly think of massage as an indulgence.

Therapeutic massage is, in fact, an application of bodywork for wellness and an important healthcare tool for most of our clients - for example, in the case of pain management while recovering from injury and chronic dysfunction. In 2018, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reviewed clinical studies on the impact of therapies for chronic low-back pain. They found that massage therapy was associated with a slightly greater effect on pain and function even after 1-6 months from the end of treatment.

Are you living with discomfort from an acute or chronic injury? Pain is a natural part of the rehabilitation process. It's not always possible to eliminate it, but interventions like massage therapy can help.

09/04/2024

About Shawn Price, LMT

Shawn Price is a talented massage therapist with an intuitive sense of touch. He is skilled in a broad set of modalities - from Swedish and neuromuscular massage to Chinese energy practices known generally as Qigong. Shawn is a former US Army Officer and combat veteran with a 25-year history of excellence in engineering and innovation management. Challenged by health issues, Shawn left a career developing medical devices to serve those seeking holistic healing solutions.

In 2024, Shawn founded Ikigai Bodyworks after completing a 720-hour massage program at the esteemed Colorado School of Healing Arts. Through Ikigai (in Japanese, 生き甲斐 or "reason for living"), Shawn aims to build therapeutic relationships to help clients cultivate their bodies for their passions.