Body Balance Massage

04/15/2026

Get in to see Bre Harpole, LMT in April for a facial massage! Half off when you book a 90 minute massage with her! Call/text 563-334-2033 to get on her schedule.

04/13/2026

Tennis elbow from typing? Here’s how that can happen and what to do about it. We can also treat this injury in the clinic with great success. Call/text 563-334-2033 to get an appointment!

The Keyboard Claw: Why Typing is Tearing Your Elbow 🛑⌨️

Do you spend 8 hours a day typing at a computer or aggressively clicking a mouse, only to develop a deep, burning ache right on the outside bony bump of your elbow? Does it suddenly feel excruciatingly painful to lift a coffee mug, turn a doorknob, or shake someone's hand?

Most office workers are shocked when a doctor diagnoses them with "Tennis Elbow," especially since they haven't touched a tennis racket in their lives! But you don't need to play sports to destroy this joint. You are subjecting your forearm tendons to a massive, non-stop isometric tug-of-war. Welcome to Lateral Epicondylitis. Let’s dive deeply into the elite 3D anatomical map above to witness the micro-tearing happening in your arm.

The Anatomy: The Extensor Cables
Running along the top of your forearm are thick muscles (the Extensors) that lift your wrist and fingers upward. All of these powerful muscles merge into one single, highly stressed tendon that anchors directly onto the sharp bony bump on the outside of your elbow (the Lateral Epicondyle).

[Getty Images: Lateral view of the forearm musculature highlighting the extensor carpi radialis brevis and its origin at the lateral epicondyle]

The Biomechanics of the Glitch
When you type on a keyboard or hold a mouse, you naturally c**k your wrists slightly UPWARD so your fingers can hover over the keys. To hold your heavy hands in this elevated "claw" position for hours, those forearm muscles must lock into a violent, non-stop isometric contraction. The massive green tension arrow represents this brutal, relentless pulling force.

The Consequence: The Anchor Rip
Your forearm muscles never get a single second of rest! The continuous, exhausting tension travels straight up the muscle and dumps 100% of its force directly onto that single tendon anchor at the elbow. Over months of typing, this tendon is pulled so violently that it actively begins to fray and micro-tear off the bone (the vibrant glowing red and white zone)! The sharp, burning pain when you lift a coffee mug is your frayed tendon literally ripping further away from your skeleton!

[Shutterstock: High-definition 3D microscopic rendering showing collagen degradation, micro-tearing, and severe fibroblast inflammation at a tendon-bone junction]

How to Break the Cycle

Drop the Keyboard Legs: Flat is better! Flip your keyboard over and push those little kickstand legs down. A completely flat keyboard forces you to keep your wrists perfectly neutral, instantly shutting off the green arrow of exhausting tension.

The "Wrist Flexor" Stretch: You must loosen the tight cables! Hold your arm straight out, point your fingers down to the floor, and use your other hand to gently pull your hand toward your body. Hold for 30 seconds to physically stretch the burning extensor muscles.

The Rubber Band Drill: Put a thick rubber band around the outside of all five fingers and slowly open your hand against the resistance. This strengthens the opposing muscles and pumps healing blood into the torn elbow tendon.

Save this crucial structural breakdown to save your elbows, and tag a desk worker! 👇

04/10/2026

APRIL SPECIAL!!

Come enjoy a facial massage with Bre Harpole, LMT.
Call/text 563-334-2033

*Pair it with a 90 minute massage and the facial massage is 50% off!

The Body Balance Facial Massage has 9 comprehensive steps:

1. Cleanse - Remove impurities from the surface of your facial skin, neck and décolleté

2. Exfoliate - Eliminate dead skin cells to reveal a smoother texture and prepare the face, neck and décolleté for light therapy

3. Professional Light Therapy

Red: The anti-aging & healing properties of red light therapy stimulate collagen & elastin production for firmer, smoother skin. Reduces the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles. Improves circulation for a healthier glow. Speeds wound healing & tissue repair. Reduces inflammation & redness.

Blue: Kills acne-causing bacteria for fewer breakouts. Helps regulate oil production. Soothes irritated or inflamed skin. Can reduce the appearance of pores over time.

Yellow: Boosts oxygen supply to skin cells for a radiant, refreshed look. Improves skin tone & reduces dullness. Reduces redness & irritation. Supports lymphatic flow for decreased puffiness/swelling. Promotes an even complexion.

4. Mask - Lightweight oil-free hydration. Revitalizes tired or stressed skin. Calms irritation & redness. Tones & tightens.

5. Deep Muscle Work - Lifts & tones facial muscles

6. Lymphatic Drainage - Reduces puffiness & swelling, aids in cellular detox, reduces sinus pressure, inceases circulation

7. Gua Sha & Cryoglobes - Sculpts the face, boosts skin recovery

8. Moisturize - Supports skin barrier, protects against environmental stressors, improves elasticity, prevents dryness

9. Scalp Massage - Increased circulation and tension relief with relaxation and calmed nervous system

We use and sell only Ilike Organic Skin Care Products

Call/text 563-334-2033 to get on Bre's schedule!

04/09/2026

First, there was text neck and now cellphone elbow. Basically, any repetitive motion you are doing everyday can cause issues with your body. We can help. Text/Call 563-334-2033 to get on the schedule.

The Cellphone Elbow: Why Your Pinky Finger Goes Numb 🛑📱

Do you spend hours scrolling on your phone in bed, or holding it up to your ear during long calls? Have you started to notice a bizarre, electrical tingling, burning, or complete numbness exclusively in your pinky finger and the ring finger next to it? Does your grip suddenly feel weak when you try to open a water bottle?

Most people panic, assume they are getting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and start wearing wrist braces. But if the numbness is strictly isolated to your pinky and ring finger, your wrist is completely innocent. You are actively strangling a major neurological cable on the opposite end of your arm. Welcome to Cubital Tunnel Syndrome (Cellphone Elbow). Let’s look at the elite 3D anatomical map above to witness the physical trap you are creating while scrolling.

The Anatomy: The "Funny Bone" Cable
Running from your neck all the way down to your pinky finger is a massive electrical cable called the Ulnar Nerve. To get to your hand, this cable has to travel through a very tight, narrow biological tunnel directly behind the sharp bone on the inside of your elbow (the Medial Epicondyle). This exposed nerve is what you hit when you strike your "funny bone."

The Biomechanics of the Glitch
When you hold your phone up to your face, or lie in bed with your phone resting on your chest (the Action Pose above), you are forcing your elbow into extreme, acute hyper-flexion. You lock the joint completely closed for hours at a time. The green arrow represents this violent, sustained pulling force.

The Consequence: The Neurological Strangulation
Because the yellow nerve has to wrap around the back of the elbow joint, keeping your arm sharply bent pulls that nerve incredibly tight! It violently stretches the raw yellow cable directly against the hard, sharp white bone of your elbow. The glowing red and white friction zone is your nerve physically fraying and suffocating under the extreme tension. The blood supply is literally cut off! The numbness in your pinky is your nervous system screaming for oxygen because you are strangling the cable at the elbow!

How to Break the Cycle

The 90-Degree Rule: Stop scrolling with your elbows completely bent! Keep your arms as straight as possible, or rest the phone on a stand so your elbow never bends past 90 degrees.

The Towel Splint: People curl their arms up like T-Rexes when they sleep, worsening the nerve crush! Wrap a rolled-up towel loosely around your elbow at night with medical tape to physically stop the arm from bending while you sleep.

Nerve Gliding: Do not forcefully stretch the arm! Straighten your arm out to your side, palm facing up, and gently tilt your head away from the arm, then bring it back. This smoothly "flosses" the trapped nerve through the swollen elbow tunnel.

Save this elite structural breakdown to save your hands, and tag someone addicted to their phone! 👇

04/01/2026

a common complaint we see in the clinic..

The Blade Burn: Why You Have a Knife Between Your Shoulders 🛑🔪

Have you ever been sitting at your computer, or driving your car, and suddenly felt a deep, burning, agonizing knot perfectly locked right between your shoulder blade and your spine? It feels like someone drove a hot dagger into your upper back, and no amount of stretching seems to make it pop or go away.

Most people try to massage it by rolling violently on a tennis ball, or ask someone to "dig an elbow" into the knot. But if the pain comes back 30 minutes later, you are treating the symptom, not the mechanical failure. You are experiencing Rhomboid Spasm. Let’s look at the premium 3D Écorché map above to understand why your back is actively ripping apart.

[Insert Getty Images / Shutterstock Anatomical Diagram of Rhomboids Here]

The Anatomy: The Biological Bridge
Connecting your spine to the inner edge of your shoulder blade is a thick, incredibly strong bridge of muscle called the Rhomboid. Its single biological job is to act like a heavy-duty bungee cord, keeping your shoulder blade pulled securely back and anchored to your spine.

The Biomechanics of the Glitch
When you sit at a desk, type on a keyboard, or look down at a phone, your heavy arms fall forward. Because your arms are attached to your shoulder blades, this heavy weight physically drags your shoulder blades outward, completely away from your spine (the green arrows).

Now, the biological bridge (the Rhomboid) is stretched to its absolute maximum limit. It is desperately fighting against the weight of your entire arm to hold your shoulder blade in place.

The Consequence: The Exhausted Rope
After 8 hours of this massive tension, the muscle fails. It becomes completely exhausted and locks into a severe defensive spasm to prevent the muscle fibers from physically tearing in half. That burning, rock-hard knot (the glowing red zone) is a localized biological emergency. Your muscle is literally suffocating under the heavy mechanical tension of your arms dragging your skeleton forward!

How to Break the Cycle

Stop Rolling the Knot: Digging a hard tennis ball straight into an exhausted, over-stretched muscle only causes more micro-tearing and inflammation!

Stretch the Front, Not the Back: Your back hurts because your chest muscles (Pecs) are too tight, dragging the shoulders forward! Stand in a doorway, place your forearms on the frame, and lean forward to violently open the chest.

Scapular Squeezes: You must give the stretched bridge some slack. Sit up straight and actively squeeze your shoulder blades together as hard as you can for 10 seconds. This removes the outward tension and allows the burning knot to finally melt.

Fix the mechanical load, pull the shoulders back, and the dagger will vanish. Save this breakdown! 👇🧠

03/31/2026

Some great info for side-sleepers with hip pain.

The Side-Sleeper's Ache: Why Your Mattress is Crushing Your Hip 🛑🛏️

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a deep, agonizing, bruised feeling exactly on the outside of your hip? You might have tried buying a softer mattress topper, or assumed you developed early-onset arthritis in your hip joint.

If your joint X-rays are clear but the deep ache persists—making it physically impossible to sleep on your side—the root cause is entirely mechanical. You are experiencing Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS). Let’s look at the premium 3D Écorché map above to understand how your sleeping posture is literally crushing your anatomy.

The Anatomy: The Gluteal Anchor
To keep your pelvis level when you walk, your body relies on two massive muscles on the side of your hip: the Gluteus Medius and Minimus. These thick muscles travel down and anchor directly onto a sharp, prominent bony bump on the outside of your thigh bone (the Greater Trochanter). To stop these heavy tendons from rubbing against the bone, you have a tiny, fluid-filled sac called a bursa acting as a biological cushion.

The Biomechanics of the Crush
When you sleep on your side for 8 hours, your entire upper body weight is concentrated directly onto this bony bump. If your glute muscles are already tight from sitting all day, they pull the tendons tightly over the bone like a stretched rubber band. When this tightened tendon is pinned under the heavy weight of your body against a mattress, the biological cushion gets mechanically trapped.

The Consequence: The Friction Fire
Suddenly, your body's shock absorber fails. The fluid-filled bursa bursts with severe inflammation, and the heavy glute tendons physically grind against the hard bone underneath (the glowing red zone). You don't just feel "muscle soreness"; you feel a deep, toxic, burning friction. Your hip is screaming because the tissues are being mechanically suffocated and crushed between your skeleton and your bed. This extreme compression prevents the micro-tears from healing, trapping you in a cycle of chronic nighttime pain.

How to Break the Cycle

The Pillow Spacer: You must mechanically restore your pelvic alignment. Sleep with a thick, firm pillow directly between your knees. This stops your top leg from dropping and drastically reduces the tension pulling on the outer hip tendons.

Targeted Glute Strengthening: Stop trying to passively stretch the pain away. You must perform isometric holds (like side-lying leg lifts) to rebuild the load capacity of the frayed glute tendons without adding friction.

Stop IT Band Rolling: Never foam roll directly over the painful bony bump! You are only crushing the inflamed bursa further. Roll the fleshy muscles at the top of the hip instead.

Your skeletal system requires perfect mechanical alignment, even at rest. Remove the compression, and the tissue will heal. Save this breakdown! 👇🧠

03/29/2026

one of the best healthcare habits you can do for your muscles and quality of life.

A single massage can make your body feel relaxed for a day. But when massage becomes a monthly habit, your body slowly begins to change in ways most people never notice.

Regular massage improves blood circulation, helping oxygen and nutrients reach muscles more efficiently. Over time, this can reduce muscle tension, ease chronic pain, improve flexibility, and support faster recovery after physical strain. It also affects the nervous system by lowering the stress hormone cortisol while increasing serotonin and dopamine, the chemicals linked to calmness and emotional balance. Many people also experience better sleep, lower blood pressure, and fewer stress related headaches when massage is part of their routine.

Without massage, everyday stress and muscle tension tend to accumulate quietly in the body. Long hours of sitting, repetitive movement, and mental stress can tighten muscles, slow circulation, and keep the body in a constant low level stress response. Over time this may lead to stiffness, fatigue, poor sleep, and recurring aches that people often dismiss as normal parts of daily life. Research shows massage can help interrupt this cycle by relaxing muscles, calming the nervous system, and improving overall physical and mental well being.

In other words, the difference between monthly massage and none at all is not just comfort. It is whether your body regularly resets from stress or quietly carries it forward.

Source: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

03/11/2026

We’re excited to welcome Bre Harpole, LMT to the Body Balance Massage & Spa team!

Bre brings a strong foundation in anatomy, pathology, and kinesiology, along with an Associate Degree in Science and a background in healthcare. Her approach to massage focuses on outcome-based bodywork, meaning each session is thoughtfully customized to address the root cause of pain, not just the symptoms.

Bre specializes in techniques such as deep tissue, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, Swedish massage, cupping, hot stone, and prenatal massage. She is passionate about creating individualized treatment plans designed to support injury recovery, chronic pain management, improved mobility, and stress-related conditions.

Known for her professional presence and compassionate care, Bre strives to create a safe, respectful, and clinically focused environment where clients feel supported in their healing process. She believes massage is an important part of maintaining overall health and wellness and is continuing her education by persuing her Medical Massage Practitioner Certification.

If you’d like to experience Bre’s work, appointments are now available. Call or text (563) 334-2033 to schedule, or message us here for availability. We’re excited for you to meet her!

05/15/2025

Exciting News from Body Balance Massage!

We’re thrilled to share that our very own Sindi Bisenius, MMP, LMT, has been accepted into the distance learning summer semester with Harvard Medical School!

Sindi will be studying Physiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology. These courses will deepen her understanding of the human body and enhance the level of care she provides through Medical Massage. This advanced education aligns with her ongoing mission to deliver informed, whole-body care and support clients managing chronic and acute conditions.

Through these courses, Sindi will explore how biochemistry relates to disease and clinical care, how the immune system adapts to new challenges, and the foundational principles of human physiology. This knowledge will directly support her work with clients facing conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, Chiari malformation, migraine disorder, and more.

Please join us in congratulating Sindi on this incredible opportunity! Her dedication to continuous learning is a true benefit to our community!

05/13/2025

We love our monthly clients!!

03/31/2025

Celebrating Trans Day of Visibility at Body Balance Massage & Health Spa

Today, we honor the strength, resilience, and beauty of the transgender community on this Trans Day of Visibility. At Body Balance Massage we believe that self-care is a vital part of every individual’s journey, and we are proud to offer a welcoming, inclusive space where everyone can feel seen, valued, and pampered.

Whether you’re seeking relaxation, healing, or simply a moment to unwind, we’re here to support your well-being with open arms and a peaceful atmosphere.

We want to thank you for the courage, authenticity, and love you bring to the world.

Let us help you feel rejuvenated, refreshed, and supported—because everyone deserves to experience the healing power of touch.

~Sindi, Luke and Jesse

03/21/2025

Book a 60-Minute Massage With Luke Mueller MMP and Enjoy a FREE Extra 15 Minute!

✨ Available for all 60 minute bookings during the week of March 24th - 30th.

✨ Use this extra 15 minutes for CUPPING, LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE, AROMA THERAPY, ASSISTED STRETCHING, or extra massage time on those much needed areas!

✨ Valid for any 60 minute massage.

Too book your appointment call or text us at

563-334-2033

Or

Via Email through our website at

Body Balance, Dubuque, Iowa, has the two only Certified Medical Massage Practitioners in the city. Jesse Meyer, MMP, LMT and Sindi Bisenius, MMP, LMT are Licensed Massage Therapists who practice traditional swedish massage therapy, prenatal massage, sacred lomi lomi massage therapy, medical massage....