Old Remedies Massage Therapy

09/17/2025

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07/31/2025

That Dreaded Crick in the Neck: What Causes It and What You Can Do

Have you ever woken up and immediately known your day was going to be harder than it should be—because you couldn’t turn your head?

Maybe you slept funny. Maybe you can’t pinpoint what went wrong. You try turning your head to check traffic and realize—nope, not happening. That sharp, pinching “crick in the neck” has arrived.

I’ve seen this countless times in my practice over the years. It might seem like it came out of nowhere, but neck pain like this almost always has a cause—and fortunately, there are things you can do about it (even if you can’t make it in for a massage right away).

Let me walk you through what I’ve learned, what to look for, and how you can start feeling better—right now.

1. Your Pillow Isn’t “Wrong”—It Just Might Not Match Your Body
One of the first things I ask clients with neck pain is: What’s going on with your pillow?

Now, I’m not going to give you a one-size-fits-all pillow recommendation. I don’t believe in them. That’s because your neck needs support that keeps your spine straight while you sleep, and that looks different for everyone.

For example, I sleep on a Purple mattress, which is soft and sinks quite a bit. I’m also a side sleeper with broad shoulders, so I use pillows to prop and support myself in just the right way to keep my neck aligned. If I didn’t? I'd be waking up sore and stiff, too.

If you’re waking up with tightness or neck pain, your first step is to evaluate your sleeping posture. Don’t focus on buying a miracle pillow—instead, focus on keeping your spine straight.

2. Let’s Talk About Your Desk Setup
Even if your sleep posture is ideal, neck pain can develop over the course of your workday.

Consider how your workspace is arranged. Is your monitor positioned directly in front of you, or do you find yourself constantly turning your head to one side? Are you using a laptop with no riser, looking down all day? Is your desk at a height that encourages good posture, or do you end up leaning forward or to the side?

Poor ergonomics might not cause immediate pain, but over time they absolutely create strain—and your neck will take the hit.

Take a few minutes to look at your workspace with fresh eyes. Small adjustments, such as centering your screen or propping up your laptop, can go a long way in preventing those recurring stiff-neck episodes.

3. Parents, You Know What I’m Talking About
This one’s for the parents and grandparents, especially those with young kids or grandkids.

I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen a crick in the neck caused by... cuddles.

When little ones are sick or tired, we tend to carry them around more or fall asleep holding them in awkward positions. It's sweet, it’s comforting—but it’s also physically demanding in ways we don’t always notice until we’re paying the price the next morning.

If you’re in that season of life, just know this is a common issue. Pay attention to how you’re holding the kids and how long you're in that posture. And if you do find yourself waking up sore, give yourself a little grace—and a little massage.

4. A Surprising Culprit: Sleep Apnea
Here’s something you might not have heard before: neck pain—especially tension and tightness on the sides of the neck—can sometimes be linked to undiagnosed sleep apnea.

When you’re struggling to breathe in your sleep (even slightly), your scalene muscles (those long, skinny muscles on the sides of your neck) step in to help. They’re accessory breathing muscles, and when they work overtime, they tighten up.

And here’s the thing: you don’t always feel out of breath or even know it’s happening. You just wake up with a sore neck and no clue why.

To release the scalenes, apply some lotion and gently run your fingers from just under your ear down to your collarbone. You’ll probably find a few tender, ropey spots. That’s where the tension lives. Massaging these muscles can be one of the quickest ways to restore your range of motion.

If neck pain is a chronic issue for you—especially paired with poor sleep, daytime fatigue, or snoring—it might be worth looking into sleep apnea more seriously.

5. My Favorite On-the-Go Fix: A TENS Unit
A few years ago, I purchased a small TENS unit on Amazon that connects to my phone, and it has been a total game changer.

I first used it on a hike up Mount Timpanogos. We were camping overnight, my body was sore, and I needed something portable. This little unit fit in my bag and helped me calm down some stubborn muscle tightness in my neck and upper back. I’ve since used it on my arms, shoulders, and back.

It’s not a substitute for hands-on work, but when you’re traveling or between sessions, it’s a smart tool to have on hand.

6. What to Do Right Now if Your Neck Hurts
If you're in pain right now, start with this:
Try gentle, low-impact neck stretches. I created an 8-minute video you can follow along with—no equipment needed. It’s a great way to loosen things up, especially if your muscles have just “locked up” overnight.

(Pro tip: If your neck is very tight, apply a heating pad for 15–20 minutes before you stretch. You’ll get better results.)

If that doesn’t relieve the tightness, try a light massage, especially the scalenes. Rotation is often the problem when your neck gets stuck, and releasing those muscles is one of the fastest ways to restore movement.

One Final Thought
Pain is a signal, not a life sentence. Whether it starts with your pillow, your desk, or your breathing, your body is trying to get your attention. I hope this provides you with a few ways to start listening and feeling better.

Of course, if you need more help, I’m just a message away. You don’t have to live with a stiff neck.

8-Minute Stretches for Your Neck
https://youtu.be/9_IZkqBYqW0?si=MKdRxM__XSbDx7de

Easy Neck Massage
https://youtu.be/CITlaiITfXw?si=nuy-ceJL0MV3U7yl

07/23/2025

When Shoulder Pain Has Nothing to Do with the Shoulder

Shoulder pain is tricky.

People often think they need to stretch it, ice it, or “work it out.” But in my experience, that pain often doesn’t come from the shoulder at all—it comes from two other places in the body.

Just like we talked about with the knee last week, shoulder pain is often caused by torque—a twist in the body caused by two different injuries pulling in opposite directions.

Here’s what I see again and again in my practice:
Shoulder torque often comes from a combination of an old head injury and repetitive strain in the hand or forearm.

How This Pattern Starts
Let’s break it down:

The Head Injury
This could be a concussion, a car accident, a fall, or even whiplash. The injury doesn’t have to be recent. In fact, many of the clients I work with forgot they ever hit their head until we started digging into their history. But the scar tissue in the neck and head can pull downward, subtly changing how the shoulder sits in the joint.

The Hand or Forearm Strain
Unlike the foot, which takes impact and injury, our hands deal with repetition. Typing. Holding a mouse. Texting. Lifting weights.
Over time, this leads to shortening in the lower arm, particularly in individuals who spend their days sitting at a desk. You may not feel pain in the forearm, but the tension is there, pulling up toward the shoulder.

Together, these two forces twist the shoulder joint into a less-than-ideal position. That’s when the rotator cuff gets irritated. That’s when bursitis develops. That’s when you suddenly can’t lift your arm without pain.

Try This Test at Home
Here’s a simple way to feel the torque for yourself:

Let one hand drop to your side with your palm facing behind you.

Relax your shoulder downward.

Now try to lift your arm straight out to the side—as if you were a bird about to take flight.

Feel that?
Your shoulder stops moving at a certain point. It gets stuck. That’s not weakness—it’s restriction. By simply changing how the arm sits in the shoulder joint, you’ve revealed how limited it’s become.

Now imagine staying in that position for hours every day—whether due to poor posture, tension, or scar tissue. Over time, that restriction leads to wear and tear, inflammation, and pain.

Repetitive Use vs. Injury
Unlike a foot that’s slammed by a cleat or rolled during a run, hands don’t typically experience trauma—they experience overuse. Overuse leads to the shortening of tissues in the forearm. Even if there was never a break, over time, the body reacts as if there was—laying down scar tissue to protect the area.

If you’ve ever had a wrist fracture, elbow surgery, or a broken finger, it’s even more important to address this. And if you haven’t? Repetition alone can still do the job.

What Helps
When I work with shoulder pain, I don’t start at the shoulder. I start at the source:

Releasing the lower arm and hand

Assessing for old head or neck injuries

Rebalancing the position of the shoulder within the girdle

This is exactly why I created targeted techniques in the Pain Relief Guru app for the neck, shoulders, and forearms—because healing occurs when you address the entire pattern, not just the noisy joint.

My Personal Story
I’ve been there myself.
For months, I tried everything for my own shoulder pain—massage, heat and cold, and physical therapy. I knew the mechanics, the muscles, the trigger points… and still, the pain persisted.

Eventually, I saw a specialist and discovered I had bursitis—inflammation in the bursa of the shoulder joint. In that case, no amount of massage or stretching would have fully resolved it on its own.

It reminded me of something important:
There is a time and place for home therapy—and there’s also a time to get help.

Sometimes the body needs rest.
Sometimes it needs guidance.
And sometimes, it needs a diagnosis to move forward.

The Takeaway
If you’ve been dealing with shoulder pain, don’t just chase the symptoms.
Ask yourself:

Have I had an old head or neck injury?

Do I work at a desk or do repetitive tasks with my hands?

Am I stretching and strengthening—but not seeing progress?

If so, the issue might not be your shoulder—it might be the torque in your system.

Let’s unwind it together.

youtu.be/Crqb6i0l3G8?si=C_o9kW_HweB8bH-7
youtu.be/EVeR4kr92oQ?si=EhpDNsJcx2IB2rE_

Shoulders carry a lot—physically and emotionally. Let’s give yours a break.

Don't just get a massage; get better!

Christina

07/23/2025

Knee Pain Doesn’t Always Start in the Knee
Let me tell you something I’ve seen over and over again in my practice:

People come in convinced they have a knee problem.
But after two decades of working with pain patterns, I can tell you—most of the time, the knee is just the messenger. The real problem started somewhere else.

Let me explain.

The Torque Chain: When the Body Starts Twisting
One of the most common causes of knee pain I see is torque—a fancy word for twisting force. When one part of your body can’t move well, another part picks up the slack. Over time, that imbalance shows up as pain.

With knee issues, this often happens when the tailbone and the foot aren’t working well together.

The Football Pattern: The Perfect Storm for Knee Pain
If you’ve ever watched football—or played it—you know what those guys go through.

Constantly getting knocked on their backsides.

Repeated hits to the hips and tailbone.

Feet getting stomped on by cleats.

It’s the perfect storm.
The hips and low back tighten to protect the tailbone. The foot stiffens or flattens from impact. That force travels up and down the leg in a spiral—until it lands in the knee.

And then the knee takes the fall.

This same pattern shows up in non-athletes too—especially if you've had multiple falls, a stubbed toe that never quite healed, or lower back issues you’ve brushed off for years.

The “Mimic” Injury: When the Body Adapts Too Well
Now here’s something I don’t hear many people talk about—but I see it in my practice all the time.

I call it a mimic injury.

Let’s say you’ve fallen on your tailbone—maybe multiple times over the years. You didn’t break anything (or at least, no one told you that you did). However, over time, your body begins to treat the area as if it were broken.

Why? Because the body is incredibly smart.

It lays down scar tissue to protect that spot, to stabilize it, and keep it from getting worse. But as that scar tissue builds up, the tailbone loses mobility—and starts to behave more like a fused joint than a flexible one.

The result? You lose movement in the low spine and hips… and the knees are forced to twist and bend around that restriction.

Suddenly, you’ve got "bad knees"—but it was your tailbone all along.

Old Injuries, New Pain
These kinds of patterns are common in:

Women who’ve given birth, especially after tailbone bruising or long labors.

People who’ve slipped on ice or fallen rollerblading and never fully recovered.

Active folks who ignored a foot injury or wore poor shoes for years.

And yes—parents, athletes, and everyday workers who’ve spent a lifetime pushing through discomfort without taking time to heal.

The pain may feel new, but the pattern is familiar. It has often been in the works for a long time.

What Can You Do?
The first step is to stop blaming the knee.
Pain is a signal—but it’s not always the source.

Here’s what I recommend if you’re dealing with stubborn knee pain:

✅ Check your history: Have you had falls, tailbone injuries, or foot trauma? That matters.

✅ Try releasing the chain: Inside the Pain Relief Guru app, I’ve included short sessions for the hips, feet, and low back—because that’s often where knee relief really starts.

✅ Get hands-on help: Sometimes scar tissue needs skilled attention. Massage therapy can help unravel those deep, hidden restrictions and restore mobility where you’ve lost it.

✅ Ask for support: I offer coaching and personalized assessments to help you determine the best course of action. You don’t have to figure it out alone.

The Takeaway
Knee pain is frustrating—but it’s not mysterious.

Your body is doing the best it can with what it’s been through.
When one area stiffens, another steps up. Over time, that compensation creates pain patterns that seem unrelated—until you step back and look at the whole picture.

And that’s what I help people do.

You deserve to feel strong in your knees again—not just patched up, but actually supported. Let’s get you moving forward.

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

07/09/2025

What Stress Really Does to Your Body—and How to Fight Back
Chronic vs. Acute Stress: What Your Muscles Wish You Knew

Stress isn’t always bad.

A short burst of stress (like a big meeting, a sports game, or even running late) is called acute stress. It can sharpen your focus, increase reaction time, and temporarily boost strength or energy.

But when stress becomes a regular part of life—when your nervous system doesn’t get the signal that it’s safe to relax—that’s when things

Why We Wait to Feel Better—Even When We Don’t Want To

Let me start with a bit of honesty:
There have been plenty of days I’ve ignored my own advice.

I’ve told myself, “I’ll stretch later,” or “I’ll book a massage when things calm down.” I’ve even avoided opening my own app—Pain Relief Guru—after long days when I knew it could help.

Sound familiar?

It’s not laziness. It’s not a lack of discipline.
It’s just… being human.

I recently revisited a book called Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, which helped me understand why we do this—why we sometimes delay the very things that make us feel better.

1. We’re Drawn to “Free”—Even When It Doesn’t Actually Help
We love free videos, free advice, free everything. And it’s not bad—but sometimes, “free” keeps us in a loop of searching instead of healing.

I’ve worked with clients who bounced from one internet solution to the next, hoping the next foam rolling tip would be the one. But real, sustainable relief often needs a little structure and consistency.

That’s why Pain Relief Guru exists—not to overwhelm you with info, but to guide you with real, focused sessions that actually work.

2. We Procrastinate What’s Good for Us
One of Ariely’s experiments showed that even when people know what’s good for them, they often choose short-term comfort instead. Sound familiar?

We delay the stretch, the massage, the walk around the block—because we think we’ll do it later. But later rarely comes unless we create something that gently nudges us into action.

That’s why the app is built around quick wins. Just five or ten minutes can shift your energy and relieve pain enough to feel like yourself again. You don’t need a perfect routine. You just need a starting point.

3. We Don’t Know What We Need Until It’s Laid Out Clearly
This book talks about how we make better decisions when we’re given good comparisons or a clear path forward. When you’re hurting, it’s hard to know what to try first. That’s why I’ve designed the app around everyday pain scenarios—like tech neck, hip stiffness from driving, or shoulder pain from sleep positions.

If you know what hurts, the app can help you figure out why—and what to do about it.

4. We Heal Best Through Connection—Not Just Information
The most powerful thing I’ve learned in two decades of massage therapy is this: healing isn’t just physical. It’s emotional, relational, and deeply personal.

That’s why I don’t just want you to watch a video and move on. I want you to feel supported—whether through coaching, a one-on-one session, or just knowing that the voice guiding you through each technique gets it.

You don’t need to go through this alone. Your pain has a story, and it deserves more than a quick fix.

So here’s what I’d offer:
Don’t beat yourself up for putting off self-care.
You’re not broken—you’re just wired like the rest of us.

But now that you know the patterns…
You can change how you respond to them.

Start with one small thing:
Open the app and try one technique.
Book the massage you’ve been meaning to schedule.
Take five minutes to check in with your body.

That’s all it takes to interrupt the pattern—and begin a new one.

shift into chronic stress. And this is where real damage begins.

Here’s what chronic and acute stress do to the body:

Muscle Tension: Stress activates your “fight or flight” response, causing muscles—especially in the neck, shoulders, jaw, and lower back—to tighten. Acute stress causes temporary tension. Chronic stress can lead to long-term pain and movement restrictions.

Circulation Changes: During high stress, blood flow is rerouted to vital organs, reducing oxygen to muscles and joints. This can cause tightness, fatigue, and slower recovery from workouts or injuries.

Hormonal Imbalance: Cortisol (your stress hormone) remains elevated under chronic stress. This can interfere with sleep, digestion, and healing, all of which are crucial for a pain-free body.

Nervous System Overdrive: When the body is constantly on alert, the parasympathetic system (your rest and recovery mode) gets suppressed. You never fully “power down,” which can keep the body inflamed and sensitive to pain.

How Massage Therapy Helps Undo the Damage:

Massage is one of the most effective ways to shift the body from a state of stress to a state of healing.

It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, signaling to your body that it’s safe to relax.

It reduces cortisol levels and increases serotonin and dopamine, promoting a better mood, improved digestion, and better sleep.

It releases stored muscle tension, improving mobility and reducing the pain cycles caused by chronic holding patterns.

It brings fresh oxygen and nutrients to tight areas while helping the lymph system flush away waste and inflammation.

Even one session can start the reset. Regular sessions act like a maintenance program for your nervous system, helping you stay calm, mobile, and more resilient—even when life is complete.

Closing Call to Action:
If you’ve been living with tight shoulders, restless sleep, or that “buzzing under the skin” feeling, your body may be stuck in stress mode. Massage isn’t just about feeling good in the moment. It’s about giving your body the safety signal it’s been waiting for.

Let’s get you back to calm, clear, and comfortable.

07/02/2025

What Stress Really Does to Your Body—and How to Fight Back
Chronic vs. Acute Stress: What Your Muscles Wish You Knew

Stress isn’t always bad.

A short burst of stress (like a big meeting, a sports game, or even running late) is called acute stress. It can sharpen your focus, increase reaction time, and temporarily boost strength or energy.

But when stress becomes a regular part of life—when your nervous system doesn’t get the signal that it’s safe to relax—that’s when things shift into chronic stress. And this is where real damage begins.

Here’s what chronic and acute stress do to the body:

Muscle Tension: Stress activates your “fight or flight” response, causing muscles—especially in the neck, shoulders, jaw, and lower back—to tighten. Acute stress causes temporary tension. Chronic stress can lead to long-term pain and movement restrictions.

Circulation Changes: During high stress, blood flow is rerouted to vital organs, reducing oxygen to muscles and joints. This can cause tightness, fatigue, and slower recovery from workouts or injuries.

Hormonal Imbalance: Cortisol (your stress hormone) remains elevated under chronic stress. This can interfere with sleep, digestion, and healing, all of which are crucial for a pain-free body.

Nervous System Overdrive: When the body is constantly on alert, the parasympathetic system (your rest and recovery mode) gets suppressed. You never fully “power down,” which can keep the body inflamed and sensitive to pain.

How Massage Therapy Helps Undo the Damage:

Massage is one of the most effective ways to shift the body from a state of stress to a state of healing.

It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, signaling to your body that it’s safe to relax.

It reduces cortisol levels and increases serotonin and dopamine, promoting a better mood, improved digestion, and better sleep.

It releases stored muscle tension, improving mobility and reducing the pain cycles caused by chronic holding patterns.

It brings fresh oxygen and nutrients to tight areas while helping the lymph system flush away waste and inflammation.

Even one session can start the reset. Regular sessions act like a maintenance program for your nervous system, helping you stay calm, mobile, and more resilient—even when life is complete.

If you’ve been living with tight shoulders, restless sleep, or that “buzzing under the skin” feeling, your body may be stuck in stress mode. Massage isn’t just about feeling good in the moment. It’s about giving your body the safety signal it’s been waiting for.

Let’s get you back to calm, clear, and comfortable.

Christina

07/01/2025

Let me start with a confession:
I don’t like the cold.

Growing up in Idaho—where the wind stings, the snow sticks around for half the year, and you learn to keep a blanket in your car “just in case”—cold was just part of life. And as soon as I could choose otherwise, I did. Cozy sweaters? Yes. Ice baths? Absolutely not.

So you can imagine my surprise when cold therapy ended up helping me more than I ever expected.

A Personal Turning Point in the Canyon
Last month, I went canyoneering with friends. For those who haven’t done it—it’s a mix of hiking, rappelling, and swimming through narrow canyon paths carved out by water and time. It’s exhilarating… and physically demanding.

Lately, I’ve been dealing with some unexplained heart rate and blood pressure issues. My doctors haven’t quite figured it out yet. Nothing dangerous, but enough to make me cautious about pushing too hard. On that trip, the very first uphill climb hit me harder than I expected. I had a wetsuit on, the sun was beating down, and I just couldn’t get into my rhythm.

Usually when I hike, I tune in to how my muscles feel. That’s my governor. But on this trip, my muscles weren’t the problem. It was everything else—my body temperature, my breath, my energy. I felt… off. The first rappel took all the focus I had. And when we got to the bottom, I knew something needed to change.

The next section of the canyon was full of cold water.

And I mean cold. Glacial runoff kind of cold.

But I remembered something: cold water immersion can help calm the nervous system, reduce inflammation, and even lower heart rate by activating something called the “diving reflex.” I figured—why not try?

So I walked in, slow and steady, and let the cold soak through my wetsuit.

And here’s what happened:

My breath slowed down.

My racing heart steadied.

The heat I’d been fighting off disappeared.

And within 30 minutes, I felt completely back to myself.

Not only did I finish the trip strong, but I even picked up a few self-rescue skills by the end of the day. That cold water—something I’d avoided my whole life—healed me in a way I didn’t see coming.

Cold Therapy and Massage: A Powerful Duo
You might be wondering what this has to do with massage therapy.

The answer? Everything.

Inflammation is at the root of most chronic pain—whether it’s neck tension from stress, joint pain from overuse, or deeper issues like fibromyalgia or autoimmune conditions. Massage therapy helps by increasing circulation, moving lymphatic fluid, and reducing muscular tension. But when inflammation is high or persistent, sometimes the best support comes from the opposite approach:

Cooling it down.

Cold therapy can reduce blood flow to a targeted area, decreasing swelling, numbing pain receptors, and allowing tissue to calm down. Combined with massage, it offers a more complete recovery strategy—one that supports both the circulatory and nervous systems.

4 Types of Cold Therapy (and When to Use Them)
1. Cold Packs and Ice Wraps
Perfect for acute injuries like sprains, strains, or flare-ups. Ice the area for 15–20 minutes, no more than once every hour. Always wrap in a cloth—never apply directly to skin.

2. Contrast Therapy (Alternating Hot & Cold)
Used often in rehab, this method increases circulation by forcing blood vessels to constrict and dilate in sequence. It’s great for overuse injuries (like repetitive motion from desk work or athletics) and stubborn swelling.

3. Cold Showers
These are accessible and surprisingly effective. A 30–60-second burst of cold at the end of a shower can improve circulation, reduce muscle soreness, and even boost mood. My own kids take cold showers for this reason—they swear by them. The temperature should be between 50 and 60 degrees.

4. Cold Plunges and Ice Baths
These are gaining popularity for good reason. When done safely and intentionally, full-body cold immersion reduces systemic inflammation, supports immune function, and enhances mental resilience. If you’re considering trying one, start with supervision or guidance, and build your tolerance gradually. Please do the research before diving into these options.

Why It Matters for Chronic Pain
When I work with clients who deal with chronic inflammation, pain doesn’t always respond to more movement or pressure. Sometimes, less is more: rest, stillness, and, yes, cold.

Massage therapy helps the body move what’s stuck.
Cold therapy helps the body calm what’s inflamed.

When used together—with intention—they form a powerful healing approach that goes beyond the surface.

I still wouldn’t call myself a “cold therapy fan.” But I have a new respect for what it can do. That canyon trip reminded me that healing doesn’t always come from what’s comfortable. Sometimes, the most effective path is the one we’ve resisted.

If you’re curious how to integrate cold therapy with your pain management or massage care, I’m happy to walk you through it. And if you’re not ready to jump into an ice bath—that’s okay too. Even small changes can create big results.

Christina

06/19/2025

When to Get a Massage… and When to See a Doctor

One of the most common questions I hear is:
"How do I know if I need a massage… or if it’s something more serious?"

It’s a great question—and one I wish more people would ask before they’ve been in pain for weeks or months. The truth is, massage therapy can do a lot. But knowing when to get on the table and when to head to your doctor can make all the difference in how quickly (and safely) you recover.

Here's how I break it down:
Get a Massage When...

You’re feeling general muscle tightness, soreness, or tension

Stress is showing up in your body as headaches, jaw clenching, or shoulder pain

You’ve noticed recurring patterns (like hip pain every time you sit at your desk too long)

You’re recovering from a minor injury, and your doctor has cleared you for soft tissue work

You feel out of balance or just “off”—and you want to reset before things get worse

Massage is also incredibly effective for supporting chronic conditions. It doesn’t replace medical care, but it often makes your other treatments more effective by improving circulation, mobility, and nervous system regulation.

See a Doctor When...

You’ve had an injury with swelling, numbness, or bruising that isn’t improving.

Pain is sharp, shooting, or wakes you up at night.

You’ve experienced a recent fall, trauma, or accident.

You’ve tried massage or self-care and the pain persists beyond 7–10 days, even for the above conditions.

You’re unsure what’s causing the pain and want a diagnosis first

You don’t have to choose one or the other. In fact, the best care plans often include both. I’ve worked alongside many great doctors and physical therapists over the years, and it’s always about teamwork, not competition.

Client Stories
Here are two real-life examples that show how this works in practice:

Client Story #1: Knowing When to Pause
A teenage athlete once came to see me after a weekend softball tournament. She had just slid into third base and was now dealing with wrist pain and noticeable swelling. She lay on my table and asked if a massage could help.

I gently explained that while I could treat other areas of her body, I wouldn’t touch the injured wrist until she had it x-rayed. The swelling was too pronounced to risk it, and in cases like this, massage can actually make things worse if there’s a fracture or joint damage.

She left with instructions to see her doctor first. A few days later, she came back and told me it was a small fracture. That pause saved her from further injury—and showed her that real care sometimes means knowing when not to treat.

Client Story #2: The Pain That Didn’t Budge
Another client, a young man in his 20s, came in complaining of persistent back pain. I suspected something deeper, possibly involving the spine, from how he described it. Still, I gave him a thorough, full-body massage using every technique I knew for that kind of pain.

There was no improvement by the end of the session. That’s rare and always a red flag.

I looked at him and said, “I won’t work on you again until you see a back specialist.” He wasn’t happy—in fact, he left upset—but I knew that sending him for an MRI was the safest and most responsible next step.

Sometimes the correct answer isn’t easy, but integrity matters more than comfort in this work.

My Personal Story
Even as a massage therapist, I’ve had to make this call for myself.

For months, I dealt with nagging shoulder pain. I tried everything in my toolbox—massage, physical therapy, heat, and cold therapy. Nothing brought lasting relief.

Eventually, I got an MRI and discovered the real issue: calcification in the tendon and bursitis. Neither of those conditions can be resolved with massage or physical therapy alone. In this case, seeing a specialist was absolutely the right decision.

It was a humbling reminder that even when you know the body inside and out, pain can still be complex. That’s why I always encourage my clients to listen closely to what their bodies are telling them and to reach out for help when something doesn’t feel right.

Final Thought
Massage is powerful, but it works best when we use it wisely. If you’re ever unsure whether massage is the right next step, reach out. I’m happy to guide you, even if that means referring you to someone else.

Your wellness is the goal.

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