https://jaysmassagemovementtherapy.amtamembers.com/

Jay's Massage & Movement Therapy, 2709 Washington Avenue, Suite 7, Evansville, IN (2026)

03/18/2026

Today marks the three year anniversary of my business, and it’s been a very busy three years. I’m incredibly grateful for all of my clients, both past and present. None of this would be possible without their support and referrals.
It’s been a genuine pleasure helping people work through a wide range of musculoskeletal and myofascial issues, while also getting to know them on a personal level and hearing their stories. I’m not out here saving lives, but I do believe I’ve helped improve the quality of life for many of my clients, helping them move better and function more effectively in their work, sports, and everyday lives.
Over the years, I’ve worked with athletes including gymnasts, golfers, marathon/triathlon runners, cyclists, and weightlifters, as well as professionals in construction, nursing, surgery, dentistry, firefighting, and occupational therapy. I’ve helped clients recover from double knee replacements, rotator cuff repairs, discectomies, shoulder and hip labral surgeries, and C-sections. I’ve also worked with conditions like TMJ, trigeminal neuralgia, chronic headaches, sciatica, carpal tunnel, radiculopathy, etc.
Different people with different problems and challenges, but all trusting me to help them perform and feel at their best.
I’m looking forward to the years ahead and continuing to provide the same level of care to those who seek me out.

01/16/2025

Why did I name my business Jay's Massage and Movement Therapy? Because you can't have one without the other... Manual therapy and exercise complement each other in a way that maximizes long-term results. While massage therapy helps alleviate tension, improve circulation, and restore soft tissue function, movement therapy ensures those improvements last by addressing the root causes of pain and dysfunction.

When you incorporate mobility training and exercise, you're not just managing symptoms—you’re building strength, improving range of motion, and teaching your body to move more efficiently. Massage therapy creates the foundation by relieving restrictions in the muscles and fascia, while movement therapy builds upon that foundation by retraining your body to move properly, reducing the likelihood of future injuries or setbacks.

The truth is, we can only achieve so much with soft tissue work alone. Without reinforcing that work with targeted exercises and movement correction, the same patterns of dysfunction could potentially return (Here's a little nerdy info on why: exercise releases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps your body and motor cortex learn new movement patterns more effectively — this is synaptic plasticity, which is thought to be explained by the Hebbian theory: "neurons that fire together wire together."). My goal is to provide a truly comprehensive approach that helps you regain control over your body and equips you with the tools to maintain your progress.

With my background in Kinesiology and a new arsenal of equipment (all of which I'm very happy to say is from Rogue, Rep, and Titan, which is made in the USA... but I digress), I'm excited to offer this service to help you go beyond temporary relief and achieve lasting results. It's time to move better, feel better, and stay better. Let’s bridge the gap between massage and movement—because your body thrives with both!

10/10/2024

https://www.lmtsuccessgroup.com/MedicalMassagePractitionerProgram/MMPList

A resource for locating massage therapists in your area with medical massage training.

What is Medical Massage?
It is not one specific technique such as Myofascial Release or Trigger Point Release, but rather an approach to massage that utilizes many of the known techniques in order to treat a number of conditions.

To further differentiate medical from a typical massage, think about what you would normally experience... You book an appointment because you've been having neck pain. You tell the therapist this & point to where it hurts. They proceed to give a general full body massage with light to moderate pressure, & they utilize about 5 extra minutes on the specific point of pain. You feel good during the session & the pain is a little better afterwards, mainly because you did get 60 minutes to just mentally unwind & relax while receiving some hyperstimulation analgesia (stimulation of Group A delta peripheral nerve fibers which creates a cascade of endogenous endorphins, aka the body's natural pain killers). But the effects are acute & you never see real progress.

What would the experience of a medical massage be like for the same condition? First, there would be an actual assessment of the issue, checking the range of motion of your neck, as well as spine, shoulders, hips, etc. to determine if there are other contributing factors down the kinetic chains. The treatment would be tailored towards those findings, only working on the tissues that are the root cause of the problem (the body is often not symmetrical in biomechanical dysfunctions, thus it is not logical to treat everything the same - on both sides, right & left, front & back). These areas would be manipulated until objective results can be seen & palpated. The session will require the client to be fully engaged, whether that is communicating what you're feeling, breathing through any uncomfortable moments, or by performing specific muscle activations as instructed by the therapist.

All in all, Medical Massage is about the long term outcome. It is taking bodywork to the next level in order to see real results!

09/24/2024

One of the most commonly reported bad experiences in massage therapy tends to regard, probably the most debated topic, the magnitude of pressure.

There will never be an absolute clear cut answer. We humans are all different, we like what we like. Two different people could experience the exact same massage & level of pressure, and each subjective feedback could completely oppose the other's. But this is only one measurement of the quality of bodywork.

Objectively, we are learning more about the physiology of soft tissue therapy & what techniques produce specific results, or which varying factors like pressure yield the preferred outcomes. So in the comment - "there are more gentle ways to get the same result" - I don't believe that to be true. Wouldn't two completely different stimuli surely cause different results? Endurance running & sprinting create two entirely different metabolic & musculoskeletal adaptations... So in the case of mechanotransduction, the mechanical stimulus that gets converted into electrochemical activity in the body, the degree of input would determine the output.

Subjective > Objective? Idk, but how to avoid a bad subjective experience?

1.Education - know what technique/service you are signing up for. Deep tissue being the obvious one, but also knowing that things like myofascial release & active release are more intense.

2.Communication - we evolved this really unique tool called language, be sure to use it! State exactly what it is you're hoping to get out of bodywork when booking an appointment. Not all massage businesses offer every technique. I for one do not offer swedish/relaxation. If it's not what you want, don't get it.
During a session, provide real time feedback to the practitioner if you need more or less pressure.
Equally, find a therapist that communicates well with you in return. Not just verbally, being able to recognize body language too.

3.Know your body/limits - of course this requires experience. If you're new to massage, there will be some experimentation. But you should have a general idea of your pain tolerance & how you respond to tissue manipulation. Practice on yourself with foam rolling & stretching.

09/03/2024

The Daily Stoic 366: Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, & the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday

08/27/2024

I've never been one to conform to what's normal, so why should I start now?... What makes my practice stand out from the typical massage business?

#1. I don't charge an add-on for deep tissue. Almost every place I've seen has anywhere from a $10 to $25 upcharge for increasing their level of pressure. That's almost as bad as the places that charged you an extra $20 fee for sanitation during the lockdown - you know, that thing they should've already been doing in the first place. 🐸☕

#2. I don't charge à la carte for tools. Whether that's cups, graston scrapes, oils, EMS/TENS, etc., they can all be included in the session if I need to use them. These devices all help me provide a successful appointment, so I'm going to utilize them when I can.

#3. I practice what I preach and lead by example with health. Not everyone may see massage therapy as a health practice, but I do. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was adamant on the importance of massage. Now I'm certainly not a physician, but a passage I've read of his is one that I highly value - "The dignity of a physician requires that he should look healthy, and as plump as nature intended him to be; for the common crowd consider those who are not of this excellent bodily condition to be unable to take care of themselves."
If I am not an example of health for my clients, why would they trust what service I have to offer or the input I provide on their biomechanics?

#4. My training and background. Truth be told, I'm not that impressed with massage schools and education. I did the dance and got my license. What really has allowed me to excel is my previous years of experience. First, I mentored under Maigyn at Heal by Hand here in Evansville for 6 years before ever going to massage school. She taught me the art of bodywork before I even understood what it truly was. She also taught me how to work on myself with massage, which in my opinion has allowed me to connect all the dots.
Secondly, I have forever been a student of anatomy, from my Exercise Science degree to my now 20 years of weight training. These pursuits have given me a well rounded perspective on treating people with manual therapy.

03/31/2024

Hippocrates...
"The physician must be experienced in many things, but assuredly in rubbing."

“The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and a scented massage every day.”

He outlined four principal guidelines of massage:
1. Vigorous massage constricts and firms up the body.
2. Gentle massage relaxes the body.
3. Much massage thins and lightens the body.
4. Moderate massage thickens the body, and increases the flesh.

His perspective was that the body and its muscles react similarly in kind to vigorous massage by firming up and increasing their tone. Laxness and atony are low energy states; vigorous massage stimulates, putting a lot of heat and energy back into the organism. Vigorous friction and massage are also great ways to warm up a body that is too cold.
The body and its muscles also react similarly in kind to gentle massage by loosening up and letting go of pent up stress and tension. This dispersal of energy leads to a cooling or sedating effect.

Even though our understanding of anatomy has advanced and philosophies of medicine such as Humorism have evolved, the health benefits of massage therapy remain some 2 to 4000 years later. So whether it is relaxation or deep tissue you seek, the Father of Medicine would advise you to utilize massage as a part of your health and wellness routine.

03/19/2024

Holism = the idea that systems possess properties as wholes apart from the properties of their component parts. As it's attributed to Aristotle stating - "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.".

This is in opposition to reductionism and materialism (foundational philosophies of science), that there are no emergent properties in the individual components of matter. Such that, an atom is an atom, and it only can be explained by its physical properties like mass and electrical charge. But what this cannot explain is the human body, specifically our consciousness. How exactly does it emerge from matter, i.e. our brains?

This word gets used in healthcare as Holistic Medicine, which attempts to treat the whole person, including mind and body, not just the injury or disease. This can also be included in the Biopsychosocial model pertaining to health.

Massage therapy often gets reduced to only the musculoskeletal system, such as in this picture. While it is a pretty cool picture, it completely dismisses all the other physiological effects of bodywork. Technically, the order of systems engaged within the body of the receiver is the skin (integumentary), nervous & endocrine, fascial, lymphatic & immune, circulatory... and then the muscular, followed by the skeletal.

Yes, my primary focus and scope of practice is that of the musculoskeletal system and one's biomechanics, but these other systems are incapable of not being affected as well by my interventions.

02/20/2024

What is Massage Therapy?
A branch/form of Bodywork, defined as the professional application of structured, therapeutic touch to benefit soft tissue health, movement, posture, motor/sensory neurological pathways, & the mind-body connection.

This patterned & purposeful soft tissue manipulation is accomplished with a wide variety of techniques & methods. One form of massage is not always the same as the other. Manual Lymphatic Drainage does not equal Swedish does not equal Deep Tissue does not equal Thai… yet, you would call each of these a "massage".

Then what is Clinical/Corrective Massage?

This type of therapy is typically integrated with a deep tissue massage as the foundation, & may include: trigger point release, myofascial release, assisted stretching, resistance exercise/active movement participation of the client, etc. You might describe it as a blend of physical therapy & massage.

Your primary goals would be to increase range of motion, free entrapped nerves, correct an abnormal posture or gait pattern, realign fascia, manage pain, & improve physical performance.

This is not a full body session. The therapist will focus on the specific areas that are the root cause, the fascia & muscles (their corresponding kinetic chain) that are contributing to the pain or poor movement pattern. Pain is a symptom, not a condition, so it is not necessarily the root cause. An example, a chief complaint of lower back pain. You may need work on the front and/or back of the hips, the abdominals & psoas, or even somewhere down the leg.

Medicine in the form of massage is holistic, meaning that all of the body's systems themselves, & the mental pillar of one's health are not separate. Thus, in general no matter what area is worked on, you will experience overall physiological effects such as increased circulation, lymph flow, neuromuscular feedback, hormonal releases (e.g. oxytocin & endorphins) & lubrication of connective tissue. Mentally, this is where the relaxation aspect also plays a part in Corrective Massage, your own thoughts & the feedback loop of stress will down regulate to a parasympathetic state, allowing your body to become more calm & open to healing

01/01/2024

Reflecting back on 2023...
I took a leap of faith in March by starting this business, and I'm ever so grateful that I did.
I never expected to be so busy.
For which I owe a huge thanks to each and every client for seeking my service, trusting my method of therapeutic massage, and sending me referrals.
I am nothing without you all.

I am also indebted to my fellow massage therapist, Maigyn, at Heal by Hand. Not only has she been a wonderful business partner and provided a location for my practice, but also has graced me with great knowledge in bodywork which I apply in my technique as well.

One more, I thank Sarah at Sankalpa Therapeutics for working on me to keep my body moving. Among her services, she provides Ashiatsu, a deep tissue method where she uses her feet to deliver the stroke as she's walking above you on the table. Highly recommended.

Lastly, my goals remain the same for this year, to continue to establish myself as a quality source for corrective bodywork in the Evansville community, and to strive towards mastery in my skills.
In order to do so, I will be attending a Medical Massage certification course in May.
And starting today, I will begin studying for the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB).

Happy Healing

11/24/2023

11/25-12/25 BOGO 1/2 OFF Gift Cards
From our hands to your hearts we are wishing you Happy Healing for the holidays.

10/02/2023

The endless controversial debate... should bodywork (therapeutic, not relaxation) be pain free?

First, let's acknowledge that we still don't fully understand pain, both physically and psychologically. As well as philosophically, the significance of pain in the human experience.

I personally believe that we have attached too many negative perspectives to feeling pain. Pain is a signal for change, a warning to danger, and a learning tool. Think about all the things that could go wrong without your pain receptors... burning your hand, a rock in your shoe, emotional strain from an abusive relationship, all things that you would overlook without pain. In fact, there is a condition where people have no sense of pain, called Congenital Insensitivity to Pain & Anhydrosis (C**A) Syndrome. And these people unfortunately have a short life expectancy. They don't even know that they've broken a bone, and their body has no ability to regulate their internal temperature. So in this regard, pain is important for our survival.

Back to the question, is it needed for bodywork? Well, as you've probably come to realize by now, I compare this form of therapy to exercise and training quite frequently. And the most important aspect of progression in that activity is creating enough of a stimulus to induce change in soft tissue structure and neurological firing patterns - i.e. your muscle won't get stronger without increasing the weight over time, or without learning to recruit more fibers (mentally). With this theory in mind, I would assume that bodywork would in fact need to provide an adequate level of manipulation that maybe doesn't have to be painful, but borderline uncomfortable, similar to a level of that muscle pump burn at the end of a workout.

Thus, if you have an area of muscle and fascia that has become shortened and guarded due to chronic pain, then perhaps leaning into that pain will desensitize it, and help your nervous system balance out the tonicity in that section of your body.

"Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better."

Jay's Massage & Movement Therapy

03/18/2026

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