My Elite Massage, LLC

01/20/2026

Your instrument is an extension of your body, but the price of mastery might be chronic pain. Whether your instrument is the guitar, a keyboard, strings, brass, woodwinds, or drums, a systematic review by Kok and colleagues in the International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health (March 2016) found that 12-month prevalence of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders ranges from 41-93%, with lifetime prevalence between 62-93%. A South African study in Medical Problems of Performing Artists (December 2021) found that 76% of professional orchestral musicians experienced these disorders at some point in their careers.
The specific patterns depend on your instrument. String players develop neck and shoulder tension from unbalanced positioning, along with left hand problems from sustained finger pressure and positions. Pianists face overuse injuries in the forearms, wrists, and hands. Wind players experience neck and jaw tension from embouchure (mouth positioning) along with postural strain from supporting the instrument. Drummers develop rotator cuff problems from repetitive overhead movements and lower back strain from seated positioning. All musicians face the risk of focal dystonia (involuntary muscle contractions causing loss of control), a devastating condition linked to overuse and poor biomechanics.
The pressure to perform often leads musicians to push through pain with whatever provides relief. But masking symptoms with NSAIDs while continuing to play allows progressive tissue damage doesn't address the technique issues, muscle imbalances, or movement dysfunction causing the problem.
Orthopedic massage offers specialized intervention for musicians. Treatment addresses the precise joints and muscle groups stressed by your instrument and helps prevent the chronic conditions that end musical careers. Many conservatories and professional orchestras now include massage therapy in their wellness programs. Regular sessions provide the maintenance that protects your artistry and livelihood.

01/19/2026

If you’re a massage therapist, the irony isn't lost on you. You spend your days helping others' bodies to heal while your own accrues tension, pain, and dysfunction. As massage therapists, we face surprisingly high rates of career-ending injuries. The Canadian survey by Barraclough and colleagues published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (September 2022), found 60.3% of massage therapists attributed work-related pain to gradual onset of musculoskeletal conditions, with 54.6% working in pain and 30.5% considering changing or having changed their profession.
You already know the biomechanical demands are significant. Applying sustained pressure requires engagement of the entire kinetic chain, from your feet through your legs, core, and into your hands. And if the body mechanics are off at all, they create excessive strain on the thumbs, wrists, forearms, shoulders, and lower back. Plus, the repetitive nature of the work creates overuse injuries and cumulative trauma disorders.
Like many bodyworkers, you might downplay your own pain, work through discomfort, or rely solely on self-stretching between sessions. But self-stretching care may or may not be able to keep up with working 15-30 hours hands-on each week continuing the very movements causing the dysfunction in the first place. Over-reliance on anti-inflammatories carries the same risks for you as for any other professional such as potential organ damage or masked progression of injury.
Orthopedic massage from another skilled practitioner is something that could be essential self-care. Experience shows that targeted treatment addressing specific overuse patterns can reduce pain and improve function, and that could extend your career longevity for as long as you want. Regular sessions are the professional maintenance that can keep you working.
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01/18/2026

01/18/2026

Firefighting demands extreme physical performance in life-threatening environments. Crews routinely carry victims from burning structures, drag heavy hoses across terrain, and scale ladders while fighting smoke and heat. A 2023 systematic review published in the Journal of Safety Science and Resilience by Heidari and colleagues identified that the shoulder and back are the leading anatomical sites of injury, with sprains and strains comprising 65% of all musculoskeletal disorders.
What sets firefighters apart isn't just the explosive physical tasks—it's the relentless equipment burden. Self-contained breathing apparatus weighs between 26-40 pounds depending on tank capacity, while full turnout gear adds another 45 pounds. Research published in Safety and Health at Work (March 2022) by Xu and colleagues demonstrated that SCBA weight reduces lumbar flexion range of motion by 56% during hose advancement and 34% during stair climbing, forcing compensatory hip movements that increase joint strain. The equipment doesn't just add weight—it shifts the center of mass backward, restricting mobility and altering gait mechanics. According to Campbell and Hall's 2022 report for the National Fire Protection Association, overexertion and strain is the leading cause of fireground injuries at 25-31%, with most occurring during the physically intense middle portions of shifts.
For firefighters whose bodies absorb repeated trauma from victim carries, forceful exertions, and equipment loads that never come off until the shift ends, orthopedic massage addresses both acute soft-tissue injuries and the chronic muscular compensations created by asymmetric loading patterns and movement restrictions.
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My Elite Massage is pleased to offer 15% off to all First Responders

01/16/2026

Law enforcement work demands intense physical readiness. Officers routinely chase suspects on foot, restrain non-compliant individuals, and endure sudden forces during arrests. According to Lyons and colleagues in a February 2017 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the most common injury types are soft-tissue sprains and strains, with the most common cause being non-compliant offenders.
Over a seven-year period examined by Orr and colleagues in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (January 2021), 19% of all police incidents involved lower extremity injuries, with knees and ankles as the leading sites. But the physical toll extends beyond sudden injuries to cumulative stress from equipment and positioning. A California survey examining police duty gear found that orthopedic physicians identified equipment inflexibility as the primary cause of hip and lower back discomfort. Most duty belts carry 20-30 pounds of essential gear including fi****ms, handcuffs, radios, and batons. This constant unbalanced weight compresses the pelvis and spine, forcing postural compensations throughout each shift. As documented by researchers in the Journal of Physiotherapy (July 2015),
For officers whose bodies never settle into one predictable stress pattern—in one moment facing sudden arrest forces and then hours of seated compression the next—orthopedic massage addresses both acute soft-tissue injuries, like muscle strains and tissue adhesions, and the chronic muscular imbalances created by unbalanced equipment loads and forced postural compensations, such as unlevel hips and limited range of motion. Often one session can make all the difference, enabling you to work without having to work through the pain.
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01/12/2026

Maybe you came to yoga to heal. Your back hurt from desk work, your shoulders were tight, your hamstrings felt like steel cables. The first class felt like a revelation—finally a practice that addressed your pain. A year later, your flexibility astounds you. But maybe now your lower back aches differently. Maybe your knees feel unstable or that shoulder pain is still lingering. As helpful as yoga movements can be, not everyone benefits. A 2018 study by Pappas and colleagues in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found that yoga causes joint pain in 10% of practitioners and aggravates 21% of existing injuries.
Surprisingly, your body craves stability more than flexibility. Ligaments and tendons, composed of connective tissue with poor blood supply, don't heal easily when overstretched or torn. A 2008 study by Mikkonen and colleagues in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy examining Ashtanga yoga practitioners found 62% reported injuries lasting longer than one month. Unlike muscles that stretch and contract, once ligaments are damaged, joint stability is permanently compromised, causing hypermobility, which in turn causes muscles to tighten more to stabilize those joints.
Yoga culture celebrates deep flexibility, and when done correctly, rightly so. But hyperextending elbows, locking knees, and pushing into end-range positions repeatedly stresses joints. Your muscles are weakest at their extremes, making you most vulnerable to injury precisely when you feel most accomplished.
Orthopedic massage can help slow or prevent this joint destabilization. Treatment releases chronically tight muscles surrounding unstable joints, helps prevent further ligament damage from improper movement patterns, and encourages proper muscle engagement to compensate for overstretched ligaments. It’s essential to keep up with this so practicing yoga remains a benefit that’s not contributing to a permanent dysfunction.
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01/08/2026

D&N Thursday: "Don't diet. Change your habits." ~ Unknown
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01/05/2026

You know what every demo looks like—squat deep enough to show proper form, hold the plank long enough to feel their core engage, spot the heavy bench press without breaking position. January hits and resolution season multiplies your workload. 40 clients becomes 60 and they all need form corrections. Before long, your body’s complaining about the extra work in the usual spots. A 2016 study in Orthopedic Reviews (October 2016) surveying personal trainers found that shoulder, low back, and knee injuries were among the most frequent musculoskeletal issues affecting fitness professionals.
The same study found that the most common injuries trainers witnessed during sessions included lumbar muscle strain, rotator cuff injuries, and ankle sprains. Trainers also face these same injury patterns from constant demonstrating and spotting. Research in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (October 2022) found that injury risk in fitness centers stems from overuse, short recovery periods, improper technique, poor conditioning, and frequent use of high loads—the exact pattern trainers experience.
Your career depends on your body performing flawlessly. Unlike your clients, you're there daily in constant motion—demonstrating form, spotting weights, correcting technique, moving equipment. The cumulative loading accumulates from fifty daily demonstrations of movements you've performed thousands of times.
Orthopedic massage addresses the trainer's occupational pattern. A 2015 study in the Journal of Physiotherapy (July 2015) found that massage therapy reduces pain and improves function in musculoskeletal conditions. Treatment releases chronically tight hip flexors from constant squatting demonstrations, addresses rotator cuff overuse from repetitive spotting and overhead movements, and restores mobility to lower back muscles locked in forward-bent cueing positions. Regular sessions help trainers maintain demonstration quality without chronic compensation that limits their ability to model proper movement.
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01/01/2026

2026, Day One: Start Where You Are
Happy New Year. Right now, in this moment, your body has everything it needs to begin healing. Not the body you had ten years ago. Not the body you're hoping to build this year. This one. The research is clear: our bodies are remarkably capable of positive adaptation at any age and any starting point. A landmark study by Fiatarone and colleagues published in JAMA (June 1990) found that nursing home residents in their 90s gained an average of 174% increase in muscle strength after just eight weeks of resistance training. Change doesn't require perfection. It requires presence. The most sustainable wellness routines aren't built on dramatic overhauls. They're built on small, repeatable acts of care. This could mean five minutes of stretching before bed. Actually drinking water. Walking around the block when your back starts aching from your desk. A monthly massage. A study by Crane and colleagues published in Science Translational Medicine (February 2012, Vol. 4, Issue 119) found that even a single session of manual therapy reduced inflammatory markers in muscle tissue. The goal isn't to become someone new in 2026. It's to become someone who consistently shows up for the body you already have. As entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn said, "Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." If you're making a resolution today, or even just setting intentions, consider this one: I will respond to my body's signals before they become demands. Here's to a year of listening.
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12/31/2025

Three Breaths Before Midnight: No Bracing Required
New Year's Eve often means late nights, champagne or sparkling cider, uncomfortable shoes, and forced celebration energy. What if this year you also gave yourself permission to release? Not just metaphorically, but physically. Your body has been accumulating tension all year, and it doesn't need the ball to drop to start letting go. Try this tonight: wherever you are, take three breaths where the exhale is twice as long as the inhale. This simple ratio activates your parasympathetic nervous system, the branch responsible for rest and recovery. A study by Gerritsen and Band (2018) published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience reviewed how controlled breathing techniques influence heart rate variability and vagal tone, essentially giving you a tool to shift your physiological state on demand. If you have a few more minutes, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Let your knees fall gently toward each other so your legs can fully relax. Place one hand on your belly and feel it rise and fall. This position releases the hip flexors and low back muscles that absorb so much of our daily stress. Whatever tonight holds for you, remember: celebration and rest aren't opposites. Your body can welcome the new year without bracing for it.
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12/30/2025

Your Body Doesn't Know It's January: Before You Resolve
We're conditioned to think of January 1st as a starting line, but your body doesn't work on calendar time. It works on accumulated patterns. That neck stiffness didn't appear overnight and won't disappear because the year changed. Real reset happens when we interrupt the nervous system patterns that keep us locked in stress responses. When your body perceives chronic stress, it creates predictable compensation patterns. Shoulders creep toward ears. Breath becomes shallow. Hip flexors shorten. Jaw clenches. These aren't character flaws or signs of weakness; they're your nervous system doing exactly what it evolved to do. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology by Schmalzl and colleagues (2018) found that body-based interventions like intentional touch and movement can directly influence autonomic nervous system regulation. This means the path out of chronic tension often runs through the body, not around it. Massage therapy works partly by providing novel sensory input that interrupts habitual holding patterns, giving your nervous system permission to try something different. For the next few days, just notice one pattern you've been carrying daily. Not to fix it yet, just to see it clearly. Awareness is the first step of any genuine reset.
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