Concordia Wellness, LLC

10/16/2025

Everyone's a-buzz about mental plasticity.
Why not bust out of that rut with our latest blog post?

At present, but maybe not for long, the human brain is the most sophisticated and intricate “machine” that we know of in the universe. One of its most marvelous functions is automation, meaning that once we’ve learned and practiced something extensively — like turning your head, walking, jug...

10/11/2025

If a massage therapist gives a massage and no one is there to experience it...
Now your turn, finish the sentence.

Photo credit: https://www.pexels.com//

10/01/2025

Where did the sun go? Did you just feel your Vitamin D level plummet?

Photo Credit: https://www.pexels.com//

Sunlight and Vitamin D are hot topics in the cold season. As summer transitions to fall here's some compiled information about Vitamin D (see list of sources at the bottom for more info). Disclosure: I am neither a nutritionist nor a doctor, so please do your own research and/or consult an expert be...

09/24/2025

Walking is as distinctive as your face.
Walking is refreshing, healthful, and a nice change of scene. It is also a fantastic opportunity to play! Yes, play with your walk.
You may not think about walking in the sense of: How exactly do I walk? Most people just walk the way they walk as though there were no other option.
You've probably noticed, though, that you can tell someone from their walk, even from a great distance. The way you walk may be as distinctive as your face.
How could that be? Are there really that many ways to walk? Yes, and there are genetic, compensatory, immitative, psychological, and momentary influences.
And this is where play comes in: How about next time you walk you notice how you walk, and then play with it. Maybe soften your knees, maybe kick your toes a little bit, maybe bring your weight down on the whole foot rather than the heel first. Ooh! How about swinging your arms a little more or less, or swing your spine a bit more or put some hip into your walk. Wait! How about singing (in your head or out loud) a favorite song and walking to the rhythm. You could walk like a stork, or a cat, or a gecko.
Beyond being just fun, this play can also help us understand our habitual movements and offer us an opportunity to unwind habits that should be unwound.
Have fun out there people!

Photo Credit: https://www.pexels.com//

09/18/2025

Who loves balance? We do!

Everybody falls. Toddlers, by definition, fall a lot. The older we get, the less we want to fall — the consequences (and our trepidation) increase exponentially. Staying upright is all about balance, and in fact balance helps us in many ways beyond fall avoidance. Balance supports performance, end...

09/11/2025

Today's graphic: Brain waves
Does the relative activity between these brain states reflect the difference you feel when you are in a busy mode -- for instance looking for parking -- and in a relaxed mode -- for instance receiving a rejuvenating massage?
Source: Medium.com

09/04/2025

As massage therapists, we witness the many ways bodies harbor the stresses that we subject them to. We are also witness to the body’s astounding ability to process and release stress...

https://www.concordiawellness.com/post/reflecting

Photo credit: https://www.pexels.com//

08/19/2025

Survey: Zion or Rainier?
Today a client arrived wearing a Zion National Park t-shirt. The very next client arrived with a Rainier National Park t-shirt.
Both amazing places, but so different.
If you had the choice to go to either, which would you choose?
(Photo credits - Rainier: https://www.pexels.com/-karpovich/. Zion: https://www.pexels.com//)

07/31/2025

Upgrades to our offerings and equipment:
- Offering: Sarah recently completed Craniosacral Level 2 training and has been enjoying providing more craniosacral sessions. Check out our most recent blog post in which she describes her experience with craniosacral therapy.
- Equipment: We now have a fancy electric lift table. So what? Well, it has a wider and more comfortable cushion; it allows us therapists to adjust table height mid-massage, improving our body mechanics and therefore our efficacy; and it is helpful for clients who may not be comfortable getting on and off a high table.

07/23/2025

Where's your piriformis muscle, and why should you care?
https://www.concordiawellness.com/bodies-blog

07/16/2025

Digging back in time to unearth a couple of our favorite ever reviews:
From a long-suffering husband(?): "You achieved something rare! You made my wife content. She said it was all fine and she would have liked to have double that time with your hands! She wants to come back! Congratulations!”
From a mom-fanatic: "I wanted to let you know that my (other) mother-in-law said that you gave a fantastic massage when she went in a couple of weeks ago. That is 3 for 3! I really appreciate you providing such a wonderful environment and experience for all of my moms.”
(Photo Credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-lying-on-a-picnic-blanket-8417573/)

07/11/2025

Today, a behind the scenes look:
Today I learned that another insurance company has decided to increase hurdles for patients to receive complementary and alternative care (including massage) and reduce reimbursement rates for providers. Seems like a good moment to pose the question:
Do you ever wonder why healthcare providers participate with some insurance companies and not others, or some seem to accept all insurance plans and others only offer out-of-pocket services?
There are many reasons depending on many factors. In our massage practice we see clients from about three insurance companies. There are quite a few other insurance companies with plans that cover massage that we don't participate in. The decision factors for us are twofold:
The first factor is reimbursement rates. Simply put, we must be able to keep the business afloat and pay ourselves a living wage, and quite a few insurance companies pay at a rate that doesn't meet that bar.
The second factor is the work burden. The amount of work that it can take to confirm benefits and obtain authorizations and prescriptions can be prohibitive. This work is either done by the provider and is unpaid, or is done by a medical billing professional on behalf of the provider in which case it is an outlay for the provider.
Changes to insurance policies that increase hurdles and decrease reimbursement rates often result in providers choosing to end their participation with insurance companies. This plus the increased work burden translates to inferior patient care or no care at all. Many of these patients are people who otherwise would not be able to afford massage therapy.