Halloween 2010

Remember when we were kids and we could not wait for Halloween to arrive?  The anticipation of all that glorious candy?  The sugar rushes that would drive our parents bonkers?  Running to a neighbor's house for homemade popcorn balls and cookies?  Ending the night by trading out your less desirable treats to your younger sibling who was not as candy savvy as you?  Those were the good ole days.

Deciding on the costume was oh so important back then.  My family was not big into buying the plastic mask/costume ensemble for two reasons.....they just were not cool enough and it was impossible to let your inner Halloween star shine when you were one of ten identically dressed Cinderellas.  (Although my dad would probably argue that it being a waste of money was the reason we skipped the Ben Franklin Halloween aisle.)  So most years we dug through boxes of old clothes, ransacked my mom's cosmetics,  and dyed sheets for our costumes.  Sometimes the results were spectacular....sometimes you just donned the thing to get free candy.  But in any case, your costume was unique,  it was your own personal work of art, and you did not feel bad if you didn't get the fancy store bought costume like some of the other kids had.

I miss the days of not having to worry if your child's costume was politically correct or offensive.  Remember dressing up as a hobo?  You have to wonder if  the reason this costume is extinct is because the PC name for hobo is "homeless" and with our dreadful economy this is no longer a funny outfit.  Same thing goes for dressing up as cowboys and Native Americans--just doesn't have the same ring to it but by golly it is PC!  What boggles the mind is why we are so steadfast in keeping up morally upstanding appearances for the kids, when a great many adult costumes seem to promote overt sexuality and most definitely are not PC.  Flirty Sailor or Naughty Nurse anyone?   Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against losing yourself in a fantasy and channeling your inner prostitute or sexy alter ego for fun, but I long for the days when kids were free to roam their neighborhoods unsupervised with or without a mask, sticking out their pillowcase and shouting "Trick or Treat" then running home to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  Ahhhh, those really were the good ole days.

Two Words: It hurts

Whenever I work with clients that have psoas issues, I tend to flash back to the scene in Braveheart when the English are torturing William Wallace by ripping his intestines out.  If you think I am exaggerating with this comparison, then you probably have never had this muscle massaged.  Two words: It. Hurts.

The psoas (pronounced Sew Az) is located deep in the abdomen, beneath the abdominal contents....which probably explains why one of my text books says it "may be challenging to palpate" this muscle.  Really?  Ya think?   When I used to teach abdominal massage, I brought donuts to the classroom so I could make nice before I watched the students writhe in pain and utter words that would make a sailor blush.  I also offered the disclaimer that if they wanted to keep clients, then they should never, ever work on the psoas on the first massage appointment.

The job of the psoas is to flex the hip and help stabilize the low back.  Many times when I work with clients that are complaining of severe lower back pain or chronic lower back problems, I will suggest the psoas stretch.  I launch a sales pitch that any plaid-jacket wearing, greasy haired, used car salesman would envy and since most clients will try anything if they think it will make their pain go away, I can usually sell them on the idea that a little pain now might mean a lot less pain later.  A great number of clients that have allowed me to do this massage have seen positive results almost immediately.

So the next time you find yourself in my lobby, waiting for your massage appointment, and you hear a loud voice complaining about how something hurts....please don't automatically assume that I am working on a psoas--the client might have been in pain before he/she came to see me!

Quote

Massage is kinda like pizza.  Even when it's bad, it's still pretty good. ~KB

Nature Retreat

My husband and I took an overnight trip to Cumberland Falls in hopes of getting a glimpse of the moonbow.  For those of you unfamiliar with this phenomenon of nature (one of the slogans I saw at the park), let me just say that it is simply beautiful.  Most of us have seen a rainbow appear when the sun shines into misting water...well, the moonbow is the nocturnal version.  Unfortunately for us, this event cannot be photographed unless you have a tripod and a fancy doodad camera that can slow the shutter speed to 400ish.  Sooooo I hope you folks enjoy the cheap I-am-a-rank-amateur-photographer shot!

Belly Flop

From time to time I am asked to do abdominal massage.  This can be a great treatment for a multitude of reasons, but most times this work is associated with abdominal cramps and moving things along the (using medical terminology here) poopus chuteus.  My first request for this kind of bodywork came when I was still a student working on my clinical hours.  A nice man came in one evening and during the intake interview he told me that he was recently diagnosed with acid reflux and  he wondered if there was any kind of massage for the stomach that might help him.  I explained to him that since I was a student, I was not skilled enough to give him a truly specific abdominal massage but that I was willing to give him a tummy massage with some of the basic massage strokes.  The client decided he wanted me to include the abdominal work in his massage.  The silence was deafening until after I completed the abdominal massage, then the client looked up at me and said "Well, I can see why my dog likes it."  I left that massage not knowing whether I should be flattered or worried!

Hocus Poke Us

Today I saw a charming 74-year old gentleman who told me his right shoulder was sore and it was probably a result of his "poling".  Poling, he explained, is when you take a small boat out and rather than using oars or a motor, you use a pole to push off and navigate your craft through swamps.  Besides the poling injury, he was also battling what he described as a "summer cold", which meant several times I had to stop massaging and fetch tissues.  When I started to massage the back of his head, I told him that my work should help his sinuses.  Almost immediately he shouted "I'll be damned! My right nostril is open!"  After a few more minutes of neck and head work, I moved to his injured shoulder and told him that the massage might be painful at times but I felt like I could help him.  He allowed me to work on his arm and shoulder joint even though it was a bit painful.  I was able to get him some relief and to show him how successful his treatment was, I had him extend and flex his arm to test his range of motion.  After a couple of minutes of him waving his arm and being amazed at there not being any pain, he looked up at me and asked how I had fixed him.   I wiggled my fingers and jokingly said "Magic Hands".  The smile left his face and his eyes got big and with all seriousness he said "ARE YOU A WITCH?"