Northwest Healing Hands

03/03/2026

Is stretching right for me??

The real answer is...only sometimes. Some of us are not meant to stretch. I understand this is an odd assessment especially coming from a Myofascial Therapist whose recommendation for stretching is pretty much my bread and butter for self-care.

The truth is, some of us have a superpower of being extra flexible. You can be extra flexible in your body but not your lower body and vice versa. You can be extra flexible on the right side of your body and not your left. Most folks who possess this superpower have little to no idea they have it. After all, you've been living in your body for several years and all you know is what you've been able to do your whole life. A common statement I hear from my extra-flexible patients is, "I went to my (PT, doctor, chiropractor, etc) and they said I have good range of motion but why do I feel so tight?"

If you're extra flexible and doing a typical stretch, you are often pushing past your joint's limit without even knowing it and this can cause more problems instead of making you feel better. It can create more tension around your joints to keep you stable and actually make you feel tighter which is the opposite of what we are trying to create.

In my experience, if you are unique and have some extra flexible joints, you tend to benefit more from using the therapy ball for direct releases to your tissue and/or getting regular myofascial release and combining it with gentle resistance training to create more joint stability. That combo is a recipe for improving your stability and reducing your pain without over-stressing your joints.

If you want to know more or need a second set of eyes to give you feedback on whether or not you have this superpower, reach out!

12/26/2025

Wishing you all happy holidays and a peaceful New Year from our family to yours🐾

09/06/2025

New downtown Bothell location!

07/27/2025

A quick reminder to all my Legacy Patients that rates will be updated on September 1st and all follow-up packages will be extended from 120 days to 180 days to allow for monthly maintenance visits.

Reach out if you have any questions!

10/22/2024

For those of you who frequent my downtown Bothell location, I have finally made the move from Suite C to Suite D. This is literally the other side of the porch so it's not hard to miss:) Come see my new digs and share your feedback so that we can co-create a healing space together

05/27/2024

Sending gratitude for the freedoms we hold today and honoring those men and women who helped make it possible

05/26/2024

The final R in the 3 Rs of Healing...

Last month we began the discussion about the Gupta Method of the 3 Rs of healing with "Retraining" being the first pillar and "Relaxing the Nervous System" being the second. Today we are going to address the final R , "Re-engaging with Joy"!

Remember that our body (our fascia) is our tangible subconscious and what we feel on the inside can show up in our body.

When pain becomes an everyday part of our life, our world tends to shrink and what we make time for tends to get whittled down to the basic functions to "survive" each day. This can lead to feelings of frustration, isolation and anxiety which can then create a negative feedback loop in our body, creating more fascial tension. Soon enough we have a hard time even recalling what really does bring us joy. I get this...I've been there and it's a challenging habit to modify. It takes an honest and courageous assessment of your life and taking steps to address it.

Taking the time to prioritize re-engaging in joyful activities can impact your physiology in many ways including:

- boosting your immune system
- soothing your nervous system.
- releasing endorphins
- increasing your pain tolerance
- burning calories
- improving cardiac function

If physical activity is tough at this time, consider starting small or finding other activities that engage your creativity. If you find changing your habits tough, one sure way to combat that notion is to remind yourself you always have the option of doing nothing and staying the same. Sometimes that revelation can really spur change and exploration!

So ask yourself: What are my favorite, joyful activities and am I engaging in them regularly?

04/22/2024

Happy Earth Day 2024!

If you're looking for something fun to honor the day, join me to pitch in at the North Creek Trail Clean up at 4pm at Mill Creek City Hall this Monday.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MZJNHCD

04/21/2024

The second R in the 3 Rs of Healing....

Last month we started the discussion about the 3 Rs of healing with "Retraining" being the first pillar. This month we will discuss "Relaxing the Nervous System".

Many of you know that I do my best to refrain from the word "relax". Just telling someone to "relax" can invoke the opposite sensations. In this case, I prefer to use the term "soothe" instead. True, it doesn't start with the letter R, but I think in this case it's ok.

Your body (your fascia) is your tangible subconscious. What you feel on the inside can show up in your body. Learning how to recognize when you have sensations such as overwhelm, anxiety and withdrawal and taking steps to soothe your nervous system to address those sensations can in turn decrease your pain.

Like anything else in life, soothing will mean something different to everyone. Some of us find it soothing to walk our dog(s) in nature, especially this time of year in the early morning hours when the birds start their chirping. Some of us like to turn down the lights and light a candle in the evenings and swap that old episode of True Crime for a fun YouTube Comedy stand-up. Laughter can be SO soothing! Others find that listening to a good audible book while weeding their garden soothes (and feeds) their soul!

Getting regular Myofascial Release treatments is a great opportunity to soothe your nervous system but what are you going to do the other 23 hours of the day? What are your favorite soothing methods and are you using them regularly?

03/17/2024

Many of us that have suffered from pain for so long have limited our activity to avoid making our symptoms worse and over time we become more and more sedentary. We brace for pain even with activities like emptying the dishwasher or carrying out the trash. This leads to less and less activity and less trust that our bodies can handle even the smaller tasks, thereby solidifying our fascia even more.

Getting regular Myofascial Release treatments is great to help reduce your fascial restrictions and improve your shock absorption but following it up with movement a big piece of the healing puzzle. The analogy I like to use is that Myofascial Release is like adding some WD-40 to your squeaky door hinges, but movement is like opening and closing that door so that the grease gets where you want it to go!

Sure, activities like Yoga and Pilates are excellent options but if that’s not your jam, there are lots of other ways to retrain your body and retrain your nervous system that it’s safe to move. Like anything else you haven’t done in a while, you start small and work your way up to build tolerance and confidence.

If you ‘re wondering where to start, let’s chat about your goals and how best to achieve them the next time I see you!

01/14/2024

Theme of the Year!

Ex-pand [ ik-spand ]

verb
1. to increase in extent, size, volume & scope, etc
2. to spread or stretch out; unfold
3. to express in fuller form or greater detail; develop

This year I chose "Expand" Expand in my relationships. Expand in my pursuits of passions and hobbies. Expand my physical fitness and health. Expand my investments of both time and finances. In reality, the pursuit of expansion could be inserted into several aspects of my life.

Our fascial system is the never-ending connective web; it's the fiber optics of our bodies. Without the ability to expand, it becomes bound down and...stuck. It's like wearing a straight jacket 24 hours a day. Blood flow, nerve conduction and the overall health of our cells becomes stagnant, disorganized and dehydrated. Gentle, sustained pressure into these areas restores and rehydrates your fascia and brings you back to yourself. It gives you shock absorption so that riding the ups and downs of life feels like floating a river instead of riding in the back of a bus without shocks. Ouch! The ability to expand your fascia gives you life force and hastens your ability to heal when you have an injury or even an emotional assault on your nervous system.

2024 will surely bring us new and difficult challenges along the way but by focusing on expanding our fascia, we can strengthen our ability to move through them with a greater sense of ease and resiliency.

12/25/2023