My Elite Massage, LLC

02/09/2026

Massage Monday
"Touch seems to be as essential as sunlight." - Diane Ackerman
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02/02/2026

Massage Monday
"If you listen to your body when it whispers, you won't have to hear it scream." ~ Unknown
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01/28/2026

De-stress Wednesday: "Stress in an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency." Natalie Goldberg

01/27/2026

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden
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01/26/2026

Massage Monday: "Work is the greatest thing in the world. So we should always save some of it for tomorrow." - Don Herold

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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