Leann first saw me in the fall of 2008.  She had a variety of focus areas, but mainly wanted relief in her low back.  After seeing her for a few sessions and having minimal improvement, I realized there was something more than what was in her health history form - I asked her if there were any previous injuries or trauma to her sacral area.  She thought about it for a moment, and said, "Well, I did break my tailbone when I had my daughter, 27 years ago - could it be from that?"  As a matter of fact, yes it was!  From there I made a treatment plan that focused on breaking up old scar tissue at her sacroiliac ligaments and moving out all the congestion that had built up.  After about 3 sessions of intense focus on realigning her sacroiliac ligaments and giving them a good stretch, she was able to move without pain in her low back - freeing her up to be able to do important things, like play with her grand kids, do gardening, and working out.  She says I've done a tremendous job with her back and now I see her for maintenance work - she's out enjoying her life and I couldn't be happier for her!

Amy first saw me in the fall of 2008.  She's an avid golfer and all around active person, and she was having trouble with her hip, shoulder, and neck.  Driving in traffic was bothersome for her, since it was tough to turn her head in traffic - not very safe at all!  I saw her on a weekly basis for 6 weeks and focused on getting her sacroiliac joints worked out as well as addressing her shoulder and neck issues.   After 4 weekly sessions, she noticed significant improvement in all areas, but she agreed with me to continue weekly treatments for at least two more weeks.  Oftentimes I see such great improvement in clients, and they think everything is great so they don't come back.  It usually backfires, however, because of our bodies' muscle memory ability.  Our muscles are wonderful creatures - they literally will do whatever we want them to - but they are also very slow learners.  This means it can take some time for them to 'understand' that they are more flexible than what they've become accustomed to, usually due to our everyday body mechanics putting unnecessary stress on them.  Massage is a wonderful way to 'reprogram' our muscles to work more efficiently, and they need a bit of encouragement at the beginning of their change.  In Amy's case, it only took 2 weeks for them to 'remember' they could be more flexible and more efficient.  In my work, I've found it typically takes an additional 2-4 weeks of work after noticable improvement to ensure the muscles retain their new optimal level.  Amy recovered so nicely because she is normally an active person, drinks lots of water every day, and did the stretches and Epsom salt soaks I recommended - she did her homework!  Your participation in your treatment is such a vital step towards feeling great!  Now Amy sees me every two weeks, mainly because she wants to destress from her stressful job - and she's commented that she really notices a difference in how she copes with stress when she receives good, regular massage.

Leslie is one of my favorite clients to see because of her wonderful attitude and outlook on life.  Despite living with moderate to severe scoliosis for several years, she is determined to live an active life - which for her includes lots of walking, gardening, and lifting weights.  She first came to me in early 2009, slumped over, "like a little old lady" (her words).  After just one treatment, she was upright and several inches taller - and she was still walking upright when I saw her two weeks later!   Leslie continues to see me on a monthly basis, and she's staying upright!  She's happy to be lifting weights without pain - and I'm happy for her!

Darcy is a competitor in the Ironman Challenge. When she added massage to her workouts, she noticed a faster recovery time - and that made her want to work out more. You don't have to be an athlete in tip-top shape to appreciate the benefits of massage, but in Darcy's case, it helped. She took first place in her latest competition!

Nadya wasn't sure if massage could help her with shin splints. I'm glad she asked me, because yes it can! After 2 sessions she noticed a dramatic decrease, and they were all but gone after 3 sessions. Nadya demands a lot from her body - she frequently runs marathons, and last summer she hiked Mt. Rainier!

I recently started seeing Craig after his wife referred him to me. No stranger to massage, he was a little skeptical about seeing another massage therapist - he used to go to a massage franchise and went through several different people because of high turnover, and sometimes he'd get someone good, but most times he didn't. 'You never know what you're gonna get' seems to be an unfortunate mantra among massage therapy consumers. Luckily I had something on the other massage therapists he'd seen in the past - I had his wife's recommendation, plus my unique European-based treatment training. Craig explained his trigger finger problem to me, and I devised a protocol just for him - loosening up the forearm muscles, breaking away scar tissue in his finger ligaments, then stretching and draining, followed by some tractioning. I also showed him how to maintain his massage by some gentle self-tractioning and Epsom salt soaks, which he now does on a regular basis. He was amazed at how much help he received after that session - nobody had been able to make that much progress for him in such a short period of time. He thought he just had to get used to the pain, but was very happy to be wrong about that! *Update on Craig: After 3 sessions, he reported at 90% decrease with his trigger finger pain, and after 5 sessions it's all but gone now!

CarlySue has always been a fan of massage and definitely understands how important it is to take care of herself. She realizes that massage is part of her health care routine, not simply a luxury to be indulged. She’s seen enough massage therapists to know which ones stand out as having that extra ‘something’ and she loudly proclaims to anyone who will listen that I am definitely a therapist who has a lot of extra ‘something’ about my style. She says I have an exceptional intuition; I simply say that I am paying attention to her body cues and listening to what she needs. She always leaves with a big smile on her face, which is always infectious!