Why your body hurts and how massage will help!

Hey guys! Tasha here. Welcome to our website! We are so excited to share our world of massage, health and wellness with you. 
I thought we should start off with a little bit of information about the basics of the body and what happens to the muscles to make you feel discomfort or pain in the first place. That's right! It's not a mystery! 

Ida Rolf, the creator of Rolfing, (the beginning and inspiration of one of my personal favorite styles of massage, structural bodywork) once said:  "More movement is more life." 

The muscles of your body are designed to move in specific directions and perform certain actions.  When we have motions and activities that we do every day, or several times a day, we are constantly using the same muscles over and over. "That constant tensional force in a muscle pulls on bones and structures. As a result body segments get pulled out of correct posture. Poor posture and constant tension cause muscles to become 'loaded'. This means that they begin playing the structural role of bones, providing structure and support for the area and the rest of the body. Eventually these muscles become fatigued from overuse and other muscles become weak from disuse. The nervous system functions in overdrive and a cycle of pain occurs, leading to musculoskeletal dysfunction."-injury massage, Steiner Education Group.

As a massage therapist of about five years now, I have worked with hundreds of clients at various stages of muscle and bone dysfunction. Some from overuse, some from disuse. Using bodywork and information from the client I have identified specific muscles and structures involved in the dysfunction, and been able to eliminate pain. Typically, I apply specific deeper techniques at the site of the pain and the supporting areas. The tissues begin to soften and heal and the structures return to optimal form. Posture improves. 
I have found over the years that as a client's posture and ability for movement is enhanced, pain decreases and often disappears. Massage has brought me joy as it has eased so much of the personal pain I have had with my own body and even more as I have been able to be a part of using these skills to help many others with this work. 
Massage Therapy has helped me to understand my body better and gave me hope that life doesn't need to be so painful. I hope it can do the same for you. 
Have a great day!
-Tasha Ouderkirk, LMT
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