12/15/14 Drink Plenty of Water During Winter Be sure to stay hydrated during the winter months, even though you may not feel as thirsty as you do during summer! Drink 64 fluid ounces of water or more every day. Drink small amounts of water continuously rather than drinking a lot at one time. As a massage therapist, I notice people’s skin inevitably feels dryer at this time of year. I go...

12/9/14 Zen Organics Lotions, Creams, Bath Salts, Lip Balm        I’m pleased to offer a handful of items from the Zen Organics line of products. Zen Organics is a conscientious company in Boulder, Colorado. I’ve been using their massage cream and foot lotion for years. These are superior, high quality products that perform well at the highest level. If you are a label reader, I know...

image © 2004 Mindsource Technologies Inc. 12/1/14 Acupressure for Gall Bladder 21 (gb21) or Shoulder Well Gall Bladder 21 (gb21), also known as Shoulder Well, is an acupoint I massage, or apply acupressure to in nearly all of my treatment sessions. This point is located near the base of the neck, on the trapezius muscle, about half way between the spine and the acromioclavicular...

WANTED: Licensed Massage Therapist My office-mate, Susie Garton, and I are looking for one or two more office-mates! We’d welcome licensed massage therapists or other quiet, mindful professionals to share our established massage therapy space in Towncrest, Iowa City’s original eastside medical neighborhood.   If you or anyone you know might be interested in sharing our cozy, peaceful...

  11.17.14 Basic Sciatica and Piriformis Syndrome Massage Although the pain that accompanies sciatica and piriformis syndrome originates in the region of the sciatic notch, and therapeutic massage applied to this region can significantly relieve the discomfort, I treat adjacent regions of the body in my comprehensive plan for these conditions. The sciatic nerve emerges from the spine and...

11/7/14 Ambient Music and Massage In an earlier post, I mentioned I’m not tied down to playing new age music during my massage sessions. I frequently honor client requests, and I play a wide range of styles and artists, but I’ve found most people prefer something calming. Since I might be working for hours at a time, and new age music can be insipid and even irritating when played...

It is officially soup season, so here’s my contribution to your fall soup pleasure.  I had a great crop of organic white acorn squash this year, so my current favorite recipe follows.  You can certainly substitute your favorite squash.  Don’t be fooled by it’s simplicity.  It translates to simply delicious! Simple Delicious Acorn Squash Soup Ingredients 3-4 cups squash (I...

10/21/14 Thanks James I’ve seen several Facebook friends posting things for which they are thankful. I expect it’s the impending Thanksgiving holiday that is putting people into the spirit. It’s good inspiration for this post. I’ll focus on thanking the person who taught me shiatsu. A client noticed I’d been practicing massage therapy since 1997 and thought that was a long time to be...

10/15/14 Trigger Points and Headaches Trigger points are often a common cause of headaches. Trigger points responsible for headache pain can be found in the neck and shoulders, and of course the head and face. Massaging trigger points can be enormously helpful in relieving referred headache pain. A trigger point is a tender point in the muscle or soft tissue that refers pain to some other...

10/7/14 Massage Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Pain Pain from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by pressure on the Median Nerve as it passes through the narrow carpal tunnel formed by the bones the wrist. Surgery to relieve this pain involves cutting the Flexor Retinaculum (Transverse Carpal Ligament) which holds the nerve and nine flexor tendons in place. Be advised of your options before having...