08/25/2026
MY HANDS ARE ASSESSING YOU WHILE THEY’RE TREATING YOU.
Massage isn’t simply rubbing where it hurts.
Through palpation, which is the use of touch to assess the body, I’m paying attention to tissue texture and mobility, muscular tension and guarding, tenderness, asymmetry, and how an area responds as I work.
And something important happens during treatment:
I reassess.
If the tissue changes, my approach may change with it. I may alter my pressure, angle, technique, positioning, or move somewhere you weren’t expecting me to work.
There’s usually a reason.
WHERE YOU FEEL PAIN ISN’T ALWAYS WHERE THE PROBLEM STARTED.
The human body is interconnected.
Muscles, tendons, fascia, joints and nerves all influence movement, and dysfunction in one area can contribute to symptoms somewhere else.
That painful spot may absolutely need attention, but chasing the painful spot alone isn’t always the answer.
For example, shoulder discomfort can sometimes be influenced by muscles of the neck, chest, upper back or scapula.
I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK.
I can learn a LOT through my hands.
But I cannot feel what YOU feel.
I need to know if something feels sharp, burning, electrical, numb, unusually painful, or simply wrong.
Those sensations are different from the dull ache or “good hurt” someone may experience during focused therapeutic work, and they can give me important information about how your body is responding.
Speaking up does NOT interfere with my treatment. It helps guide it. This is your body. You are an active participant in your care.
I MAY NOT TRY TO “FIX EVERYTHING” IN ONE SESSION.
Sometimes tissues need time to respond. Sometimes several areas are involved. Sometimes your body has been compensating for years
