All-Inclusive Massage Therapy Pricing

Posted Michelle HebertPosted in My Practice

There are two aspects of massage therapy- the service side and the healthcare side. I will preface this by saying there is absolutely nothing wrong with the service aspect of massage therapy. One of my favorite ways to spend a day is at a day spa getting every possible treatment I can afford added on to a facial and massage. As a self-employed massage therapist, however, this is not the type of service I offer. All-inclusive massage therapy pricing means that for the one fee you get every gram of knowledge in my head, every technique that is applicable to […]

Pain and the Brain

Posted Michelle HebertPosted in Healthy Living

An estimated 20%, or 50 million¹, US adults experience chronic pain, which is pain that affects and limits life or work activities. Many people who reach out to me for massage are those looking for relief from chronic pain, so I went down the rabbit hole of pain science to better understand what is happening in the mind and body of people who suffer from chronic pain. During the beginning of my research I found Dr. Greg Lehman’s free eBook called Recovery Strategies Pain Guidebook. It is brilliant and written in plain language for everyone to understand. I took the […]

How to Have a Good Massage

Posted Michelle HebertPosted in My Practice

There is absolutely nothing better in this world than to hear that someone enjoyed their massage. I’m not going to lie- it’s good feedback to hear. Recently, I was given what was probably the best feedback and compliment that I have ever received. And it got me thinking- why was this person so happy? My goal is to always be present during a session, to always pay attention to the person receiving the massage and how their body responds. But that can’t be the only reason that someone likes the work. That led me to think about this particular client […]

Guide to Gifting Massage

Posted Michelle HebertPosted in My Practice

When you’re relaxing on a massage table, it’s easy to see massage as a gift. Whether you’re there to reduce pain, to ease anxiety, to help you recover from the physical and mental stresses work or athletic training or parenting or simply being alive, massage is a moment of freedom in an occasionally crushing world. If you’re thinking of gifting massage with someone else for a special occasion or “just because,” you are almost certainly doing so from a place of love and generosity. Obviously, I’m a big fan of gifting massage as a present! But just as with choosing […]

Stress Management for the Whole Family

Posted Michelle HebertPosted in Healthy Living

Stressors come in all kinds of forms: work and school pressures, relationships, health concerns, uncertainty about the future. Even changes that are generally positive can still be incredibly stressful, like gaining a family member or starting a new business. Left unchecked, stress can lead to a host of symptoms, including headaches, disrupted sleep, nausea, irritability, lack of focus, and poor impulse control. Tips for stress management are frequently repeated and generally well-known: Get some exercise! Talk with a friend! Breathe deeply! Get a massage! But while most of us recognize at least a few of these symptoms from stressful periods […]

What is Therapeutic Massage?

Posted Michelle HebertPosted in My Practice

Recently a client said she wanted a good therapeutic massage. I thought, I’m perfect for you because that’s exactly what I do. Later, I began to think more about our conversation and thought I would share my thoughts with you. All massage is therapeutic in nature. The difference between types of massage is based on your goals. Say you get a massage because that’s how you relax and take care of yourself. That is therapeutic. You are recognizing that your body and mind are craving something healing. By getting a massage, your nervous system has a chance to get out […]

What Do We Really Know About Pain?

Posted Michelle HebertPosted in Healthy Living

Pain is one of those “you know it when you feel it” kind of sensations. But it’s also a strange phenomenon, when you think about it. A snowball is cold, and so it feels cold when you touch it. A block of concrete is rough, so it feels rough when you touch it. But a knife isn’t painful on its own. Neither is a pot of boiling water or the leg of a table. We handle these things safely all the time and experience their mass and temperature and texture. But pain exists only in the body, and even more […]

Dealing with Rotator Cuff Injuries

Posted Michelle HebertPosted in Conditions treated

You’ve been doing Olympic lifting for a while. Or stocking tall shelves. Or cheerleading, throwing your partners overhead. Everything was great! Until suddenly, it wasn’t. Ice and ibuprofen didn’t quite do the trick, so you visited the doctor. And lo and behold, you’ve got a rotator cuff injury and two questions: How the heck did this happen? and What on earth do I do now? You and your shoulder: it’s complicated! Dem bones Despite all falling under one general name, the “shoulder” actually consists of four (or maybe five) different joints. The sternoclavicular joint is where your collar bone connects […]

Stress, Anxiety, and Massage

Posted Michelle HebertPosted in Healthy Living

Why get a massage? According to a survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association, 28% of Americans who get a massage do so for relaxation and stress reduction. That’s a lot of people in the US who feel strongly enough about their own experiences with massage for stress reduction to put their money on it. But aside from individual feelings, what exactly do we know about massage and how it relates to stress and anxiety? And what does the research have to say about that? What is stress? What is anxiety? Stress Stress is your body’s response to demanding […]

February is American Heart Month

Posted Michelle HebertPosted in Healthy Living

February is American Heart Month. The goal is to raise awareness about heart disease and how it can be prevented. Heart disease is a term used to describe several different cardiovascular-related illnesses, such as arrhythmia, high blood pressure, and heart failure. It is the number one cause of death in the US, accounting for 2,300 deaths every day. In addition, heart disease affects an estimated 44 million American women. Although these numbers are staggering, lifestyle changes and education may prevent 80% of heart disease and stroke events. Being active can help lower blood pressure, improve circulation, and control weight. Massage […]