twinsparksmassage.com

I know that there are many people out there who would like to try massage, but they are just not sure about what to expect that first time. Maybe,  I can provide a few answers to those unspoken massage questions.

Do I have to strip down completely naked? Well, no, the golden rule for massage therapists to follow is to create a safe, friendly environment for their clients. I will massage you fully clothed, if you like; that has happened several times over my career and it’s not a problem. Many folks want to wear underwear, some like to go bare. Along those lines, trained therapists always “drape” their clients, so that the only areas exposed  are the ones being worked on. This protects your modesty, as well as keeping you comfortably warm. When it is time for you to disrobe, your therapist will leave the room, and will knock on the door before re-entering.

Am I supposed to tip? Generally, it is up to you. If your therapist did a great job and you feel wonderful and would like to tip, go ahead. When you’re  at a medical office and receiving massage for an injury or condition, usually no tip is anticipated.  If you go to one of those Massage Envious- type places where the therapists are new, under-trained, overworked and underpaid, you may feel a subtle pressure to tip whoever provided your rub. That kind of defeats the purpose of getting a  low price, discounted massage, right?

What about talking to the therapist while he or she is working? Before the massage is a good time to talk. Tell your therapist of any health conditions you have. Also, ask any questions regarding concerns about the massage. After the massage begins you can talk or remain silent, whatever is more relaxing for you. Talking may help dissipate any nervousness you might be feeling. If you’re feeling any pain during your massage session, you must speak up and inform your therapist so that he or she can make pressure adjustments. Don’t worry about offending the therapist. Good therapists always want feedback so they can improve their massage skills.

I will add more ?’s to the list, shortly. In the meantime, if you have a burning massage question, hopefully, I’ll provide a good answer. Sincerely, Abe Alpert CMT

What massage question do you have?

Man up, okay? Women, too. Do you really want deep tissue massage? It’s not a challenge. Most people just want immediate relief of pain. Nothing wrong with that, but if you want optimum performance, or to resolve long standing issues, we are going to have to dig down deeper. Now, that does not mean that I believe in no pain, no gain,only that nothing comes without effort and dedication. Take Kobe Bryant, for example. Love him or hate him, no one would say he did not fully commit himself to the highest levels of achievement. If you work with me, you can be assured I will deliver.  Perhaps you would prefer the busty blond Swedish girl or hunky beef cake. Sure, I understand, but, to me, sports injury or medical massage is not about that. The difference is, one indulges, temporarily, some fantasy; the other can make a  meaningful Improvement in your health, both in terms of quantity and quality of your life.

Over the years, I have literally given thousands of massages. When I’m working with a new client, being experienced, I will quickly  zoom in to locate a problem. Maybe, It’s a sore tendon near the elbow, or a spasm in the calf, or a small tear on the trapezius.  It could be anything. The client will say, “can you feel that?” Yes, sure I felt it. New clients are often surprised by the pains they “feel” with just a bit of prompting from a proficient therapist, we both then agree there is a problem. Massage is, at it’s best, an interactive therapy, it is not something I do to you, like paint your house.

 Here is the typical situation. Most of these body problems can be found near the surface, but the kicker is this, often, I feel other abnormalities deeper into fascia, of  which the client is unaware . At times, if I add some pressure to the spot, they might say “Whats that?” Other times, the person may sense something is off, but they don’t know what it is, or they are entirely unaware. So, now, I may perceive a situation that my client does not realize exists. So, is there a problem? Moreover, how do I go about working on it? 

Have you ever seen the Matrix movie;  the part about the red and blue pill? Well, it’s a metaphor for being conscious. Do you want to wake up,to your dream? The red pill is real, deep tissue massage; the blue is the blond babe or handsome hunk surface, simply fantasy fluff,  The Matrix scene.

Over the years, I have observed that the deeper the problem, literally, the more internalized it becomes, and the less the patient or client is aware of a problem ever existing in the first place.Essentially, the problem and the person merge together, now  it becomes difficult to separate the person from their “problem”.The original problem, left unresolved, creates new problems, which are just adaptations  that    come about to resolve  the original problem.  Each new adaptation creates another imbalance, which your body will try, yet again, to resolve by adaptation.  Eventually, you run out of adaptations, now you’re a hurting pup and you want some help with the pain.

 So, you’re just getting older?Yeah, I hear that bull all the time. Work on this stuff now and reap the benefits of a fully functional body, or wait, until you can’t take the pain any more. Get real….massage.  For an appointment contact

After I graduated  massage school and started working with real patients, I made the startling observation that working on what my clients described as the source of their pain yielded only temporary improvement;  they soon returned with the same symptoms. I came to the conclusion that the pain a person felt and the source  of the problem were not synonymous. For one, seldom was just one isolated muscle injured, as muscles work in collective groups,and hurting one meant hurting others as well. Moreover, the injuries that were presented  often represented the weakest link in a chain. When the trauma or accident occurred, that was the area predisposed to giving out. To do a “good” job, I had to treat the link, but also had to fix the fence. To be a better therapist, I had to re-think  my notions about our bodies.

 My original ideas came from the prevailing medical model, which viewed the body as a collection of parts. This idea is being replaced with better understanding. Yet, orthodox medicine still lags behind.

People are sometimes confused when trying to understand the human body. As a Therapist, I know all too well that we add to the problem by way of our explanations. Often, we will use the analogy that your body is like an automobile, it requires regular maintenance to perform at higher levels, that much is correct. However, the body is not like an automobile; .You just can’t remove and replace parts and expect everything to be like new. If you develop large gallstones, for example, and need to have your gallbladder removed, the absent organ will be missed, you will never digest fats the way you did before (before you manifested the problem). The consequences are too many to be listed here. Removing your tonsils increases your chances of developing cancer. That “new” hip will never be as good as the one God gave you. Not that long after your hip replacement, you can expect your back to start aching, and, like most folk, you probably won’t even make the connection between those two events. “Old” school medicine recognized only the most obvious connections. For example, originally, before they knew better, doctors who “cracked”  open chests, first identified the thymus organ and, because it appeared as shriveled up in adults, the organs were routinely removed. They soon learned that these  patients promptly died, so they stopped surgically removing the thymus. As it turns out, we do not have spare parts. Take note!

Unlike a car, the “parts” do not function independently. They work together! And the best news of all, your body can repair itself!  It does require your commitment, and a willingness to want to feel and be healthier. First, however, you need to realize that it is possible to actually get better. Regular massage, by a skilled therapist, can help a great deal! Contact Info

To really be good at something, anything really, requires a level of excitement, enthusiasm, in a word, passion. Without passion, your work, though acceptable, will never demonstrate excellence.  I had a crazy drive to become a Massage Therapist. Massage itself was not my passion,  it was the desire to help people heal:  massage became the vehicle to achieve that goal.

Of course,  18 year ago, when I began my career, the profession was much misunderstood,  many viewed massage as fluff, a luxury for the wealthy,  a palliative, or, at worst, a cover for prostitution. Today, the profession has advanced and made some inroads.  People are beginning to hear good things about the benefits of this old healing practice. At the same time, the popularity that many of us massage pioneers helped create is being lost in a flood of new under- trained, under- qualified recruits who through no fault of their own cannot meet the higher expectations of today’s informed client. The pressure to make big money has led to a decline in the quality of service provided. Substance and performance have given way to slick promos and empty promises.

Massage is more than what meets the eye. For Instance, each human body has it’s own unique topography. Each person has a quality of depth, composition, and complexity which is like  no other, and presents a different challenge.  Nowadays, the average massage therapist delivers a massage much the same way a house painter applies a coat of paint, uniformly, superficially, and repetitively, with no regard to the unique qualities of the individual. Witness the birth of “fast food” massage.

Wow, whats a knight to do….? I had just completed  a massage and was getting ready to post another article on my web site when I received an e-mail from my editor, Miriam, who, in her own, as always, polite way, expressed her concern over  my Twin Sparks web page.  Damsels in distress . (I really do not understand what all the fuss is about.)

As it turns out, my editor’s bone of contention was my implying that women could not take care of themselves; that they were not independent. She also shared the page with her friend, who agreed with Miriam’s view.

Actually, I meant to say outright, women are not independent and cannot take care of themselves. While trying to disprove me, my editor’s friend actually proved my point. Her friend said “I can take care of myself…..”I get regular massages….And If Miriam’s friend were truly independent, she would not need anyone to provide any service, much less massage. I know, a number of readers of this post probably think I’m playing some sort of semantics game. But I’m not.  In a subtle way, Miriam’s friend is not  acknowledging the help she is receiving from her massage therapist and others who make her life bearable, even possible. Like the rest of us, men included, we are dependent on each other in every meaningful way, from cradle to coffin.

The failure to recognize this truth,  that we need each other, is the cause of much suffering and the reason why many fail to ask for needed help. When we act in truly inter-dependent ways, we advance everyone. When we act the illusion of complete independence, we tear the fabric of our society apart.

I thank my editor for bringing the matter to my attention.” No man is an island”

Time to get real. If you have been a couch potato for a while, some things have changed. If you’re planning on making a comeback, there are a few things that you will probably want to know.

You can lose up to 80% of your conditioning by taking just two weeks off of your regular exercise routine. That is, if you have a regular routine. You are going to want to take a gradual approach, and, in doing so,` you will get back up to speed in no time.

Chances are, if you have been off for a while, several changes have occurred in your body.Your muscle mass will be considerably smaller. Your muscles may have shortened and lost flexibility. Muscles, tendons, and other structures will have begun to adhere together, restricting your body movements. Your posture is not as upright. Maybe, you have gained a few pounds. Because you have not used your muscles vigorously, they have accumulated waste products and are not as efficient. Your wind is less, which you notice once you start to push yourself.

Now for the plug. This is a perfect time for you to start getting regular Massage. Massage will get you  back up and running faster, and with less discomfort. In fact, many individuals try to make a comeback and fail, because the transition back to fitness is just too much of a struggle. Massage can make this a much easier route. You want back, don’t you? I want you feeling good again.

However, you have some folks who are betting against you. Every gym that signs up  new members knows that most of them won’t be taking advantage of their membership benefits.  They know you will probably make a good two- week effort, if that much, and give up.That works fine for the gym, because they know they can oversell memberships and make a fortune while you sit at home.   You see, the idea of being healthy is not the same as actually being healthy. I want you to succeed. We can do it!

So, do you agree?