twinsparksmassage.com

When I say Larry is one of the most flexible people I know, it’s no wild stretch of the imagination.I’m not just talking about physical flexibility, but in every sense of the word. A long term client, Larry touts the benefits of both massage and being flexible. ”Regular stretching may extend your life”, surely your athletic life.  He believes massage makes stretching easier to accomplish with less discomfort.

As Larry explains, one  keys to learning how to stretch is to “concentrate past the pain”. Ironically, to really be Gumby you have to develop an iron will. While holding your stretch you might concentrate on your breath. While breathing, during your stretch, notice your body sensations  are almost always more uncomfortable when your inhaling. Pain in the body often reduces during the exhalation phase of breathing. Another key, do your stretching for at least 15 minutes a session, otherwise your wasting your time.

Larry does some exercise coaching, if your serious about getting more out of your body. His understanding of stretching is unique. This  is not a”Yoga” approach. To inquire about Larry’s unique training and what he can do for you drop him a line at …..lrryhurley@yahoo.com

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

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?

Nobody enjoys stretching; we’d rather just compete. However, that’s one big reason athletes get hurt. Afterward, the rehab can take a long time, and any athlete will tell you it is frustrating  not being out there competing. So, a few pointers on stretching.

• Before you stretch, warm your muscles up…..If you’re at home, take a warm shower. If you’re at the gym, do the  activity you planned, only do it at 1/2 to 3/4 speed. Do this without any contact. So take a few layups, short jumpers if you’re hooping for example. The key is to do the activity slowly; this allows for blood to get into those muscles. When they are warm, they are less likely to tear or perform poorly, which might lead to an injury.
• Once the muscles are warmed up, it is time to stretch.  Be sure to “hold” your stretch for a minute or so. Count to Sixty, otherwise you probably won’t stretch the muscle long enough.  Do this for each muscle group involved. Also, no bouncing, hold the muscle in a sustained stretch. Focus on how the muscle feels and on your breath. This will help the stretch and get you focused and ready to play.
• Stretch the muscles used in the activity, focus on the ones that give you trouble.
• Whatever your game, go out and perform.

During my Massage training, we would regularly volunteer at sporting events.  One time, we were at a track event with some heavy hitting corporations, like Exxon.  Anyway, you could see these middle-aged executives competing, but one stood out; he seemed to be simply floating above the track. Later, I found out the athlete was Bob Hayes, ex- Olympian, ex- Dallas cowboy wide receiver.  The difference between Bob and the other athletes was stark. The other guys seemed to be struggling, taking short, choppy strides while Bob took long, smooth, seemingly effortless strides. He easily destroyed his competition. Not only were his legs more flexible, but, also, his hips, shoulders and neck. He was so relaxed

The difference was flexibility. Keep that in mind when you want to cut corners and skip your stretching. Now the original Gumby