I know what you’re thinking! How does watching Texas Ranger’s player Shin-Soo Chin warm up before a game relate to massage? When we think of massage therapy training, we think of traditional schooling, and maybe of books and trade journals – but that’s not what solved a huge problem for me. What a-ha moment did I get from watching a Rangers game? Well, I’m going to tell you!
My Problem-
My plantar fasciitis was a huge pain and nothing I was doing helped! We’re conditioned to live in pain and I was determined to take care of my plantar fasciitis on my own since I’m a massage therapist. What I was doing was helping, but not completely. Then it hit me while I was watching one of the trainers help Shin-Soo Chin stretch out his hips. The trainer wasn’t going easy on Shin-Soo’s sore spot – he was making him stretch further than he was able to on his own.
My Realization-
The combination of stretching and massage works even better than traditional massage alone! I bought some stretchy bands and I really began to stretch my calves further than I could have unassisted. I added some calf stretches using the wall, and continued getting massages a few times a month (in addition to some self massage I had been doing) and after a few weeks, I had no more heel pain!
My Takeaway-
Now I add stretching to a lot of massages I give! Because I know how helpful stretching is, I add it to many of the 90 minute massages I give. Before every session, my client and I discuss what’s ailing them and I use that information as a guide to give them a relaxing AND therapeutic massage.
If you’d like to learn some stretches you can do at home in between massage appointments that will help your plantar fasciitis, follow me on Facebook! I’ll be doing some live videos about that this week. Follow Me on Facebook!
