The question: “But I only had one lymph node removed when they did my sentinel node biopsy. How could I possibly develop lymphedema if just one little node is gone?” The answer: Well, let’s take a quick-and-dirty look at how those nodes are distributed and how they work. We’ve got lymph nodes spread around our […]
Sentinel Node Biopsies and Lymphedema Read More »
I used to draw cartoons as a kid, through high school and college, and sometimes during my corporate career. I realized during massage therapy school that I retained information about the human body best when instructors characterized different parts and made it funny. I talk about human physiology like this with my clients in my
Scar Tissue Formation and How Massage Can Help Read More »
Picture this: It’s your first time sitting down for an intake interview with a massage therapist you’ve never seen before. You may even be about to have your first massage ever. The treatment room is unfamiliar, not to mention the person sitting across from you and asking you pretty personal questions about your body, your
In This Treatment Room, It’s Your Show Read More »
Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love manual lymph drainage (MLD), and, well, sometimes I have to gush about it. (Fluid pun intended. Lymph nerds can’t help it.) The sessions are gentle, painless, non-clinical, relaxing, and over the years that I have been applying this work in my practice, I’ve learned that it’s
Lymphatic Drainage – It Ain’t Just for Lymphedema Read More »
I was honored to be asked to present a poster for Touch of Kindness at the 4th Oncology Massage Healing Summit, 2016, sponsored by the Society for Oncology Massage (S4OM), at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minnesota. The summit abounded with classes and workshops for oncology massage therapists, and there was plenty of rich
Touch of Kindness Presents a Poster at the S4OM Oncology Massage Summit Read More »
A client once told me that right after her double mastectomy, she felt like she was tossed into the ocean without a lifeboat or any direction. The surgery was a success, but no one warned her of the extent of pain and tightness she would feel as the scars began to form across her chest.
Post-Mastectomy Care and Massage Read More »
Lymphedema is a largely underdiagnosed condition, and anyone who’s had any type of mastectomy, lumpectomy, radiation treatment, lymph node removal, node biopsy, or even surgeries or trauma to the limbs should absolutely know what it is, ways that you may be able to reduce your risk of developing it, and early signs. Education about this
Lymphedema – Are You or Someone You Know At Risk? Read More »
I love me some science. It is sometimes a struggle for me in my career to not always have scientific evidence to back up what massage therapists do. I like being able to tell my clients what has been proven to work and even more importantly, why it does. Of course there is validity and
Study Shows How Massage Heals Deep Read More »
I’ve heard this a few times before a massage session: “I just want a relaxation massage today. Nothing major.” Or after a more focused, therapeutic session: “Oh my gosh, I am SO relaxed” (followed by a sheepish look, as if that wasn’t supposed to happen and the client seems almost embarrassed to have let themselves
Celebrating the Power of Relaxation in Massage Read More »