Ex-Tension Massage and Flexibility

IASTM for recovery and Creatine kinase:

After a hard workout, it’s common to hear that soft tissue work helps “flush out” muscle damage or metabolic waste. But that’s not quite what the research shows.

One marker researchers use to measure exercise-induced muscle damage is creatine kinase (CK). CK is an enzyme found inside muscle tissue that can enter the bloodstream after intense or eccentric exercise.

Interestingly, research suggests that Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) does not significantly reduce circulating CK levels compared with passive recovery.

In other words, IASTM isn’t “flushing” muscle-damage markers from your bloodstream.

So why can soft tissue work still make such a noticeable difference after a hard workout?

Where IASTM May Help

Research suggests IASTM can improve several things that actually matter to how you feel and move during recovery:

Reduced delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
Improved or restored range of motion
Faster return toward baseline strength
Reduced perception of pain and tissue sensitivity

These effects appear to be driven largely by neurological and mechanical responses to treatment, rather than by removing toxins or metabolic waste.

Think of it this way:

Your body is still doing the biological work required to repair the muscle. IASTM doesn’t magically speed up every cellular marker of that process.

Instead, treatment may help turn down soreness and sensitivity while helping you regain comfortable movement and function.

That distinction matters.

Modern sports massage and manual therapy shouldn’t be about “breaking up toxins” or “flushing lactic acid.” It should be about using evidence-based techniques to influence pain, movement, range of motion, and function while your body handles the underlying recovery process.

If you train hard and want to keep moving well between sessions, this is one of the ways targeted soft tissue work may help.

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AISTM on muscle Recovery! Click here for an update from Ex - Tension !

Is it Really Thai Massage?

Not exactly—and that’s intentional.

Over the years, I’ve incorporated techniques from several different styles of bodywork. Thai massage has influenced some of what I do, particularly the use of assisted stretching, positioning, leverage, and moving the body through different ranges of motion.

But I wouldn’t describe what I do as traditional Thai massage.

My work is much more heavily influenced by a Western sports-medicine approach to the body.

So What Am I Actually Doing?

Most sessions combine several different tools depending on what I find and what you’re trying to accomplish.

Trigger Point Work

When I find a sensitive or highly contracted area of muscle, I may use sustained pressure to work with that specific point rather than repeatedly gliding over it.

Static Manual Release

Sometimes the most useful thing I can do is simply engage a restricted area and maintain pressure while allowing the tissue to gradually respond.

It isn't always about pushing harder. Sometimes it's about being specific and giving the tissue time.

Active Release Techniques

This is where things become more dynamic.

Instead of you lying completely still while I work, I may apply pressure to a muscle while asking you to actively move the joint through a particular motion.

That lets me combine manual pressure with movement and gives me another way to work with areas that feel restricted during actual movement.

Where Thai Massage Comes In

This is probably the part of my sessions that causes people to ask:

“Wait…is this Thai massage?”

Sometimes!

I borrow certain concepts and techniques from Thai massage, but I'm usually applying them through a different lens.

Assisted stretching is a big one.

I may position your body, stabilize one area, and move another area through a stretch to explore your available range of motion. Depending on what we're working on, I'll change the angle, leverage, intensity, or position.

But I'm not following a traditional Thai massage sequence.

I'm asking questions like:

What movement is limited?

What tissues may be contributing to that limitation?

Does the movement change after we work on them?

That is where my sports-medicine background really shapes the session.

I Care More About the Goal Than the Technique

I don't believe every client needs the same massage.

If trigger point work makes sense, I'll use it.

If active movement makes more sense, we'll move.

If stretching gives me a better way to address the problem, we'll stretch.

And if something isn't producing the response I'm looking for, I'll change what I'm doing.

So, is it Thai massage?

A little.

But it's probably more accurate to call my work sports massage that borrows useful tools from multiple systems of bodywork.

The technique isn't the identity of the session.

The goal is to understand how your body is moving, identify what may be getting in the way, and choose the right tool for the job.

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What is Thai Massage? What am I doing Differently... Click here for an update from Ex - Tension !

These Trigger points are wild and effective!

Trigger Points are soooo weird, I hear it all the time. oh how the body is connected. But sometimes even with my charts and posters, books on trigger points, myofascial meridians and old school Chinese medicine. I still find myself entirely surprised at how we can feel sensation, pain, discomfort from seemingly unrelated muscles.

These weird spill overs can be kinesiological, whether that's functional or structural differences or neurological. There's more, but lets save that for later. I want to quickly cover 2 pesky trigger points that can cause pain in the front of the hip and cause plenty of confusion if we don't keep an open mind to alternative possibilities from where pain originates.

Multifidus L2 and s1 causing anterior (front of body) body pain. When the actually trigger Point is in the back!

Illiocoastalis thoracic muscle causing anterior body pain while again the trigger point is in the back!

Trigger Points are wild!
if you're experiencing anterior body pain and nothing is working try addressing these two trigger points. If you're uncertain of how feel free to book online below!

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How does this Even happen?! Trigger points are rad! Click here for an update from Ex - Tension !

The Soleus Trigger Point Could Be The Cause of Lower Back Pain!

The soleus Trigger point has a wide referral pattern From the Heel to the Jaw! In some cases an individual exhibiting a Soleus trigger point will feel pain in the heel and local to the trigger point mimicking plantar fasciitis. However in some cases the soleus can cause both Sacroiliac joint pain, and or jaw discomfort/tightness.

How To Address This Trigger Point

First We must know it is the cause of lower back pain:
If we have already used other methods to address lower back pain but nothing seems to be working it may be time to test the soleus. We will look at ankle range of motion. Anything below 10 - 15 degrees indicates a decrease in ROM in either soleus or gastrocnemius.

Additional test are pain while stretching or doing the forward fold.

If you already experience resting pain in the heel or calf while having SIJ discomfort those 3 clues indicate soleus trigger points.

Addressing The soleus:
Long held pressure is the best use against trigger points locating the thickest part of the muscle then applying pressure to the hyper sensitive nodule until the pain disperses 30 - 90 seconds. The release technique followed by a stretch to the soleus should relieve the pain rather quickly.

Follow up this technique daily or as needed once pain subsides.

Or Come in for a massage and we can address the issue and find the source to your lower back pain together :)

Book online below

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Whats the Sole of your Back Pain? Click here for an update from Ex - Tension !

Ever feel like your body keeps getting tight in the same places — no matter how much you stretch, train, or rest?

That’s not bad luck.

That’s movement compensation.

At Ex-Tension Massage and Mobility, I don’t just work on sore spots — I look at how your body moves and why certain muscles are doing more work than they should.

Basic steps for a good newsletter

Here’s what that means for you:

Less recurring pain

Better mobility and performance

Faster recovery

Sessions that actually hold instead of fading after a day or two

My work blends:
• Sports & deep tissue massage
• Movement assessment
• Active + passive stretching
• Trigger point and myofascial work

The goal isn’t just relief — it’s changing the pattern that caused the tension in the first place.

If you’re tired of chasing pain around your body, let’s address the root.

Book your session here:

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Why Your Body Keeps Compensating (And How We Fix It) Click here for an update from Ex - Tension !

An Ergonomic Reminder Below

Most people think sitting is “resting,” but your body experiences it as a long, low‑grade stress position. When you sit for hours — especially at a desk — your joints stay locked into the same angles, and over time that creates predictable patterns of tightness, weakness, and misalignment.

Here’s what actually happens:

1. Your Ankles Stay in Plantarflexion
When your feet rest under your chair or tucked behind you, your ankles stay slightly pointed.

Over time this contributes to:

• Tight calves
• Reduced ankle dorsiflexion
• Poor squat mechanics
• Increased risk of slips, trips, and “that sudden jolt” when you catch yourself

2. Your Knees Stay in Flexion
Hours of knee flexion leads to:

- Stiff hamstrings
- Weak quads
- Poor tibial rotation control
- Knee tracking issues during walking, stairs, and training

3. Your Hips Stay in Flexion
This is the big one. Prolonged hip flexion creates:

- Tight hip flexors
- Inhibited glutes
- Overworked hamstrings
- Anterior pelvic tilt
- Lower‑back compression
- Reduced hip extension (which affects walking, running, and balance

4. The Postural Combo Effect
When you add all of this together, you get a predictable pattern:

- Poor ankle ROM
- Anterior pelvic tilt
- Weak glute activation
- Poor knee alignment
- Compensations up the entire kinetic chain
This is why people feel “tight,” “crooked,” or “stiff” after long workdays — it’s not age, it’s position.

So what can you do?

Small, consistent movement breaks make a huge difference. Even 30–60 seconds every hour can reset your joints and tissues.

If you want personalized corrective exercises, tendon‑strengthening strategies, or mobility work tailored to your body, you can book an Ex_tension Therapy Session and I’ll walk you through it.

Book Online Below

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Why Sitting Too Long Messes With Your Body (And What You Can Do About It) Click here for an update from Ex - Tension !

Ever Release A stubborn Trigger Point....

only to feel the pain show up again or somewhere else?

The CNS's Role

The Central Nervous System (CNS) Role in Trigger Points
Trigger Points aren't Just a muscle Problem.
They are a Nervous system issue as well

We often see sensitivity and activation shift into distal trigger points - sometimes not even in the same nerve pathway. That's the CNS adapting, protecting and reorganizing.

Don't Chase Symptoms
When we only treat the tissue signaling pain we are really only chasing symptoms. When we understand the system as a whole we can begin to see real change.

During Our sessions
You might find that when you complain about one issue and symptom. We start to work with many different muscles that contribute to this issue. a few examples:

Complaint Finger Numbness and arm pain from Upper cervical and scalene trigger points.

Lower back pain either aches or total misalignment from Hip flexor and leg imbalances. That lead to spinal nerve irritations.

and many more.

You're body isn't broken
Its communicating.

Book online below :)

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Why Trigger Points Keep Coming Back Click here for an update from Ex - Tension !

Winter Slips: How to Prevent That Sudden “Jolt” and Recover Quickly

1. Strengthen Your Tendons to Prevent Injury
A recent study highlights the importance of stiff, strong tendons in reducing muscular and tendon-related injuries.

The Claim:
Performing 10‑second isometric holds, repeated every 50 seconds, for 10 reps, every 8 hours, can improve tendon strength, thickness, and stiffness. Over time, this supports long‑term injury prevention and reduces pain.

If you’d like to dive deeper into corrective exercises and mobility work, you can book an Ex_tension Therapy Session, where we’ll go over personalized strategies
Why do stronger, stiffer tendons help?

Tendons are the connective tissue that link muscle to bone and transmit force through the body. When tendons are weak, muscles compensate by staying overly tight, which can lead to trigger points, stiffness, and tears. Stronger, thicker tendons help prevent hypermobility, reduce strain on muscles and ligaments, and lower the risk of both muscle tears and tendon ruptures.

And no—improving tendon stiffness does not reduce your range of motion. In fact, when tendons do their job well, muscles don’t have to overwork.
If you’re interested in the cellular side of this research, reply to this email with “I’M INTERESTED IN MTOR.”

2. RICE vs. the METHod
You may be familiar with the old-school RICE protocol:
• Rest
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevation
RICE can be helpful for the first 20 minutes after a fall—but after that, it’s no longer the best approach.

Instead, shift to the METHod:
• Movement
• Elevation
• Traction
• Heat

Keeping blood flowing and tissues warm helps your muscles stay supple and recover more quickly.

With the Iso MTOR protocol and the METHod, you’ll be better equipped to handle slips, jolts, and winter surprises with less pain and faster recovery.
If you have questions or want more examples, feel free to reach out—or book online below!

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Careful In the snow! Ways to Prevent and Heal from Injuries!

Ever feel sore days after a workout, or have a spot that always seems “tender” no matter what?

Here’s the science behind that pain 👇

When your muscle fibers are stressed, injured, or overused, your body increases inflammation chemicals and pain-sensitivity neurotransmitters in that area.

What does that mean for you?

🔹 More inflammation
🔹 Heightened pain response
🔹 Trigger points that linger
🔹 That “myalgia” ache you can’t stretch away

This isn't just soreness—it’s your body struggling to repair at the cellular level.

💡 Why this matters:
If you’ve been pushing through pain, ignoring the signals, or relying only on heat packs and stretching—it may be time for deeper work.

As a therapist trained in the pathology of muscle fiber dysfunction, I work to calm inflammation, reduce chemical overload, and help your tissue truly recover.

This is nervous system, cellular, and muscle health—not just massage.

🖐️ Ready to feel the difference? Let’s create a plan that actually works with your body’s healing response—not against it.

📩 DM me to book or ask questions!

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🧠💥 Your Muscles Might Be Talking—But Are You Listening

🎯 What Is the TVA—And Why Should You Care?

Ever been told to “engage your core”?

They're usually talking about your Transverse Abdominis (TVA)—a deep core muscle that acts like a natural weight belt, wrapping around your spine and stabilizing your body from the inside out.

🧠 It’s not about six-pack abs. It’s about your nervous system and spinal support.

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Why TVA Training Matters:

✔️ Protects your lower back
✔️ Improves posture and balance
✔️ Supports pelvic floor + diaphragm function
✔️ Essential for movement, rehab, and breath control

If your TVA is weak or uncoordinated, your body compensates—leading to tight hips, chronic back pain, and poor movement quality.

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So how do we progress TVA work?

Once you learn to activate it, we gradually increase difficulty:

🖐️ Arm raise

🤸 Opposite arm/leg raise

🧭 Wider leg angles (abduction)

🏋️ Add resistance or external load

🔄 Lower the hips (decreased hip flexion angle)

Each step makes your core work harder without sacrificing control—which is key to long-term pain relief and performance.

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💬 Want to learn how to activate and train your TVA the right way? I teach this in massage + movement sessions, and it’s a game-changer for pain and stability.

DM me for info or a 1:1 session 👇

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The core issue? Click here for an update from Ex - Tension !