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Nationally Certified Massage Therapist My Philosophy I believe that human touch, like breathing is essential to life and that listening to and nurturing the body is the path to health and happiness. Unfortunately, our society has become very detached from the wisdom of the body. Through massage, I hope to help people reconnect with the critical aspect of our nature. My Story While living in Paris in 1987, I had to go to the hospital for surgery. I was lucky because hospitals in France provide massage therapists for recovery. They are fully part of the hospital staff and I was not surprised to meet Emmanuelle, my massage therapist one day after my surgery. I felt blessed by her therapeutic touch and my pain scale went from 8 (severe) to 2 (mild) that same day. I was very excited to receive a one-hour massage every day as an optional service from the hospital to all the patients because it was highly recommended by the French doctors. These daily one-hour massages for three weeks during my hospital stay helped me to recover quicker and to go back to my life with a better attitude. From this personal experience, I strongly believe that massage therapists should be part of the medical facilities like hospitals because therapeutic touch has been scientifically proved "to reduce recovery time, post-surgery adhesions and edema". 1 What amazed me is how powerful massage is as a complementary tool for recovery. Experts estimate that 80 percent to 90 percent of disease is stress-related. Massage can play a key role in reducing the damage stress can cause by restoring well being through relaxation. The benefits of massage are numerous because "massage does more than relax the body and mind - their are specific physiological and psychological changes which occur".1 It seems that the body recognizes the therapeutic touch to provide what is necessary to heal. For instance, during a massage session, the body releases endorphins, a natural painkiller, to reduce pain. I began my formal massage education of 1000 hours at Boulder College of Massage Therapy in 2000. During my internship as a massage therapist in Boulder Community Hospital in the spring of 2001, I was surprised how nurses supported my work by emphasizing the benefits of massage and how welcomed I was by them to improve their conditions of work! Mary Ellen, a nurse in the Cancer Center of Boulder Community Hospital, gave me the best compliment by telling me that I was making her job easier by cheering up some cancer patients like Ed, who had colon cancer and was less cranky after massage. The need for touch will be essential to protect us from disease or emotional dysfunction, as our modern society is more and more oriented to technology and less human contact. As a massage therapist, I am aware that I might be the only person to give full attention for an hour to my clients, who would not received this from a physician, a nurse, and, sadly, sometimes for their own family members. It helps them to create a better quality of life. I remembered two cases in my practice that convinced me that massage therapy should be integrated into a "medical model" of care. The first case was Laura, a year ago. She came to my private practice with a broken wrist. Through the approval and recommendations of her physician, we started to see each other twice a week for a month. During the first session, I measured 40 percent of motion on her injured wrist and applied the techniques necessary to improve joint function and range of motion, we worked together to assure that it was deep enough but not painful. After a month, Laura recovered 95 percent of the motion in her injured wrist. With a weekly commitment to massage within two months, she finally was able to move her injured wrist without any pain restriction. Jane had known me for a long time and had followed me wherever I worked. She came to me with a very stiff neck and complained that she was experiencing some numbness, difficulty swallowing and strong headaches. . She loves deep tissue (neuromuscular therapy) and it seems that it's hard to find a massage therapist, who goes very deep without hurting and exceeds her expectations She wanted to get to her neck massaged as deeply as I could to get rid of scar tissue. From palpation, I noticed that the curve of her neck was not aligned and I told her that I couldn't go very deep until she checked with her doctor. I added that she might need to take some x-rays. A week later, she called me to inform me that she had to go to surgery for her neck because she had a twisted disc, which threatened to make her a quadriplegic. She was very thankful for having followed my advice to see her physician, who, by the way, was impressed by my expertise. 1 "Benefits of Massage - Good Medicine". Body Sense Magazine Spring 2002: ABMP, www.abmp.com/database). My Goal My goal is to integrate a variety of massage techniques to meet my client's needs and to encourage them to become aware of their own body's wisdom for balance and healing. Among the techniques I use are: ¨ Swedish Massage ¨ Neuromuscular Therapy (Deep Tissue) ¨ Myofacial Release ¨ Craniosacral Therapy ¨ Lymph Drainage Therapy I also use Hot Stones massage andi n the near future will be providing Spa treatments including essential oils and body wraps. My Education and Training: School: Boulder College Of Massage Therapy in 2001 (1000 hours of massage education) Training: Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Upledger Institute training in Cranio Sacral Therapy and Lymph Drainage MyProfessional Affiliations: Member of the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals My Clinical Interests: Swedish Massage, Neuromuscular Therapy, Myofascial Release, Craniosacral therapy, Lymph Drainage, Reiki, Hot Stones and Spa modalities with essential oils and body wraps. Isabelle's goal is to integrate these different modalities to meet her clients' needs and to make them aware of their own body's wisdom for balance and healing. My Recommendations: (click on each article to read or print out) Hands of Medicine- "Oncology Patients Find Relief in Body Work" Member of the International Association of Healthcare Practitioners
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