WELCOME to Massage Extraordinaire's Blog

Myofascial release is becoming more known as people are experiencing the benefits of receiving this treatment.  'Myo' refers to muscle and 'fascia' refers to the material covering the muscle, so myofascial release is the process of loosening the tightness of the tissue. As you can see in the image below, the fascia surrounds the muscle fibers and also attaches itself in between the fibers.  This covering protects the muscle and keeps it in it's place. Fascia is throughout the entire body from head to toe. When there is tension due to daily activities, injury or emotional strain, the body's response is to send extra fascia tissue to the area to help support it. This tissue is sticky and referred to as an adhesion, which allows it to stick to the area in need. The less hydrated the system is, the more sticky the adhesions becomes. Eventually this leads to the feeling of having knots as the adhesions collect and become clumped together in stickiness. ...

Although the practice of cupping has been around for many years, it gained popularity during the summer Olympics and has continued to grow as word gets out that it works! What is cupping? Using glass, plastic or silicon cups placed strategically on the body a vacuum is created by using either a pump, by manually pressing or the traditional way of inserting a cotton ball set on fire into the cup and quickly removing it and placing the cup on the body.  Each of these techniques serve differently to treat a varying array of ailments, but all of them work on the principal of creating a vacuum which  pulls up the skin and the fluids beneath.  Does it work? There has been thousands of years of documented evidence through clinical and historical research that cupping is safe and effective. You would be hard-pressed to find western scientific studies, due to the nature of cupping. In a truly scientific study, you need a placebo and preferably the gold standard ...

Did you know that May was National Bike Month? Although May is coming to a close, outdoor biking season is just beginning as the weather warms up and dries out.  Rather you ride indoors or out, cycling is a great form of exercise and a lot of fun! The bike was first created in Paris, France with a gain in popularity in the early 1800's. It quickly became as American as apple pie and baseball. It's funny to think that when kids starting wanting to ride bikes, parents were concerned that it was bad for the family. They felt it allowed too much independence and separation from each other and that it seemed physically dangerous. Like many new inventions do, it became more and more accepted and then celebrated. Now it's hard to go anywhere around town or in a gym without seeing someone on a bike and for good reason! In 1903 the Tour De France race started, giving riders a treacherous track through rain, wind, cobble stone, steep climbs and dangerous descents through ...

Ouch! The dynamic and forceful twists and turns of tennis unfortunately can lead to many risks of injury. Knees, lower back and shoulders are most prone to muscle strains for tennis players. Keeping an eye on proper form can greatly reduce problems in these areas. Understanding the causes of this can help develop strategies to improve functional movements that help reduce painful injuries and keep you on the court! Know the Source If you're having pain in your shoulders, the problem might actually originate with your hips. The legs pivot in the hip sockets, allowing the spine and shoulders to rotate and the arms to swing during the back-swing and the follow-through.  For a more powerful hit, tennis players often jump during the swing, which intensifies the stress on the body.  Ample ability to rotate the hips is fundamental to proper form for many tennis moves. If the hips are overly tight and not freely moving in full range of motion, other areas of the body compensat...

So many tools, so little time!  We are in an era where tools for myofascial release abound. There are so many choices, that it can become confusing as to what tool to use for what issue and how often, how much and....  The confusion can go on and on. Let's try to unpack some of this to make it easier to understand. First of all it is important to understand what the purpose of these tools are for. Muscles build up tension from such stressors as exercise, poor posture, work and lifestyle habits and even from emotional stress. Have you ever been in terrible traffic for a long amount of time and found yourself reaching for your neck to give it a rub because it feels tight? Tightness that stress has caused initiates the body to respond by sending more fascia to the muscles in the area that is feeling stressed. Fascia is a thin sheath of fibrous tissue that encloses muscles and organs in the body. When extra is needed, it is produced with a stickiness to it...

The Many Benefits of Massage for Cyclists (of all levels) Tammara - Massage Extraordinaire and Cycling Enthusiastic Not only is Tammara an Extraordinary massage therapist, she is also an avid cyclist.  Tammara gets a massage at least once a month and sometimes more often if she's dealing with a particular issue.  Her philosophy,  "The better I take care of myself, the better my body takes care of me." Massage Benefits for Cyclists: Help loosen tight spots Promotes recovery by flushing out toxic chemicals Keeps your fibers smooth and limber Relieves post-exercise pain Boosts heart health Prevents injury with the help of stretching Enhances performance Feels good!! Tammara shares how massage can benefit all parts of the body , which take a beating from cycling. " Massage helps TREMENDOUSLY for a cyclist.  Anyone who spends an hour or more in the same position on a bike will tell you that their low back, neck and shoulders can start compl...

INTRODUCING - Bobby and Shanna McCarron Shanna, Bobby, Maelce and Maxx McCarron If you're a San Diego Tennis and Racquet Club member, you probably recognize Shanna - one of the club's wonderful Personal Trainers and the Group Exercise Coordinator. Shanna and her husband Bobby have been receiving massages for over 15 years ! Their answer as to why they receive massages - "I get massages because I think with all my workouts and daily activity, my body forgets how to relax.  Massage reminds me to breathe and release inner tension that I don't realize I have.  We have also used massage as rehab.  Massage helps loosen muscles that have been injured or overused.  We believe massage helps us recover faster." McCarron Family Sports: Bobby - baseball Shanna - run, weight training, dance Their children: Maelce - competitive cheer; 14 years old; Massage has helped Maelce with her overuse injury from cheer, as well as helping reduce her stre...

TAMMARA PASQUARIELLO - 1)  LOVES San Diego - is a San Diego native and plans to live here forever 2)  Is also a Personal Trainer (since 2004) 3)  Her Personal Training Specialties are: Strength Training Balance Stability Flexibility 4)  Her MASSAGE SPECIALTIES are: Sportsmassage Deep Tissue Massage Injury Rehabilitation Stretching 5)  Works with Seniors  6)  Is an AVID CYCLIST and MOUNTAIN BIKER 7)  Loves her dogs & loves going HIKING with them 8) Tammara's Other Passions include:   Weight Training Reading Learning Theatre Tammara recently hiking the Grand Canyon