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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. ...

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 ...

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...

What is Integrated Massage? Good Question and Here's the Answer --- On our website, we list Sports Massage and Deep Tissue Massage as our specialties, even though our massage therapists are adept with all massage techniques.  In actuality, most massages we give are Integrated Massages.  What does that mean?  They are individualized to your massage goal and what is going on with your body that day - so it's a combination of different massage specialties.  Your therapist will talk to you before your massage begins to understand what your unique needs are that day.  She will then create a treatment designed specifically for you! Stretching being used in Integrated Massage You may decide that you would like a sports massage after you talk to your therapist since you are sore from playing tennis.  Your integrated massage may also include stretching .  Some deep tissue massage and acupressure may also be used to release chronic muscle te...

Happy Anniversary to Maddie Lavelle! Maddie just celebrated her 1 year anniversary on the Massage Extraordinaire team on September 7th -  CONGRATS Maddie! Maddie's massage technique specialties are: Sports Massage Deep Tissue Massage Trigger Point Massage Stretching Many Massage Extraordinaire clients rave about Maddie's massages and return often.  Her chair massages are the best; she is frequently requested for special events. Maddie is originally from Athens, Ohio.  She attended Ohio University and obtained a degree in Sports Management and business.  In 2011, she attended Columbus State Community College to complete her massage training. Maddie is a massage therapist for the USA Rugby teams (who will be representing the US in Rio) at the Olympic Training Center.  Recently, she was the massage therapist for the 2015 Jr. Nationals Tennis Tournament at Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego. Maddie loves sports and enjoys hik...

The Most Popular & Classic Form of the Soft Tissue Techniques YES, SWEDISH MASSAGE --- Is also known as the 'SPA' MASSAGE Most common and best-known type of massage in the West Uses massage oils or lotions to enable SMOOTH movements Rhythmic and Relaxing massage Uses gliding strokes or touch Uses firm yet gentle, constant pressure but NOT deep pressure Extra pressure can be used on areas of specific muscle tension Eases muscle tension Based on anatomy and physiology as opposed to energy work Breaks up muscle knots (or adhesions) For relaxation and reduction of edema, the direction of the movement is toward the heart or in the direction of blood flow For fibrotic areas, a cross-fiber direction is used Various parts of the hand, forearm, and elbow may be used during Swedish massage  Pioneered by a Swedish physiologist Per Henrik Ling at the University of Stockholm Swedish massage is the foundation massage for other massage techniques ( deep tissue massage...

Can you guess who this Massage Therapist is? It is… Maddie Lavelle and her younger brother Last year Maddie moved to San Diego from Columbus, Ohio.  As soon as she arrived, she started working at Massage Extraordinaire. Maddie's Specialty Massage Techniques: Sports massage Trigger point therapy Deep tissue massage Maddie loves working with athletes (from the professional to the weekend).  She also enjoys helping clients who are in pain. Maddie's Hobbies: Hiking around San Diego Spinning classes Kayaking Eating Walking and playing with her miniature dachshund, Hercules Speaking of Eating, Maddie's favorite places to eat are: In-N-Out Burger - They do NOT have In-N-Out's in Ohio since they do not use frozen meat. Taste of The Himalayas in Point Loma various Mexican and Mediterranean restaurants (Maddie's younger brother studies at Georgetown Law.) If you haven't met Maddie yet, please stop by the mas...

Meet Madeline (Maddie) Lavelle We are pleased to announce that our  newest  massage therapist,  MADDIE LAVELLE,  will begin working at Massage Extraordinaire  in September.   She was licensed as a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) in 2012  after attending Ohio University.   At Ohio she attained a B.S. degree  in Sport Sciences,  majoring in Sport Management  and minoring in Business Administration. Maddie interned for the NFL, Buffalo Bills.   Her passion lies in working with athletes  at a wide variety of  sporting events,  from triathlons to soccer tournaments to football games . Her specialties are Sport Massage, Therapeutic Massage,  Trigger Point Therapy,  Swedish Massage,  along with Hot Stone and Chair Massage. Not only does she work with athletes to enhance their performances  but she also  focuses on treating temporary and chronic pain. "Maddie has...

Massage for Four-Legged Clients   Did you know that there are massage therapists that specialize on four-legged clients, such as horses and dogs?  Massage therapists work in veterinarian offices, barns, tack rooms - wherever their animal clients call home.  Some therapists work on people, their horses and their dogs. There are some therapists that began their massage career working on humans while others specialized on animals first.   "Many pet owners willingly invest in services to enhance their animal's well-being, even when they won't spend the money on themselves."   It is expected that US spending on pets will top $55 billion in 2013! Animal massage therapists not only work on horses and dogs; they also may work on cats, ferrets, minks, rabbits, goats and sheep.  Massage can be used to help deliver babies by using acupressure points to help with contractions. Interesting Fact - Often pets and their owners seem to suffer from the ...

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

Massage Extraordinaire is Proud to Welcome Ashley Romo! Ashley began working at Massage Extraordinaire on July 4th!   She moved to San Diego with her son three weeks prior from Santa Barbara.  Already she has received GREAT compliments from the happy clients she has massaged! Ashley has 7 years experience doing massage.   Prior to that time, she worked in sports medicine for 4 years, working with student athletes.   Her specialties are sports massage, deep tissue and hot stone massage! Ashley states, "My passion has always been to take care of the well being of athletes of all ages." Ashley loves hiking, going to the beach, kick boxing, and going to the movies. Her philosophy is "They say you only have one life to live and I'm going to live in it every moment I can!" Massage Extraordinaire is proud to have Ashley join our team!

And, Here's Barbara Cox... Our Birthday Girl Today, June 27th, is the birthday of a very special person who is one of our wonderful massage therapists, Barbara Cox.  Barbara was born in Budapest, Hungary and moved to the United States in 1994.  She is now a very proud U.S. citizen. Barbara has been a massage therapist since 2004.  Since joining Massage Extraordinaire, she works with Olympic athletes, WTA tennis players, San Diego Chargers, and the USA Rugby teams. When Barbara is not massaging at Massage Extraordinaire, she is very busy raising three children, who range in age from 5 to 17 years of age.  Barbara also is a personal trainer and teaches a variety of fitness classes, including body sculpting, cardio boxing, spin, Pilates and step classes.  She also massages and teaches Pilates to seniors.  They love her great enthusiasm for life. Another passion of Barbara's is mountain climbing.  Her next goal is to climb Mt. Whitney. Barb...

 Did You Know? SPORTS MASSAGE... Promotes Flexibility to Decrease Risk of Injury Improves Endurance Reduces Post-Workout Recovery Time Offers Balance to Training Regimen Increases Blood Flow Increases Joint Range of Motion Improves Relaxation & Sense of Well-Being Decreases Fatigue & Anxiety   All of the massage therapists at Massage Extraordinaire specialize in Sports Massage and provide therapeutic massage to many athletes in the San Diego area.   www.sandiego-massage.com            

It is now National Wellness Week.  Treat yourself or a friend or family member to the benefits of a MASSAGE this week! THE BENEFITS OF MASSAGE: RELAXES: Mind and body Injured or overused muscles REDUCES: Stress Athletic injury and recovery time Spasms and cramping INCREASES: Circulation Joint flexibility and range of motion RELIEVES: Neck and back pain Pain from headaches Pregnancy discomfort STIMULATES: Flow of lymph (the body's natural defense system) Flow of endorphins We would be happy to arrange your massage so you can experience the benefits of massage. Techniques Include: Sportsmassage, Deep Tissue, Swedish, Trigger Point, Pregnancy, Hot Stone, and more! CALL TODAY: 619-275-3270 MASSAGE EXTRAORDINAIRE (near Sea World)

What is a Sportsmassage? Marsha Selzer Sportsmassage is specifically designed for those involved in physical activity.  The focus is on preventing and treating injury, stretching, and enhancing athletic performance. A comment from Eric Parker, NFL Veteran: "Off Season/Training Camp/In Season...it's a year round process that takes a mental and physical toll on your body and mind.  Marsha's hands and knowledge help curb and ease  your aches and pains.  She goes the extra mile to be available during the odd hours of a pro athlete.  Marsha, thanks for all your assistance over the years.  You are the BEST!" Visit Massage Extraordinare and experience their professional Sportsmassage today! Located at San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club 4848 Tecolote Road San Diego, CA. 92110 Call (619) 275-3270 to schedule your appointment!

Massage Specialties: Sportsmassage Deep Tissue Injury and Rehabilitative Massage Swedish Massage Hot Stone Massage Massage for Seniors Pregnancy Massage Barbara was born in Budapest, Hungary and moved to the USA in 1994. She has been a massage therapist for four years. When she is not massaging at Massage Extraordinaire, she is very busy raising three children and teaching a variety of fitness classes, including body sculpting, cardio boxing, spin, Pilates and step classes. She also massages and teaches Pilates to seniors. They love her great enthusiasm for life. Barbara is an extremely positive person with a great sense of humor and genuine concern for others. Call (619) 275-3270 to schedule your massage with Barbara! San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club    4848 Tecolote Road   San Diego, CA. 92110   "I have been a weekly client for 25 years with Massage Extraordinaire. The massage therapists are all talented. However, Barbara has become one of my very...