I’ve been seeing the same massage therapist for over 25 years. It’s amazing to have someone who totally understands just what my body needs for pain relief. Days like today, I had a couple sore spots I had her focus on, but most days she just digs right in with her elbows and works her magic, exactly where I need it.

For some people massages are enjoyed for relaxation. For me they it’s all about the therapy. My first decade going to her was agony, followed by incredible relief for my back pain. My back pain is much more manageable now, and I know that regular massage has been an essential part of my improvements.

About 5 years in she admitted that she used to hate when I came in because it was so demanding, how deep she had to go. “You were by far one of my three toughest clients and the other two were in severe car accidents,” she told me.

Now she occasionally shares me as an example. If someone is getting a hard massage and asks if she goes harder on someone, she says, ‘I have this one guy that will fall asleep when I’m going harder than this!’ And I do (usually) fall asleep. She knows she’s going deep enough because despite being asleep, I have to change my breathing to withstand the pressure.

Asleep or not, massage day is heaven for me. I come out with zero back pack and it lasts for a few hours. A few moments in my life where I’m not aware of my back, it doesn’t require my attention. Massage days are wonderful!