So much to share . . . because I’ve been away forever!
I hope this finds you all safe and as disaster-free as possible. I’m sending restorative vibes to all of you in storm, fire, and earthquake affected places. I’ve been donating to various organizations, and The Red Cross can always use some help with blood donations and/or a few bucks if you have them.
So, where have I been? Last December I was asked to make some episodes of a TV show for the Florida State Massage Therapy Association to help other MTs learn how to build a private practice. It was a great experience to download so much information but, woah, was it time and energy consuming!
But, I’m back now and ready to keep bringing you as much abdominal info as possible.
To get this party (re)started, I wanted to share this video that one of the folks in the Recover program sent me last week. The teacher in the video is so super clear on her layers of the belly and wonderfully methodical in how she teaches this technique. I love it!
I had heard of these balls before but had never seen one in use. I think it could be very helpful for some of you – though once you move into the deeper layers more specificity (from your hands) will almost certainly be needed.
Also, I want to encourage you to START SLOW and try to support your upper body with blankets/bolsters, etc. as it seems to me that this could get uncomfortable for shoulders and neck if you end up hanging out there for a while, or if you have shoulder/neck issues.
As always, let me know what you think! I have a backlog of things to share with you but I’m always taking requests.
All my best,
Isabel
Author Profile
- Isabel Spradlin is a Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), and abdominal adhesion specialist in Portland, OR. She specializes in educating people about manual treatment (massage) for abdominal pain and dysfunction, especially when it is adhesion related. Please see the "Programs" page to see her offerings.
Latest entries
Abdominal AdhesionsJuly 9, 2023Live Practitioner Workshops
Abdominal PainOctober 8, 2022Managing Pain
Abdominal AdhesionsMay 19, 2022Castor Oil & Adhesions
UncategorizedMay 9, 2022I’m Back on the Blog!
This looks so accessible, and I’d love to utilize this technique. What kind of balls are being used here, and where can I find a good one?
Hi Carolyn, great question. If you just google ‘small exercise ball,’ or ‘mini fitness ball’ a bunch of options should show up. Also, if you have a fitness store in town they will likely have one. You can inflate them as much or as little as you like to keep them comfortable.
Isabel – I’d live to try the technique above for csection scar (after almost 12 years) and especially at site of umbilical hernia repair surgery. I am nervous about latter area because of mesh and fact that i sometimes feel discomfort there (sometimes when i overeat or feel bloated or do a lot of ab work) Is it safe for that purpose?
Hi Lori, that’s a really good question. I would start REALLY slow and do this technique on areas well away from the mesh to start. (I think you’re probably safe to do whatever you want with this technique for your csection scar at this point.) Even if you’re well away from it, you will likely feel tugging at the mesh site, which will be safe as long as you’re going slow and staying controlled with the movements. I would engage with the ball until you feel the tug at the mesh site, count to 3 and release. Then get up and walk around and see how you feel. The next day, as long as you don’t feel any adverse reaction, do it again, with perhaps a longer count. Work your way up in the count slowly. My guess is that at least some of the discomfort you feel after overeating or ab work is as much due to restriction in the tissues around the mesh as to the mesh itself. You might be able to get a lot more comfort once you start slowly releasing the tissues. I hope that helps . . .
Let me say this. The world needs more Jonas Salks and way less Pharma Guys. I truly think you are a Salk, just your radiance screams you are. Occasionally my instincts are wrong, but I don’t think so. I really appreciate the work that goes into your video, very few people understand how hard it is to make good video in a timely manner and pump out volume. Your $20 first video was brilliant marketing. I also love that you encourage ownership of the videos as opposed to having to always stream them so you keep control. This made your credibility go through the roof with me as I am a software developer who believes open source is so important to our future (plus I believe if you buy it you should own it, not rent it, even if it is a one time fee).
No names, but the big player in this arena turned me off and destroyed their credibility with their “patenting” of massage techniques. Further I was turned off by there crash course for thousands of dollars. I knew it meant dangerously fast work so they could keep the money revolving door spinning full tilt. Sadly, it also prices a lot of people in need out. They represent what is wrong with medicine even if they do good work.
If your IT needs weren’t already met, you’d be the kind of client I’d want, mainly because so far, the values I’ve seen so far of you align with mine. Of course there is plenty I don’t know about you, but I like what I see, wish you were in Atlanta.
I hope Karma brings you the success you deserve for taking the harder road of integrity and truly giving something to the world that is needed. It gives me hope that others value something more than cashing in as fast as possible.
Wow, Chris. Thank you so much for the thoughtfulness of your comments. It really means a lot. I do work extremely hard to bring my full integrity to everything I do, so it’s always nice to know that comes through. I also took a moment to look at your site and will certainly reach out if I have any unmet IT needs in the future! As you say, it’s often hard to know who to trust and you certainly have a leg up in my mind now. Thanks again for your thoughtfulness.