Looking Down the Vulcan Stairway

Mars, Vulcan, Saturn, Uranus – it’s like we’ve gone to ancient mythology land! We’ll be climbing and descending some of the most interesting and narrow streets and stairways in San Francisco, with spectacular views of the City!

Link to Google Maps.

WHAT: Stairway Walk – Upper Market and Twin Peaks
WHEN: 29 August 2010 – 11am – 2pm
WHERE: Corner of 17th and Clayton Streets
HOW MUCH: Suggested Donation $5 – no one turned away for lack of funds
WHY: Climb every mountain!

Looking Down the Vulcan Stairway

Mars, Vulcan, Saturn, Uranus – it’s like we’ve gone to ancient mythology land! We’ll be climbing and descending some of the most interesting and narrow streets and stairways in San Francisco, with spectacular views of the City!

Link to Google Maps.

WHAT: Stairway Walk – Upper Market and Twin Peaks
WHEN: 18 July 2010 – 11am – 2pm
WHERE: Corner of 17th and Clayton Streets
HOW MUCH: Suggested Donation $5 – no one turned away for lack of funds
WHY: Climb every mountain!

Interossi Muscles of Foot – Image from University of Michigan Medical School

A client with a diagnosis of capsulitis in his left second metatarsal-phalangeal joint presented with constant nagging pain when walking or standing. I worked on his foot, relaxing and stretching the interosseous muscles – the muscles between the metatarsal bones of the foot. My thought process on this was that if I could get those muscles to relax and to open up the space between the bones, some of the tension in the foot would be resolved and the ligaments would have a chance to have a bit more breathing room and heal.

Client reported eliminated pain more than one week later following treatment. Recommended to client a protocol of self-massage and stretching of the affected region of the foot for continued maintenance, and periodic massage sessions to continue to improve and reduce foot pain.

Castro and Eureka Valley c1910. Greg Caur Collection

I thought for Pride Month, we’d traipse and gallivant through Eureka Valley, also known to people the world over as The Castro. This 2.2 mile walk is more strenuous than other walks we’ve done, but I guarantee you it will be worth all the effort.

Google Map.

WHEN: Sunday 20 June 2010 at 11am
WHERE: Northwest corner of Elizabeth and Douglass Streets
WHAT: a jaunt through tree-lined streets, incredible views, interesting architecture, and more!
WHY: because walking is what we do.
HOW MUCH: tips always appreciated – suggested tip, $5.00

Bring yourself some sunscreen, a hat, bottled water, at least one orange or other snack (preferably two), camera, comfortable shoes, a light wind jacket (just in case), and a friend or two.

The HomeRun Voucher went on sale on 19 July 2010 and is good for either a 30-minute Deep Tissue Tune-up OR a 60-minute Relaxation Vacation session.  The difference between the sessions is that one is a spot treatment for a tense or painful area, the other is a full-body relaxation massage.  You can add deep tissue work to the relaxation session for an additional $20.

In order to redeem your voucher, please select one of the following:

30 Minute Deep Tissue Tune-up

60 Minute Relaxation Vacation

Groupon Voucher

The expiration date has past for the Groupon Voucher I sold back in November 2009, but that doesn’t mean that you are out of luck!  Instead, the vouchers become worth the price you paid for them – so they are worth $40 toward the purchase of my bodywork services.  In order to redeem your voucher, please click the “Book Now!” link at the top of the page!

Best of all, you’ll be making a commitment to your health and well-being, and will get a guaranteed time slot just for you! You like Fridays at noon to get your weekend started? Well, you can have that. Wednesday evenings? Saturday mornings?

Time slots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, but once you have secured your spot, I will ensure that that spot is always available to you.

Why not buy a package today!

April 14-17 – four shows only, and tickets are on sale now. Click the image to visit the NCTC website.

Photo by http://www.GoSanFranciscoCard.com - used with permission

I skipped March, but the Stairway Walk is back for April!  We’ll be exploring the northern walk on Russian Hill this month, and the southern walk in May.  It’s a two-part walk you’ll be sure to want to catch both sections, and you’ll get to explore some of the small pockets of San Francisco that survived the 1906 Earthquake and Fire.  Hooray!

This 1.6 mile walk is on the low-end of moderate difficulty, so if you have been able to participate in other of our walks, this one will pose no problem for you.

Here’s a

link to the map.

WHAT: Stairway Walk – Russian Hill North
WHEN: Sunday 25 April 2010 at 11:00am, rain cancels
WHERE: Northeast corner of Polk and Greenwich Streets
HOW: free, of course (donations gladly and gratefully accepted)
WHO: hosted by your intrepid guide, Paul Brown.
BRING: sunscreen, hat, bottled water, camera, snack, light jacket.

Book Your Session Now!

Massage can be very useful in relieving the pain and tenderness associated with iPhone elbow.  Longitudinal release and Cross-fiber friction will help to relax the forearm extensor muscles, and local compression will help to deactivate any trigger points.  Ice massage will greatly reduce inflammation, and client education in conducting self-care for between massage sessions.

The best way to avoid iPhone Elbow is to carry your device in your pocket, purse, or in a belt pouch when you are not actively using it.  Answer your phone, look up information, send a text, and then put it away.  If you must use it for a prolonged time, say in an extended text message conversation, then find a place to sit down and rest it on a tabletop or on your knees.  You’ll spare your hands and elbows pain, and you won’t be one of those distracted iPhone users who bumps into lampposts and other people.

Let your arms hang freely at your sides when you are not using the device, and do some wrist stretches throughout the day.  Here’s a useful stretch for you:

1. Take one hand in the other and gently flex the held hand’s wrist.  That is, bend the wrist in the direction of the palm of the hand.
2. Straighten that same arm’s elbow.
3. Slowly rotate the forearm so the elbow crease is pointing away from your body.
4. Hold for 30 – 60 seconds.

If you are doing this correctly, you should feel a stretch from wrists all the way up to the outside of the elbow – the lateral side of the arm.  Gradually, you will be able to increase the amount of wrist flexion, and even add flexing the fingers at the closest knuckle to the palm.  Do this stretch three or more times a day, and you will notice a big improvement in the reduction of tightness and pain in the elbow.  Self-care is a great way to help relieve your pain.

Stretching will help, but the services of a professional massage therapist can usually completely relieve the pain associated with lateral epicondylitis, usually in one to four one-hour sessions.  This, of course, depends on the severity of the case, but in mild to moderate cases, a single session usually brings tremendous relief.

Book a massage now and be free of your iPhone Elbow!