As massage has entered the mainstream of healthcare options, more and more people consider this intervention as part of an overall health plan. Massage has gone from being an occasional treat to being part of how we take care of ourselves. This may be especially true of people who live with chronic conditions that decrease quality of life: people with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders … the list of those with medical conditions who find that massage is a valuable part of their healthcare is expanding daily.

During adolescence, most of us recall our mother’s marching orders to “Stand up straight!” Fortunately, standing up straight wasn’t a problem for most: simply retract the shoulders, contract the abdominals, allow the head to come back, and lift the torso out of the pelvis. Yet for others, the act of standing upright wasn’t, and still isn’t, quite that easy — one hip may be higher than the other, one side of the rib cage lower. Whatever the case, all the pelvic tucking, shoulder retracting, and chin raising are usually in vain.