Once again, Heartfire Massage is on the move!

Backstory
Back in mid-February, we discovered that Rocky Mountain Remedies, one of the local dispensaries, wanted to take over our building.  This would result in the displacement of the dozen or so small businesses in the building; although our landlord never talked to anyone directly, we were told that we would have 45 days to GTFO after the measure passed City Council on April 3rd.

There was a mad scramble and a lot of hustle, but we finally managed to lock down some new spaces.  As it turned out, the measure to allow RMR to take over the building was voted down, but I'd already been given my marching orders. 

This was likely due to me having gone to the city planning meeting at the end of March:  I spoke up against the proposed exemption (mainly due to the horrible traffic pattern), unaware that my landlord was at the meeting, and received my termination of occupancy notice the next day.  (Yes, I was the only one in the building to get such a letter, and yes, since we'd no lease it was totally legal.)



Moving forward
It's an ill wind that blows no one any good, they say, and all of this upheaval is not without its silver lining.

Chelsea will be moving into a space of her own starting May 1st, and I will be taking over the loft space at Kinetic Energy Physical Therapy in June.  I have referred many clients to Kinetic, and they to me, so we are all looking forward to me being on the premises.  Additionally, Fhysical Elements personal training has opened a second location in the back of Kinetic's space with the ever-awesome Jessica Collier as the trainer on site.

In the meanwhile, from now until the end of May, I will be using a darling one-bedroom condo generously on loan from one of my clients.  It's off of Burgess Creek, and there will be some construction in the area starting in the next few weeks, so make sure to leave plenty of time to get there.

Locations
Chelsea, starting May 1:
57 10th Street, the office building directly behind Brooklyn’s Pizzeria on the corner of 10th Street & Lincoln Ave.

Erica, now until May 31:
2800 Burgess Creek Storm Watch #204, the second left after turning on to Burgess Creek (make sure you include the "Storm Watch" bit if you decide to map it yourself).

Erica, starting June 1st:
1585 Mid-Valley Drive, Ste 15, in the loft at Kinetic Energy (behind the Emergency Care center and next to Soda Creek Pizza).

We will be updating our website and confirmation emails, so keep an eye on those for more specific directions.

Warm days, cool nights, and bluebird groomers everywhere can only mean one thing:  we are rounding the corner on winter and staring full-throttle down the throat of spring.  Or, as I like to call it, ACL season.

Why ACL?
The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is the most commonly torn ligament in the knee.  Along with the posterior cruciate ligament, or PCL, it helps form a front-to-back X shape inside the knee joint.

ACL tears can happen a number of different ways, such as the result of a sudden twisting motion, landing incorrectly from a jump, or through direct contact or collision.  There are three grades of tears, but most common is the complete rupture of the ligament.  A brace or PT can help maintain the stability of the knee, but a fully torn ACL won't heal without surgery.

Note:  There's a saying in Steamboat that you're not a local until you've blown a knee or a shoulder; please note that we do not advise going this particular route in the name of fitting in.  Trust me, there's easier ways to make friends.

So what does all this have to do with massage?
Once the mountain closes in April, a lot of locals who have hobbled through the ski season on their knee braces finally suck it up and go under the knife.  Massage can be extremely beneficial during the acute post-op phase to decrease swelling and associated pain.  We can also apply kinesiotape to continue to reduce swelling and bruising over a period of several days.

But what about when the swelling goes down?  How can massage help me then?
If you've never spent any time on crutches, consider yourself blessed.  As unpleasant as the knee surgery itself can be, it's the recovery that's the real PITA.  Being on crutches changes your posture and gait, often resulting in whole-body aching and soreness.  Massage helps to ease that discomfort and stiffness and make the recovery process much more bearable.

In addition, massage can help speed the healing process by increasing blood flow to the injured area.  Collagen fibers in ligaments are arranged crossways like plywood, creating a structure with a minimal amount of blood flow.  Increasing the blood flow helps bring in oxygen and nutrients to the injured tissue, fueling the recovery and diminishing one's down time.

Massage can also aid in keeping the muscle tissue and fascia supple in the surrounding area.  This can help speed recovery of range of motion in the joint as well as decrease or prevent adhesions from scar tissue forming.  Many people will also work with physical therapists during this phase of the injury; massage is a wonderful compliment to PT.

Not just for knees
So the next time you're dealing with some sort of injury that may well require surgery, keep massage in mind as a tool for your healing arsenal.  (That metaphor really doesn't parse well, does it?)  Let's hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does, swing on in and see how much better we can make you feel.