Clients often ask how they can maximize the results of their massage. They don't have the time or the money to return for a massage as frequently as they would like.

I think the best is to keep moving. I've also found that stretching and self-massage prolong the benefits of a massage. A few years ago a friend shared a self-massage method with me which I regularly use. It is the "Melt Method." It confirms a lot of what I have learned about the latest research on fascia.

Sue Hitzmann was an international fitness instructor when she was injured. "In her quest to live an active, pain-free life, she became fascinated by the emerging science of connective tissue, or fascia, which surrounds all aspects of your body, including your muscles, bones, nerves, and organs. The researchers she met were discovering that connective tissue—the system of the body that supports, protects, and stabilizes—was responsive, adaptable, and renewable. What Hitzmann came to realize is that connective tissue dehydration is the underlying cause of the daily aches, stiffness, and strain that leads to pain, as well as weight gain, sleep problems, and many other seemingly unrelated issues."

She developed her method using a foam roller and balls. It is a gentle method - you should not be bruised and sore after doing it. I like to tell my clients, "Go to the pain, not into it. Discomfort is okay, pain is not." As I have learned about the fascia, her method makes sense and is easy to do. Sometimes it almost seems too easy, but the results are there.

The most effective way for me to do the Melt Method has been to spend simply 5-10 minutes when I get out of the shower. My body is relaxed and warm, and thus responds better. Before I dress, I use the foam roller or the balls on whatever body part feels most needy that morning. You can do it clothed, but I feel like it is more effective when the skin is on the roller or the balls, causing a little "pull" which is similar to what I am doing when I do mysofascial release massage.

Hitzmann claims that by doing this every day you can be pain-free, sleep better, loose weight, have more energy, and improve posture. I haven't felt the extremes which she claims. But then again, in reality, I don't do it every day - I'm lucky if I do it 2-3 time a week. However I do feel like my body is looser and more comfortable after I do a little bit. When I'm consistent, I have to admit that I feel overall better, and sometimes I even sleep through the night without having to get up and go pee!