Emily: 0:08

Hey, welcome to wellness Smiths today. We have a special guest with us, Cecelia. So Cecilia is a licensed massage therapist. She's located in the downtown area of port Huron, Michigan. She has been an independent therapist for the last three years. She specializes in tool work with bamboo and stones, thus creating her brand Silva and stone.

Vanessa: 0:34

For allowed to say this yet we can cut it out if we're not, but your soon to be not so independent Right.

Cecilia: 0:44

Yeah, absolutely. You do not have to cut that out. Um, so I have done quite well, building up a large clientele and I honestly didn't expect it to be like so successful. I think we're always our own worst critic. Massage is a very physical form of practice. Like you can only do so much in a month. So I kind of kept myself out on like 50 people, which may not seem like a lot to somebody who's like working in an office and they have other therapists and they can just like do a couple and work multiple days a week. But in only a couple of days and trying to grow and develop a business and a brand my time is limited with people. So long story short, I now have like over a hundred people a month inquiring on a monthly basis to get a massage. And obviously that's twice that I can handle. So, yeah, I've temporarily taken a pause in the bodywork side of massage and I'm starting to hire therapists the next week and I've been touring larger lease options. So the next few weeks, yeah, hopefully I'll get into a larger space and have a full staff.

Emily: 1:51

that's so exciting.

Vanessa: 1:52

that's amazing. So tell us how you got into massage in the first place.

Cecilia: 1:57

Um, so getting into massage, I never wanted to be a therapist. I never really even had a massage. Before going into school, except for like one by my friend that was going to school. I had only done nursing, like in high school, I went to tech and I became a Siena. And then I worked for five years in the hospital. And three of which were like in the emergency department, I went to SC four and did like all the prerequisites for the nursing program, took the HESI, which is the entrance exam for the program. And like, didn't get in my first time applying, which isn't very uncommon. Cause it's so competitive, but, you have to wait a year to reapply. I was already like up to here with working midnights in the ER and was like, I can not wait a full year to like, try this again. What am I going to do? My friend was like, why don't you try going to massage school? And I was like, well, I'm pretty good with anatomy. So it would be easy. Thing to fall back on, you know, like an extra license. And I started school and completely found a new passion, never looked back and then ended up getting a full scholarship to go back to school and take all those credits from nursing and transform them into, associate's degree, majoring in therapeutic massage. So it worked out anyways

Emily: 3:14

Wow. That's really cool.

Cecilia: 3:15

long story, but that's how I got started.

Vanessa: 3:19

It's always kind of fun to hear. People's kind of winding stories of where they end up. And, so many times it's not the path that they were thinking or necessarily chose. They just kind of wind up there.

Cecilia: 3:32

Yeah, that's definitely what this was. I had no intentions of being a therapist, but going to massage school, I found there was like a lot of things that I truly valued about nursing, that I was able to portray within my own practice in massage, just like the. One-on-one patient care. I would get in the hospital. I get one-on-one client care. I'm actually able to like develop my own treatment plans and, just show people that there's a time and place for, you know, modern medicine, but there's also so many other things that can be done holistically to help that a lot of people didn't realize.

Emily: 4:07

That's kind of brings us into our next question. So what are the main benefits of massage therapy?

Cecilia: 4:14

Lots of benefits, obviously physical. When you get a full body massage, it's relaxing, you know, hopefully it's relaxing. So it helps with anxiety and depression, like the mental aspect of it physically. I'm moving around like blood and lymph. So it helps with your circulatory system, your lymphatic system, which boosts your immune system and so on, so forth. Super, super beneficial to get. I think everyone should be getting at least once a month, get a massage.

Emily: 4:45

Can you talk a little bit about massage for chronic pain versus more acute pain?

Cecilia: 4:53

For sure. So we learned in massage school that acute pain, if it's associated with, some sort of trauma that recently happened that causes inflammation, massage can be a contra-indication in that aspect, just because the body needs time to like process and heal, whatever had happened. But if it was like a shoulder tear and it's been a couple of weeks and you're already starting to develop scar tissue, I would still kind of consider that an acute injury that I would start to treat, chronic pain. I would relate to like scoliosis, somebody that has scoliosis or it's, you know, continuously progressing to get worse. That is something that is extremely relieved when getting a massage. So it can help both ways. Definitely.

Emily: 5:38

Yeah. And even for people, you know, like say someone listening to this, hasn't gotten a massage before and doesn't feel, you know, they don't have a ton of pain in the body. Chronically. It's still beneficial for them too. Right.

Cecilia: 5:54

Yeah, absolutely. And I get so excited to work on people that either don't get work often or feel like they don't really need work or have never had work because it's like a treasure chest. Like I will find something in your body. Like, I'll find a tight muscle or a knot. And so, so often, like people are like, you know, I'm feeling pretty good. And then they get on the table and I'm like, Not renting, but like just raking out gravel and I'm like, yo, you sell, but we're going to have shoulders when you leave here.

Emily: 6:28

Yeah, it's crazy. Like people, I think a lot of times we relate to this as dietitians people will be like, Oh, I don't really feel dehydrated, but then you find out, you know, they're drinking like 14 ounces of water a day and you're like, I think you maybe just don't know what it feels like to be hydrated.

Cecilia: 6:44

Absolutely. That's a great point. so many people don't think that they are really in pain because they're used to this, like, Moto tone. If that is the proper term pain that they feel on a daily basis, you just kind of like get accustomed to it. And I tell my clients so often, like you have no idea, how good you can feel if you just like, invest a little bit into yourself.

Emily: 7:05

So are there any common myths that you hear surrounding massage therapy?

Cecilia: 7:10

So my first one kind of ties into what we were talking about that massage people think is like this luxury service. Even as the service provider, I want it to be luxurious and top-notch and bougie in any way that I can, you know, to like make it stand out. But realistically, like massage is not just a luxury service. Like I said, everyone, I think should have a minimum of one massage a month. And it's so beneficial in literally so many categories of your life. Another thing is so many people need touch in their life and laugh that, and it almost is like a taboo. Touch, you know, cause it's so quickly associated with something intimate or sexual. But, especially with this past year that we've had with social distancing, I mean, think about how alone so many people have had and like even a hug or a handshake or like a touch on the back could mean so much. So people, I don't think realize how empowering it is to just let, go and lay on a table and like let somebody else take care of you.

Vanessa: 8:15

That's something that I at least hear from people that maybe haven't had a massage or they're kind of nervous about getting massage. That I don't know about having a stranger touch me. So how do you address those concerns if they ever come to you? If someone's like, I just, I don't know if they'd say that directly to you.

Cecilia: 8:36

They definitely do. My boyfriend, Alex, his nanny, we tried to like get her to get a massage and she's like, you want to touch me? Like, I'm not getting on that table. Like so many people that it's so much more common than you would think. And they do tell me like, no, I don't really like people talk to me, like I'm not going to get a massage. And what I say to that is then don't get a massage. Maybe you don't want to be touched, or you're not gonna be able to relax if somebody comes into. My massage room and it's the first time I'm meeting them and then going to touch them. Like, obviously that's a little nerve wracking for anybody and it's like a little weird cause were like, just meeting and then you're naked in front of me on the table, obviously you're draped, but that's quite vulnerable. And so I try to say like, tell me a little bit about yourself or like, let's get to know you. Tell me about your body. How do you sleep? What's your diet like? Like what do you do? You know? So I get onto like, That first name basis, if you will. And they kind of feel more comfortable. Plus they know that I came from an ER, so when they're like, Oh, I didn't shave my legs. And like, I'm happy you have legs. So I just want to make it super comfortable. And yeah, if you don't like it, then it's not for you. And that's okay.

Emily: 9:49

I have a lot in Portland or often times in Portland we have, Trauma informed care. as a yoga teacher, we do things like that. So asking for consent before, you know, the therapist touch is a really common one. Like, we'll be like, Oh, is it okay if I do this? You know, whatever. And it seems so obvious because you're like, well, yeah, I'm here for a massage. Like I know you're going to touch me, but just kind of like those added little permission, like asking for permission like that can make clients feel a lot safer. I'm sure.

Cecilia: 10:21

Yeah, I completely agree. So when they get onto the table, I have them take a breath. And I just hold, which most therapists do though, like before you're even undraped because that's the most, like you get on the table, you're undressed, you know? And then all of a sudden, like the Drake comes off your back and you kind of get like a little bit nervous. I like to just as many, like. Put my hands on the client and just like share a breath. And that's how I start and end every massage. So like, I'm asking you, like, this is okay and we're breathing together. We let off that breath and then you begin. So it's kind of like asking the physical and the mental, like, is it okay if I step into this, even though you're already making it on the table. So I love that. Yeah, absolutely.

Emily: 11:03

So we know that massages can be kind of pricey and acknowledge the privilege that comes along with being able to afford them regularly. And you kind of already mentioned, but in an ideal world, how often should we aim to receive massage therapy?

Cecilia: 11:20

Good question. I definitely keep the wallet in mind as I myself am a client just as much as I am a therapist. And I know that people come to me and they will have a very small budget, but they have a really big treatment plan and I'm not going to be like, no, I can't work with you because you can't afford it. But I'm also not going to cut myself down in my own prices. So what I have done is I created most therapists have like a 60 minute massage or a 90 minute massage. Some people do two hours, which I've never done and will not do. for a 30 minute massage. So it's a 30 minute express, $30. You can come in. It's half of your lunch break orange. You're back out for 15 minutes, flip you 15 minutes on your neck. It's only upper body. You can still get aroma therapy. He and tool work in 30 minutes. 30 bucks sent January.

Emily: 12:13

That's really cool. That's a lot more accessible than a lot different therapies. Um, mythos massage therapists. And then, is there anything, like if people don't have access to a massage therapist, is there anything that they can do at home to kind of relieve body tension

Cecilia: 12:31

I encourage my clients all the time to text me. If you have anything that pops up that I can like help guide you to work specifically. If you can't get in for a massage. The first thing I'm always going to say is drink water. I'm always going to tell somebody, drink water. If you're tight, you just finished a workout. You have a headache of a knots, whatever it is. I don't care. You could say you broke your leg. Go drink some water. Start with water because nine times out of 10 people are the hydrated and they don't realize it until they're like thirsty, like you're too late. So drinking, soaking is like a huge, huge thing. I think soaking in heat especially is so beneficial to relax the muscle and pull out inflammation or tension. Magnesium sulfates, which is Epsom salts. Those were actually used back in the day in ERs. Like if you went to the ER with a broken finger or hand or wrist or something, they would put you in a basin of Epsom salts. Like that was their first thing that they did from my knowledge. And then over time now we have medication and it's, you know, a lot quicker to manage pain, but. That is still something that is completely useful to do at home. So stretch he water soaking sleep sometimes just keep asleep.

Emily: 13:49

totally.

Cecilia: 13:50

He'll so lots of things just depends on exactly what it is. They need to work out.

Emily: 13:56

Vanessa is going to ask you a little bit more about those tools that you use, but I guess I have a question because personally, so I do a lot of foam rolling. Right. I'm like on my Peloton, my massage told me, like, you need a foam roller, like stat. So I have one of those. And then sometimes it use a tennis ball for tension, but some people have told me that that's too much and it's to concentrate and some therapists have told me that it's great to use it. So I'm curious what your opinion is.

Cecilia: 14:26

Ooh, my opinion. Well I work with sticks and stones. So if you tell me tennis ball, you don't think that's intense or too The body is extremely capable of a lot, you know, so I encourage the tennis ball to use if that works for you. I am a huge advocate of foam rolling, whether it's foam that has no knobs on it, whether it has the mat knobs, whether it has like the little spinal groove. There's also this tool that my boyfriend recently got, I wish it was near here and it's called, a cell. Right. And it's shaped like. This I don't know. You guys can see me cause I'm on video, but we can't see it. It's kind of like a goalpost in a way. And it's got like these rubber knobs in the bottom and it's plastic and arch. And what you do is you can like lay on top of it and it's specifically designed to get into the, so as, it's super, super cool, and you can do your entire body with it. So between that and foam rolling and tennis balls. I'm huge advocates for it. The third gun, the vibrating massage tools. I honestly am not that big of a fan of, I know that they're this huge hype. I don't really like them,

Emily: 15:33

Oh, why? Why not?

Vanessa: 15:35

Yeah. Say more about that. is an exciting breakthrough.

Cecilia: 15:40

So I'm the only one too. And maybe I would be like, so proven wrong, but from the moment that these things came out, I did not like them. I'm just like, you can buy a massage chair and it's like, Thousands of dollars and it just has these knobs that move in like vibrate. And the reason that I don't know, I like them is because people misuse them so often. I think there are marketed as this, like at home massage tool that therapists can use and you can buy it for your home for the price of $700 or whatever it is. But the fact that people are one not putting heat in like warming up the area to like. Welcome, whatever is about to come. And the fact that it's so aggressive and just like shakes your muscles. I almost feel like people argue and say that it like is a fascia blaster or will like break up scar tissue in shore to an extent. But I think that you are so like tense and trying to hold it yourself, that you're almost just doing more damage than good. In my own opinion, I'm not a fan. I don't like it. I don't own that. recommend them for any of my clients.

Emily: 16:49

Like I like a really deep tissue massage and like my therapist. She is called the tenderizer because she goes so deep. Cecilia: Does she use a fair gun? No, she doesn't use one, but she has told me like, okay, make sure you're relaxing. So you're not guarding your muscle against like, while I'm pushing deep. So like, even if the tension is really strong and I'm pushing, if it's too much, like you're going to start. Like kind of guarding and catching yourself and not relaxing into it. And then we like could be doing more damage. And so I'd imagine it's a similar thing with the thera gun, like, okay, you're just going like crazy this like balls to the wall motion with like no discernment or individualized care at all. And that's probably not cool.

Cecilia: 17:37

Absolutely. I think that is like the number one reason as to why I don't like them is not that people are misusing them on purpose, but there's such a lack of education on how to use them that it's like, I think people are not doing what they're designed to do. Make sure that you're not guarded when you're doing it because yeah, it's doing probably not the greatest work.

Emily: 17:59

And it's a lot easier to use something simple, like a foam roller, or a tennis ball where you can like go at your own pace and just kind of like roll along on it. Then this like big machine.

Cecilia: 18:10

To me it comes down to like lactic acid., I'm sure you guys are well familiar with lactic acid, but so like when you do a workout and your muscles tear, lactic acids produce, or when you're giving a massage, you know, you're moving lactic acid. And that's obviously what makes you feel tense and sore? I just feel like when you're tensed up and that's just like vibrating so intensely that it's probably just like disrupting and I just, yeah. I feel like if you're not putting heat on it or stretching it first or really relaxed or having somebody else do it, I just feel like there could be more contra-indications than that.

Vanessa: 18:46

Yeah, that sense. I feel like we just saved a lot of money for people on this podcast episode right now. Um, um, so while we're on the topic of tools, you've kind of hinted at this already. So you use bamboo and stones and your massages. And I think a lot of people have heard of like hot rock massages and stones and things like that, but not as much bamboo. So can you tell us a little bit more about those tools that you use?

Cecilia: 19:20

I actually didn't even know about bamboo until I was out of school. And. Somebody was just talking to me in a casual conversation about a spa and was like, yeah. You know, so so-and-so is the only person that knows bamboo or we all have to learn or something. And I was like, what's bamboo. That sounds cool. And I like ordered the sticks and started doing a ton of research and just practicing. And I just found that. I absolutely loved what I could do with the bamboo sticks. And it was so different than anything that I'd been doing for previously with massage. I liked that they're warmed and so. Like it allows the muscle to relax. But the biggest thing is like, your hand is uneven and your fingers are obviously on even. So like, as you're massaging somebody back, for example, and you feel a knot like that, not can easily escape, like under the grooves of your hand and you can get lost with it and try to find it when you have a long flat smoothed stick. Like there's nowhere for that. Not to go, but. Directly underneath of the stick and it's warm. And so instead of sitting in like digging around, trying to find this, not be, once I find it, dig it out, I've already started to disrupt an injure, the good tissue surrounding the issue. So with the sticks, I'm able to go in relax muscle and like smooth out and just kind of break the knot. And you actually hear it break in the back. Like it's so loud, crunches out all these nuts and I've never had it done in a massage. That I've gotten, because I haven't had anybody like work bamboo, like I do on my back, but I've had so many people come in. Like they can't believe the sounds that are coming out of their back because I'm physically cracking the knots out. if that makes sense, like they're like snapping

Vanessa: 21:10

Never thought of it in that way of like your hands being uneven and the bamboo kind of solving that issue. I never would have thought of that.

Cecilia: 21:18

Yeah, for sure. Neither have I, unless it was a cost for that conversation. But it was cool. Cause I bought, bought my sticks and started working with them six months before I went and took the training class to like. Have a certificate in it. And it was cool that I had had all like six months of getting to getting used to like having this stick in my hand while doing a massage, whereas everybody in the class or not everybody, but, you know, it seemed, most of them were trying to like figure out how to fumble with the stick as they were massaging. But I was able, I felt to like grasp everything that she was giving me. Cause I was already quite comfortable with it and I could advance from there. It was really nice to like, just get it and jump into it and just like fall in love with it. It was cool.

Vanessa: 22:01

So how about the stones? So is that the same kind of idea as with the bamboo, like getting. More concentrated surface area.

Cecilia: 22:12

For sure. So the stones, I actually worked with two different types of stones. I have the like black stones that you see, which is like the salt stones as like lava rock. They're nice because they're really smooth and they hold a high heat. For an extended amount of time. And then I also work with Himalayan salt, which is cool cause they, because they're heated, they release negative ions. What's helps calm and relax, and they're a little bit more chorus. So they exfoliate dead skin cells and they also have over 80 different minerals that helps your body to like detox and replenish, minerals while you're being massaged. So same concept, but a little bit different. And you can use it more in relaxation, like around the neck and you can play some on the back nicely

Vanessa: 22:54

This is going to sound maybe a little bit ignorant, but. Like having a hot rock massage. I really didn't think beyond. I've never thought beyond it. Like other than it just feels good. Like I never thought like, Oh, these rocks might actually have some added benefits too. I just thought like, well, this feels great, you know?

Cecilia: 23:15

no, that doesn't sound ignorant. That's totally understandable. Yeah, they feel great. I actually had a client come to me for the first time and they were like, I've only had one other massage before, and it was by, you know, some resort through sandals and he was like, it was a hot stone massage. And I was like, Oh, well then you're in for a treat today because I got a little bit more than just stone sweaty. And of course he loved it, but, Yeah, it's super relaxing. I especially like using hot stones, on the calves. Calves can be so sensitive when being worked and they're so tight. And like, if you're cast already tight me, like squeezing, it doesn't make it any more loose. So sometimes like a hot stone is a little bit more gentle than taking that bamboo stick. That's going to find every little mat in your cap so I can kind of do it in different ways. If that makes sense.

Vanessa: 24:05

Yeah, for sure. And we've already talked about this a little bit and you mentioning that you're always telling people they need to drink more water and. And anyone who's had a massage has been told to make sure you drink lots of water after, after this massage. Why should you drink more water after a massage into, do you have a recommendation about, about how much water someone should try to get in?

Cecilia: 24:32

Yeah, that is such a good question. If you've ever had a massage before, you'll hear your therapist, like make sure you drink water. And it's so important. So, like I said, in the beginning, like I'm moving around your circulatory system limp. And within that there's toxins and lactic acid, that get broken out of, you know, knots and stuff as they're being released. And if you did a really intense leg day and developed in a workout and developed a lot of lactic acid, do you know that you probably can't walk for a couple of days after. If you get a massage, I just pushed lactic acid throughout your entire body. So if you don't drink enough water to flush that out, like you will feel like you get hit by a bus tomorrow. It's kind of like a detox. Like all of that stuff gets pushed out of where it's not supposed to be. And then you drank water to hopefully flush and pee all of that out. Ideally.

Vanessa: 25:24

Is there an amount that you usually give people or is it just like as much as you can.

Cecilia: 25:31

How people go for a gallon, honestly, like I'm not shy about it. I don't think you should be shy with drinking water, because if you tell people to drink a gallon, chances are they're probably not, but they might drink half and I'm happy with half. So that's usually what I say. Before I did a little bit of research just to like, update on like what. You know, water recommendations were. And according to the us national academies of science and engineering and medicine, they say men should approximately drink 3.7 liters of water and women should drink 2.7 liters and 3.75, whatever leaders. It's like one whole gallon, right? It's like 3.8 liters is like a gallon. So literally right. If you Google it, that tells you men should be drinking a gallon of water a day and women just under. And I know for a fact, not everyone is guzzling a gallon of water, especially not after they get a massage because who are they gonna think to drink that much? You know?

Vanessa: 26:28

Yeah, for sure. That's, that's a really good tip and I think it. That's good motivation for people. Like if you don't drink water, you're going to feel really bad tomorrow.

Cecilia: 26:41

Bye.

Vanessa: 26:43

So thank you so much Cecilia for joining us today before you leave us. Did you want to tell everyone where they can find you both physically and on social media?

Cecilia: 26:56

I'm located in the downtown port here in area, as well as the downtown St. Claire area. This month or the next few weeks, I'm obviously not doing bodywork, because I'm trying to expand in other areas for the business. That's put on hold temporarily. But you can go to St. Claire and shop my retail location inside of way. Marshay. We have like a little Silva and stone booth that I keep putting product in and you can also go to Silva and stone.com. And that is my website. And you can message me from there or shop everything that I have and then follow Silva in stone on like Instagram, Facebook and Tik TOK.

Vanessa: 27:37

I can personally vouch for her bath salts. I have bought them at Lamar Shea. They're awesome. So if you are in the St Claire area, I would definitely recommend, popping into Les Marsha and checking. Sylvan stone.

Emily: 27:52

Thanks to Celia.