Boston Massage Associates

Boston Marathon 2011: Post Race Massage at BMA

admin — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:17:00 +0000

Pre-register today for your post race massage on Marathon Monday! BMA is conveniently located just past Boston Marathon’s finish line. This year we will be there from 11am on providing post race massage with water, oranges, ice, and beer.

There are 10, 15, 20, or 30 minute session are available for $1 per minute.

Good luck to everyone running! If you’re not running and are in the area feel free to stop in and say hi!

To your health,

Eric

Thera Roll: A different kind of foam roller

admin — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 04:26:00 +0000

One day, at my buddies house, I was complaining about some calf tension. He said “Dude, you HAVE to try this new foam roller I got”. What he brought out was a small gray corrugated roller made by Thera Roll.

After less than a minute of rolling around on this ribbed foam roller, I loved it. The ribbed design and the smaller size (3” or 3.5” diameter) is able to target smaller muscles much better than regular flat rollers. It is especially awesome for calves, shins, and TFL. It felt pretty good on the forearms too. But be aware… it is more painful. They make larger rollers (7” diameter) that are better for quads and hamstrings but I found it’s ribs to be spaced too far apart making it hard to roll on or find my groove on it. However, it’s still more effective that broad flat rollers and they make softer ones.

The 3” or 3.5” rollers are perfect for traveling.

Best Uses for:
Runners: Calf, shin, hip flexors
Swimmers, Surfers: Lateral Lats, Terres, and posterior Deltiod

Desk workers: Hip flexors, forearms, neck

Hyannis: 48 hours and 51 massages

admin — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 04:38:00 +0000

After making record time down to Hyannis I set up and immediately started massaging. The expo was relaxed, I was able to chat and connect with so many interesting people. Race day on the other hand was fast paced and filled with a combination of nerves and adrenaline.

Expo: On Saturday I did 24 massages from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Even before the expo started the vendors were getting on my table. At noon the runners, who had pre-scheduled with me, started to come in. Working the expo was a great experience because I got to meet and talk with so many more people. Also I got the opportunity to see everyone the next day and hear how much better they felt.

Race Day: On Sunday I did 27 massages from 8:15am to 3:15pm. I got in a little early, sipped my coffee and read a new surfer magazine – the calm before the storm. I started by working on a friend, it was a nice way to ease into it all. Before I knew it the grand ballroom was FILLED with people. I worked on one guy who has run a marathon every month for the past 5 months and counting. Another one who has run over 50 marathons. One of my favorites was the woman’s marathon winner (in her 30′s?) she said she ran it in 3 hours and 5 minutes. All she could talk about was how bad she felt about a miss-communication she had on the course that left another runner mad. I told her “you have way too much to be excited about to even be thinking about that” she smiled and agreed. With her bloody ankle and even bloodier sneaker she hobbled away on her fathers shoulder to ice and wait for her medal.

It’s hard to describe how intense it is to maintain a space where the runners can kind of center and regroup while I assess and treat the most efficiently in 15 minutes. I love it. I was happy to be down there, I saw so many people I knew that I felt like I belonged. I met some twitter friends offline, saw a dozen or so clients, hopefully found some new ones and made a couple friends. It really was a fantastic event and I hope I get the opportunity to work it again next year.

Thanks,

Eric

Hyannis 10k, Half and Full Marathon – 2011

admin — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:10:00 +0000

Two weeks ago I got an email asking me to work the Hyannis 10k, Half and Full Marathon, Feb. 26th and 27th. At first I was afraid because of my current physical restrictions and I haven’t worked an event since last August. There is a lot of physical demand and I didn’t know if I would be able to do it but I totally understood what a great opportunity it was plus I had so many friends running it. I wasn’t about to say no.

Then I went to physical therapy. It was a gorgeous 60 degree day in Boston and my therapist, Dave, was impressed with the progress I made our first week. At the end of our session he gave me some more exercises to do, I asked him “When do you think I’ll be able to surf?”. He knew by my face that I was fishing for an answer so he told me “There’s always the risk of doing more damage… but…” I interrupted to tell him that I had a vacation planned at the end of March, he responded with a sigh of relief “Oh yeah, totally. I thought you were talking about plans this weekend – ha”. It made me so happy to finally hear “you can”! I am no longer afraid.

I always love these kind of events. The energy is consistently through the roof and it’s awesome to see how it lights people up, including myself. I feel honored to have this opportunity. It’s a pretty big deal because it’s incredible exposure for the business and I was sought after for it. This will be BMA‘s first half and full marathon, first expo and first two day event. My excitement comes with a healthy dose of nervousness.

What to expect from pre / post race massage:

It will be in the Ballroom so wear your running shorts or pants that you can stretch in.
15 or 30 minutes is plenty of time for a good leg routine.
Lighter pressure than usual. We do not want to do any damage right before or after a race.
Passive Range of Motion. You will relax on the table while I put you through a series of assisted stretches with a goal of increasing range and circulation.
You may want leg work, back work or neck work. Let me know what you’re feeling and we’ll do as much as we can with the time that we have.
Pre-race: Expect to feel more limber, light, and relaxed before the race.
Post-race: Expect a quicker recovery time and reduced muscle spasm.

Schedule in advance by emailing me at ericderricomassage@gmail.com or swing by and check out my availability sheet that day. I will be providing massages at the following times:

Saturday: 12:00 – 5:00pm at the Expo

Sunday: 7:30am – 4:00pm.

Cost: $1/minute.

Links:

Massage for Runners: This great article is very informative for any runner.

Boston Massage Associates of Boston, MA to be available at Hyannis next weekend!: B. A. Events Promotions email.

To your health,

Eric

How Often Should I Get a Massage?

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 04:36:00 +0000

One of the questions I get asked most is: “How often should I get a massage?”

The answer is different for everyone but you should get a massage regularly as part of your health and fitness routine. If you are not suffering from any acute or chronic issues regular maintenance is about every 5 – 6 weeks.

If you are suffering from acute pain: Massage directly to the affected area is not recommended until the inflammation has subsided, usually within 24 – 48 hours. A massage will still have it’s benefits during that time but your therapist should be working on the surrounding areas only. You want to be more aggressive with an acute issue to nip it in the bud. Come in once a week for 2 or 3 weeks and taper off after that.

If you are suffering from chronic pain: I have some clients who come in every week but 3 – 4 week intervals is more common. I understand the many different effects of chronic pain including loss of sleep, stress, accumulated compensation and depression. I get worked on every other week and I can personally attest to the benefits of regular massage to alleviate these symptoms.

Whether you are trying to manage pain, improve flexibility or excel at your game, massage is for you. The staying power of bodywork depends on what you do between treatments. At Boston Massage Associates client education is a key component for maximizing the benefits of my work. It is very important that you understand is going on with your body and what you can do at home for yourself.

To your health,

Eric

Birthday Steps

admin — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:02:00 +0000

Since September I have not taken a step without pain after rupturing L5-S1. The disk, pressing on the foramen, is causing numbness, tingling and a stabbing pain that shoots down my right side low back, sacrum and down to my foot, causing a limp, nerve damage, and scar tissue and I’ve lost 15 pounds.

The bottom came in mid October when I spent three weeks in bed on my back. I had worked, surfed, volunteered, longboarded, hiked, and ran trails barefoot until I could not take one more step. I took 3 weeks and learned, too late, how to slow down. It was a humbling experience.

Once a week for an hour I see my chiropractor Michael Santipadri. Every other week for 90 minutes I see Bob Vinson, a structural integration therapist. I did eight sessions of PT in four weeks (but experienced little benefit). Two weeks before my birthday I started to use the Egoscue Method from a book Bob had given me called Pain Free. At first I was only doing the herniated disk routine. My back was feeling better but my leg was still burning. I went back to the book and infused the hip routine. With everything combined and two days after I added the extra “E-cises” I really began to feel some progress.

On January 19th, 2011 I turned 27. I was not in Nosara for a semi planned surf adventure. I wasn’t even able to ride a freezing New England break for a traditional birthday sesh. The Universe had something else planned for me.

I had a choice on my birthday – to piss and moan or enjoy a slice. I wasn’t able to surf like I had planned but I got out. I took a hike and pushed through wet, ankle deep snow in the woods – pain free – for 30 minutes with and for my hiking partner, my dog, Leah. It felt amazing. It was obvious that the fresh tracks I was making were not only the ones I left in the snow.

I’m excited about this year. The conditions are lining up to make it look swell. Business is bustling with new clients and I’m ready to live up to Best of Boston. I’m rehabbing and I can feel the shift in my body and in my life, I’m regaining balance.

…you can’t stop the waves but you can learn how to surf.

Thank you,
Eric

Stoke

admin — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 21:41:00 +0000

“Stoked” - adjective – To be “stoked” is to be completely and intensely enthusiastic, exhilarated, or excited about something. Those who are stoked all of the time know this; being stoked is the epitome of all being. When one is stoked, there is no limit to what one can do.

Welcome to my life.

My name is Eric Derrico. I am a massage therapist, entrepreneur, surfer, hiker, dog lover, philanthropist, environmentalist and a trail runner. November of 2009 I opened Boston Massage Associates (BMA) in Boston’s historic Back Bay. In becoming a small business owner my true journey began. I decided to blog because I wanted to create a place where I can share my passions, my experiences – my life.

As young as when I was in grade school, I enjoyed practicing the techniques I picked up from my mom’s books about massage and anatomy. I knew from the feedback I received that I had a gift, but like most of us – I ignored it. I worked as a plumber for 3 years, from sophomore year in high school on. It wasn’t until a wise man asked me when I was 19 years old “Do you love your job?”. I said to him laughing “Seriously?! Who loves their-fucking job?!” It was my boss at the time, Joe Cronin, he looked me square in the eye and said “I do”. I stopped laughing immediately and started to think.

The next thing I knew all the guys I plumbed with were breaking my balls because I was in massage school (“So wait let me get this straight… if Jim here comes in for a massage… you’re going to touch him??”), it never really phased me. I graduated from the Massage Institute of New England with certificates in Deep Tissue and Thai Bodywork. My first job in the Back Bay was at Athena Aveda Salon and Spa in ’06 and then Boston Bodyworker from ’07-’09. I never even dreamed of owning my own business but after a couple of choice conversations between the boss and myself, I decided it was time.

So at the age of 26 I schemed, I plotted and I hustled and in 3 months I built a business up out of nothing, nothing more than necessity. I couldn’t let anyone I was working with (or for) know anything about what I was putting together. It was an intense period jam packed with life lessons. My business was initially Boston Massage and Acupuncture with two other associates but after a year we realized the space was just too small for the three of us. I decided that I wanted to take the opportunity to create an optimal healing environment for my clients where I could truly tailor fit their experience. Boston Massage and Acupuncture established in November of 2009 became Boston Massage Associates in November of 2010.

Some of my sequential endeavors, since opening the business, include the Clean Beach Initiative, a group I created last summer (2010) to keep Massachusetts beaches cleaner after I was appalled at the litter from the first “beach-goer” day (it was ridiculous). The Initiative got me on the Mass Chapter Executive Board of Surfrider Foundation where I was able to volunteer my time at other events such as teaching inner city children and those with physical challenges how to surf. I also do a lot of fund raising by donating gift certificates for raffles and proceeds from benefit events I organize. Some causes we donated to the first year we were open were Doctors Without Borders, Bostons Childrens Hospital, Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Pan Mass Challenge, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Rad drop ins, gnarly wipeouts, and waves glimmering with stoke: this year has been an epic ride for me. After re-branding my business in October, one month later, I was voted #1 in Citysearch’s Best of Boston 2010 for Best Deep Tissue Massage, Sports Massage, Thai Massage, and Therapeutic Massage. I have experienced a major physical challenge with a severe bulging disk resulting from playing and working too hard. I am so stoked to have this special place to share my musings, my tips and knowledge as a massage therapist, and my general insight on life. Please feel free to leave a comment, question or any feedback you may have.

…you can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf

Thank you,

Eric