Have you had your tires rotated recently? Been to the dentist for a cleaning? There are some appointments you don’t think twice about making—they’re just a part of life. It’s time to think of massage as routine maintenance.

In the October/November 2003 issue of Massage & Bodywork (“Injuries of the Knee: Essential Principles and their Applications,” page 16), I described how discovering and learning new information about the injury process revolutionized my understanding and changed the way I treat clients in my practice. Because of the essential principles I learned, I am able to identify the source of clients’ pain quickly and recommend the type of treatment most likely to help them recover.

Sometimes, we enjoy the work of giving generously to others so much that we neglect to release the previous massage and bodywork sessions and instead carry them throughout the day. Doing this over and over can be emotionally and physically draining.

“My father was in a recent auto accident and has whiplash. Can massage benefit him, and will insurance pay for it?”