-MFR/Myofascial Release:  A lighter touch or more intense touch can be used with these techniques.  This allows the therapist to engage the fascia.  Fascia is the connective tissue which surrounds muscles and tendons that sometimes can cause referred pain when adhesion occurs.  MFR encourages these restrictions to loosen up and let go.  This therapy can be done fully clothed or undressed (to your level of comfort) as “usual”.  This can be a great option for those who are not comfortable being in a state of undress around another person.  

-CST/ Craniosacral Therapy:  The lightest touch therapy, this modality works to restore balance in your central nervous system: the brain, spinal cord, and cerebrospinal fluid.  CST can help bones and tissues move back into their proper place by facilitating a deep sense of relaxation allowing the body to find its own equilibrium.  CST can be done fully clothed or undressed (to your level of comfort) as “usual”.  Another great option for those who are not comfortable being in a state of undress in a therapeutic setting.  Read more about CST here!

You may have, by now, heard that Gov. Whitmer's executive order powers have been repealed by the supreme court.  I am sure some of you may not care or some of you may be excited.  Some of you may be scared or frustrated.  Many of you may be wondering what that means for your massages at KAW.  Long story short, is that our operations will not change.  We will continue to require PPE for both staff and clients.  We will continue to use limited capacity and staggered scheduling to reduce the number of clients in the office. We will still have extra time between clients for disinfecting.  This does certainly mean a reduction in income for KAW and our staff.  We are willing to put forth the sacrifice if it means we can maybe save lives and find a new normal a little bit sooner.
 
What will likely change, is the potential for clients to challenge our decisions as a company.  Our standards were set in place to protect ourselves and our community, not just because we were legally required to do so.  For now, the EOs will still be enforceable through September 23rd, and I am sure the MI government will be working diligently to figure out how to fight this repeal or put other measures in place to balance public and economic safety.  Additionally, this repeal gives local governments more power to create their own legislation.  So, it is very possible Kalamazoo county may put a mask, social distance or reduced capacity order in place anyway, since we have spiked by over 100 cases per million more than we were a month ago, thanks largely to schools reopening. Oakland county has already put up a county wide mask mandate for anywhere outside your home. 
 
No matter your point of view on whether the Governor had the power to protect the public based on a panel of highly educated experts' advice or not, we now have to navigate more change and must stay steadfast in our decisions as a company about what makes sense for us.  In the end, it is our duty as ambassadors of local public health to set a standard, regardless of what the government says.  Please be respectful of our policies we have put in place, and we will continue to provide the most epic wellness care we can!

Stay Healthy!
Nicholas Garman,  LMT NSCA-CPT
Owner

Certainly it does not seem like 7 years, and yet it seems like it has been a lifetime.  So much has happened both in my personal life and in my business life.  From the humble start that Amy Bradley and I conceived way back in 2013 as we met at Shawarma King Buffet, to the trendy jam packed Sports Massage Center we see today.  It was an adventure to be sure.  I'll take some time here to reflect on the more important bits and probably get misty eyed as I do.

2013- We open in September of 2013 with 4 therapists total and average about 8 clients a week.  We also begin proudly working with WMU Football.  I have a newborn daughter at home and have to juggle being a stay-at-home dad during the day and running a new business in the evenings.

2014- We have our first major sponsorship as we work with the Kalamazoo Growlers in their inaugural season.  Later this year we also begin our relationship with the Kalamazoo Area Runners.

2015- This year was a struggle for KAW financially.  Amy stepped down as co-owner at the beginning of the year and in May left to pursue a career with Stryker.  My wife and I welcome our son in August. We also picked up Alicia Hileski who has been a rock in our organization and would later be promoted to Assistant Manager!  We ended the year losing money after 2 years of minimal profits.

2016-  The year of efforts realized!  Early in the year I meet with Bonnie Gildea, the owner of SolSpring, over dinner at Erbelli's.  She tells me she wants to sell SolSpring and that she keeps thinking of me as the perfect fit.  I graciously accept the opportunity, and we get to work.  By June 2016 SolSpring is merged with KAW, and we pick-up our Workplace Wellness division and a second location at the Bronson Athletic Club.  We also absorb an amazing staff of therapists including Christine Anderson and Jillian Strobel and now have 12 LMTs!   Christine was our Office Manager through this transition and worked hard to also get us to where we are today.  She left to pursue her own business in 2019, and I am so excited for her. Jillian stepped up into a version of her current role and has been the face of our Workplace Wellness division since! That fall at WMU Football, we had our magical undefeated season and went to the Cotton Bowl.  I cried with pride after the MAC Championship win. The rest of this year is one of our highest grossing profit years ever, and things are looking great!

2017- I find out in March that Bronson wants to switch from contracting our services to hiring and running their own massage division for the athletic club.  By May we have been consolidated into the Turwill location and dropped 6 therapists.  This event feels like a big step backwards as we lose about 50% of our revenue.  I decide to take a gamble and invest what money we had saved to remodel the office, revamp our promotional materials, and push ourselves to the next level.  We remain steady at the Turwill office and stay alive!

2018- The year of growth.  This year I begin to have deeper talks with Dr. Antoniotti and others about a combined services relationship, and we begin talks on a larger facility.  We also introduce our Membership option in March to replace a less than popular prepay discount.  The memberships prove to be an immediate success both for clients and cash-flow!  Eventually the concept of a much larger facility is abandoned and Dr. Antoniotti and I begin talks about us moving into the suite next door with the previous tenants' lease due to be done.  This was also the year that Linda Elstun won her Bronze medal at the CrossFit Games.  This was the second year that I traveled to the games with her and was frankly a wonderful surprise as she had qualified outside of the top ten.   By year's end we have nearly doubled our monthly revenue compared to the start of the year!

2019- We announce our expansion into the new facility with Antoniotti Chiropractic and, despite some unforeseen delays, we are able to move in late March and re-open in early April.  We have a major re-opening celebration involving WMU Football players and a raffle supporting WMU Athletics.  Our new facility doubles our capacity for massage, has enough room in the lobby for us to create a members lounge, and we can now sell retail products in our new Wellness Store!  We also hire 7 new staff members, 4 new therapists and 3 front desk staff.  Just 2 weeks after re-opening my Mother, Susan Belt, passes away in her sleep from heart failure.  She worked for KAW at the front desk for about a year between 2017-2018, and many of you may have met her.  She was spunky and free spirited.  She was annoyingly proud of me, and I will miss her always!  In August I go with Linda to the CrossFit Games again, this year comfortably winning a Silver medal!  She ranks as the most fit 55-59 year old woman in America!  Toward the end of this year we introduce our online Wellness Store to a pretty uneventful start.  Overall our new cohesive relationship with Antoniotti is off to a fantastic start and I am feeling very confident in 2020...

2020-  Well here we are.  You get the scenario here, 2020 is, for all incense and porpoises, a train wreck.  Right now, I write this from home as I juggle running a much more demanding business than in 2013, while also assisting my kids with their virtual learning.  However, there is a shining light at the end of the tunnel!  Thanks primarily to our dedicated members who continued their dues, and secondly to some governmental action to help save small businesses, we have survived!  Just 2 days ago I found out we received a grant approved by Gov. Whitmer as part of the Small Business Restart program!  The community support in our reopening has also been overwhelming!  We expected a very slow rebuilding for the last half of 2020.  What we got was clients clambering to get in for their much needed human contact in a safe and controlled environment.  I am so proud of our staff and the culture we have created as a business.  I look forward to what the next several years bring!

When will it be safe for us to reopen?  This is a question we have been asking ourselves frequently over the last couple of months.  We fully expect the Michigan government will do their best to keep public safety a large priority.  But being an industry that literally touches people in a confined space for extended periods of time, we wanted to ensure we set forth a plan that would keep everyone involved as safe as possible, and made sense for us specifically as an industry.
As a staff we came together and decided we needed to create our own criteria for a safe reopening.  Our intention is to create an environment that is as safe as possible for both clients and ourselves.  Outlined below are the steps we set in place that need to be true for us to reopen and what to expect when you are finally able to schedule.

• First we will need to first have permission from the State Government to reopen.
• We additionally want to see 2 weeks of a decline or no new COVID-19 cases in Kalamazoo County.
  
• We will have a temporary “Safe Return to Work” period for a minimum of 30 days once we deem it safe to reopen.  During this time:
  
  1. Sessions will be limited to 60 minutes each and will be staggered by 30 minutes to reduce the number of clients in our waiting area.
     
  2. Not all therapists will be available and room usage will be cut in half.
     
  3. Your therapist will be required to wear PPE such as masks, aprons and goggles.
     
  4. You will also be required to wear a mask while in the building.
     
  5. If you or your therapist are exhibiting any symptoms such as coughing, sneezing or elevated body temp you will be asked to reschedule.  Late cancellation fees will be suspended during this time.
     
  6. You will be contacted the day before your session and must answer a series of questions to confirm your appointment.
     
  7. We will be sanitizing the room between each session.
     
  8. The waiting area will have a reduced amount of clutter and seating will be swapped out for easier to clean folding chairs.
     
  9. The member’s lounge will be closed off from use.
     
  10. We will request that payments be made via credit card as much as possible.
      
  11. You will be asked to sign a waiver upon your first visit during this time period acknowledging you understand the risks of receiving massage during this unprecedented time.
      

Because of the more fluid nature of our reopening criteria, we cannot set a date for reopening at this time.  We have cancelled all sessions in June and will be closing off any openings in July.  Once we have a date for reopening we will be calling all clients, starting with members, who were scheduled in any of the previous months that we have been closed for COVID to get them scheduled within our specified schedule.  Please keep in mind, we fully understand the desire to get back to your bodywork as regularly scheduled.  We MUST proceed with caution and make it as safe as possible for all involved.  Public health is, after all, our number one priority.  Thank you so, so much for your continued patience and support!

Nick Garman

Co-Authored by: Nicholas Garman and Adam Brown.

1.  Understanding Self Care
As the Corona virus continues to ramp up in the United States the perpetual news reports and social media posts of quarantine, death, and sickness have a particular way of stressing one out. The way your body and mind respond to stress is actually a nervous system response that you can learn to regulate by implementing certain habits, patterns, and practices in your life. This will train your nervous system to better interpret when it is safe and can relax, and when it is in danger and time to act.

That being said, you may be feeling right now like you are not safe and cannot rest. This is perfectly normal in times of crisis. It is important to understand that stress is not meant to be completely obliterated. There are times where a stress response is actually serving you and sending a message that now is the time for you to take action of some sort. 

Unfortunately, for many, in stressful times like these, the branch of the nervous system that governs your fight or flight response will often remain active and continue to keep you “ready for action” until utter burn out. This is why it’s more important than ever to learn to take care of yourself, or practice self care. 

Self care does not only mean bubble baths and spa days (although these can be great options for many people). Self care is a broad, umbrella term encompassing anything and everything that allows your parasympathetic nervous system to flex its calming muscles and better learn to regulate between when it should be active and when it should allow its bigger, older cousin, the sympathetic nervous system to take charge and prepare you for action -- fight or flight. In this blog we’ll be focusing on four vital elements of taking care of yourself: movement, stress reduction, sleep and food.

By Guest Blogger: Ayiana Gaines, BS

After reading the headline, you may be thinking about all the good times you had in college playing sports and how could that experience possibly be negative?  Your memories may include hard but satisfying workouts, fun outings with teammates and all the strong connections you made with everyone. Most of our memories may be great, but sometimes we tend to look past the negative effects that often remain after we’ve graduated and/or when our eligibility is up. I want to explore how structured physical activity, competitive sports participation, and our athletic identity may indeed have a negative effect on our mental, physical and emotional state later in life.

First - a little bit about me: I am a former D1 collegiate Track & Field athlete at Western Michigan University. From South Bend, Indiana, with lots of hard work and due diligence, I was recruited from Riley High School to WMU on a full-ride scholarship. Trust me when I say I was damn good at running a 400-meter race! I was doing great in college until near the end of my junior season, when I tore my ACL, MCL, and meniscus at practice. You probably know that this was a major setback. I really took a hit in my heart and mind, knowing I would be out for an entire year. I went to counseling to help me cope with the huge change of having so much free time on my hands and not being able to practice or compete anymore. All I could do was physical therapy and rehabilitation.

When I was finally ready to come back, I discovered there were some problems and issues on the team that made it difficult for me to concentrate. I was faced with a decision ... to subject myself to the drama and negativity or to give up my passion, my first love, the one thing I was really good at. I was always defined by my sport - track & field. But ultimately, I chose my mental health and well-being and dropped out of the team.  It’s been a year now since I've competed, and it has not been easy. I still go back and forth wondering whether I made the right decision. Hopefully, in the future, there could be more programs to help support former athletes through this transition process.

It is usually a major shock to the body when a high school athlete transitions to collegiate training/practices and games/meets. The extended hours and increased level of intensity of collegiate training can have negative effects on your mental and physical health. Athletes who are hoping to continue on and compete professionally are sometimes limited by past injuries, the pain tolerance when enduring the high level of intensity, and etc. There is a lot of data that relates to athletes who have made it to the professional level, but what the data does not touch on are those athletes who have dedicated four or more years to their designated sport and then it all ended after college. Do you ever wonder how they are doing in their adult lives? Are they still competing or are they living a
sedentary lifestyle? How are they doing, physically and emotionally?

Zachary Y. Kerr conducted a study at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill to research the current health of former college athletes. Of the 797 former collegiate athletes who participated in the study, a majority reported that they now suffer from some degree of high cholesterol, anxiety and depression issues. They also reported some behavioral conditions, like alcohol dependence and uncontrolled eating, which has led to obesity. Without a coach or trainer telling them when, where and how much to work out, most did not have the self-motivation to work out on their own.

Another study, conducted by Janet E. Simon and Carrie L. Docherty, compared former collegiate athletes to non-athletes. It was found that former collegiate athletes exercise less, have higher body fat percentages, and perform at lower levels when doing push-ups, sit-to-stand repetitions, and running a mile. Highly competitive collegiate athletes work hard to reach a professional level, but without the stimulus of a coach, scheduled training sessions, and competitive events, many of them lose motivation and focus. It can be very painful when something you once
enjoyed or loved is taken away. You often tend to lose yourself.  Which brings me to my next point, athletic identity.

High school and college are totally different. From my experience, you tend to have a broader fan base in high school. You are in your hometown and everyone knows and loves you. Your athletic ability often defines you. But, what happens to your identity when you don't make it professionally? What happens to your identity if you get injured?

In an article by Trisha M. Karr, she talks about “exercise identity” and the healthy and unhealthy outcomes. It was shown that having an “exercise identity” was positively associated with healthy outcomes, like engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity, having lower body dissatisfaction, and a lower BMI. Without the exercise identity that comes from being a former athlete, you spend less time engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity, you tend to have a higher body dissatisfaction, and a higher BMI.

Having a high body dissatisfaction may lead to weight gain, and/or eating disorders, because you’re always chasing the body you had when you were competing in your sport. Articles by Erin Reifsteck and other authors talk about
identity theory for athletes. Identity theory can be defined as “the meaning one attributes to oneself in a role” (Burke & Reitzes, 1981). Athletic identity is a specific type of identity defined as the extent to which one identifies with the athletic role (Brewer, Van Realtek, and Linder, 1993). Athletic identity is usually rooted specifically in a competitive sport. As I furthered my research, I also found that athletic identity is linked to problematic issues such as early retirement, emotional difficulties and it has even been found that former athletes have a hard time transitioning into a full time career job. (Reifsteck, Gill & Brooks, 2013).

In conclusion, being a former collegiate athlete has ups and downs, but most people are able to overcome the negative effects they may face. Losing your identity as an athlete can be hard mentally and may be a sensitive subject to discuss. I hope you understand a bit better now how vigorous physical activity, participation in sporting events and athletic identity really do affect the mental and physical state of college athletes. Hopefully there can be more support systems in place to help former athletes successfully transition when their competitive season is at an end.

References:
Brewer, B. W., Van Raalte, J. L., & Linder, D. E. (1993). Athletic Identity: Hercules’ Muscles or Achilles Heel? International Journal of Sport Psychology, 24, 237-254.

Burke, P. J., & Reitzes, D. C. (1981). The link between identity and role performance. Social Psychology Quarterly, 44(2), 83–92. https://doi.org/10.2307/3033704

Karr, T. M., Bauer, K. W., Graham, D. J., Larson, N. I., & Neumark Sztainer, D. R. (2014). Exercise identity: Healthy and unhealthy outcomes in a population-based study of young adults. Journal of Sport Behavior, 37(2).

Kerr ZY, Chandran A, DeFreese JD. Considerations for Present and Future Research on Former Athlete
Health and Well-being. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(5):e194222. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4222

Reifsteck, E.J., Gill, D.L. & Brooks, D.L. (2013). The relationship between athletic identity and physical activity among former college athletes. Athletic Insight, 5 (3), 271-284.

Simon, Janet E., and Carrie L. Docherty.  “The Impact of Previous Athletic Experience on Current Physical Fitness in Former Collegiate Athletes and Noncollegiate Athletes.” Sports Health, vol. 9, no. 5, Sept. 2017, pp. 462–468, doi:10.1177/1941738117705311.

Note from Nick:
Ayiana was an intern here at KAW last Fall, and this was a research project she completed as part of her internship.  I found the information very enlightening and felt it needed to be shared.  Ayiana is now hired on here post internship at KAW as one of our reception staff!

By guest blogger Tamara Mitchell, LMT, CMLDT

With all the systems in the human body the Lymphatic System often gets forgotten. Much like the latest computer IOS, the topic just goes...lymph.

The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs that help rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials. The primary function of the lymphatic system is to transport lymph, a fluid containing infection-fighting white blood cells, throughout the body.  The lymph system has two main roles: to drain excess tissue fluid and to fight infections. The system is made up of vessels which contains lymph nodes.  A lymph node is a small bean shaped structure which contains large numbers of white blood cells, monitoring any signs of infection. These vessels prevent blockage in the body tissue by draining through the urinary system.
The lymphatic system's role within the body can be compared to the oil needed to run a car – they both need to be periodically filtered to keep the “body” running properly.

This process is done naturally by the body with regular muscle movement, breathing, proper hydration and diet. The process can be sped up with Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD), which uses gentle strokes to clear cellular debris through the vessels.  Manual Lymph Drainage is a light pressure massage using rhythmic pulling over the lymph vessels that sit just below the skin. The goal of MLD is to increase lymph flow, as opposed to regular massage therapy, which is focused deeper on the muscles.  Manual Lymph Drainage offers relief and benefits for many conditions including post injury edema and is a gentle, conservative approach that can be done fully clothed in 60-minute sessions.
All treatments of Manual Lymph Drainage should be discussed with your physician who will determine any contraindications that may be present or if treatment is right for you. If you are interested in Manual Lymph Drainage give our office a call and staff will direct you to a trained therapist.

By: Gust Blogger Kate Duffy

As I’m sure most of you are aware, there are many different forms of massage therapy, beyond the traditional Swedish relaxation massage. Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is one of the more recent modalities. It was developed by Dr. John E. Upledger, following extensive studies done between 1975 and 1983, and is now very popular.

Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle form of hands-on therapy done with a very lightweight touch. Using only the weight of a nickel, the therapist is able to locate and assist in the moving of blockages within the pattern and flow of the sacral fluid. The sacral fluid flows along the spinal column and around the brain. By focusing on the movement of this fluid, a trained therapist is able to release compression and help the body to regain homeostasis (stable equilibrium), which allows for recovery from a variety of trauma, including migraine headaches, chronic neck and back pain, and brain injuries.

With the increased concern of head injuries in contact sports, football in particular, interest in CST as an additional form of treatment for concussions has grown. By helping the fluid and fascia throughout the head and spinal column, many people have found a significant amount of relief from their symptoms, more so than from other more common forms of treatment.

If you are interested in giving CST a try call our office at 269-373-1000 and our friendly staff can direct you to a therapist who is trained in it!

For more information and video testimonials, go to Upledger.com

By Guest Blogger: Dr. Steve Antoniotti

You could say chiropractic is in our bones…pun intended. Antoniotti Chiropractic first opened its doors in 1964. We are the 3 rd generation to provide health and wellness care to southwest Michigan. Since the beginning, we have utilized both chiropractic adjustments along with therapeutic massage to deliver the highest level of care to our patients. On April 1, 2019, our office was blessed with the addition of Kalamazoo Athletic Wellness and we couldn’t be happier, after seeing only positive results over the last six months. We truly believe that massage therapy is the ideal complement to chiropractic care.

Improving range of motion (flexibility) and overall biomechanical function, increasing immune system adaptability, decreasing pain and inflammation, eliminating toxins, reducing stress and fatigue, along with enhancing circulation are just a few of the many benefits that are attributed to a combination of chiropractic and massage therapy. Anxiety, depression, digestive disorders, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, headaches, insomnia, soft and hard tissue injuries are a few of the many symptoms /conditions for which a combination of chiropractic care and massage therapy can provide immense relief and benefit.

You might be asking “How?” The simple answer boils down to the fact that chiropractors work with hard tissue (bones and joints) and massage therapists work with soft tissue (muscle, ligament, tendon, lymph, and circulation). The body is composed of over 200 bones and over 600 muscles. These biomechanical components do not work independently of each other; rather they are an integral network of movement & function, which need to communicate every second of every day. So chiropractic care and massage therapy work together, hand in hand, to provide optimum health for most people.

99.9% of our chiropractic patients are given the clinical recommendation to also utilize therapeutic massage, as the best treatment results are seen when both modalities are used. Having Kalamazoo Athletic Wellness on our team has only improved overall patient care and well-being. Having a team of both chiropractors and massage therapists available allows us to continually provide the best long-term results for people of all ages in our community.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to either of our offices with further questions and BE WELL!