My office has moved! - Please Read:

To be a little more removed from the street noises and commotion, I have moved my office next door. Same building, different entrance. For more information, please read this post on the topic. Thank you!

Traffic Disruption - Please Read:

SDOT is repaving NW 85th street. Eastbound traffic is closed. Expect some traffic disruption. Please plan ahead. For more information, please read this post on the topic. Thank you!
Latest post:
Anatomy Mondays: Anatomy of a muscle
posted on February 20, 2012 by Olivier

When you think about massage, you usually think about muscles. The massage therapist is the guy or gal who helps your sore muscles get better. For sake of clarity, I will not challenge this assumption in this article (but we’ll revisit this in the future… ☺). It dawned on me however, that many people do not actually know what a muscle is and how it works. This article is an attempt to give you with the basics about muscle anatomy and physiology.

Before we explore the anatomy of a muscle, I need to make a short digression. Anatomy, or the study of living things, has been shaped throughout centuries by one important tool, the knife. Until the invention of very sophisticated in-vivo, non-lethal, less invasive imaging tools (such as MRIs), scalpels dictated how we viewed the body. As a result, the classic study of anatomy is a very fragmented discipline. We dissect systems, muscles, bones, observing them as separate entities. However, in a living body, muscles and bones are not separated. Muscles and tendons are not separated. Muscles and skin are not separated. Almost nothing exists in isolation. As our understanding of living bodies is greatly expanded by the advances in technology, we now truly understand the depth of the meaning that everything is connected. Unfortunately to shape our discussion, I will need to use the classic anatomy concepts and the metaphorical knife to present muscles to you.
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Meet your therapist:
Olivier D’hose, LMP

My passion for the human body and the relation to its environment has led me to study the history of many healing traditions around the globe. Throughout this ongoing journey, I have noticed that one of the most widely used tools for diagnosis and treatment is touch, or what I like to refer to as ‘hands on medicine’.

A graduate of the Brenneke School of Massage I have been a massage practitioner since 2003. I have focused my early training on the art of traditional European massages and the science of myofascial, craniosacral, visceral and neuromuscular therapies. I have since specialized my work using Structural Integration and Orthopedic Massage techniques. With this deep understanding of human anatomy, physiology and kinesiology, I integrate different massage modalities to craft a session optimized to meet your specific goals.
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    • Testimonial: Jerrod Smith

      “I began treatments with Olivier in June of 2007, using a gift certificate from my wife. To be honest, I was somewhat skeptical before the appointment since I have seen many massage practitioners over the last twenty five years. We decided to focus on my legs and lower back since I hold a lot of tension in these areas due to my work. Ten minutes in I was silently celebrating that his technique was exactly what I had been looking for: deep tissue, release, intuitive.
      After the treatment we discussed some of my problem areas. He informed me that my injured knee (ski accident) was compounded by a previous injury I sustained 20 years ago in my foot, which he discovered during the hour long session. I scheduled the next appointment before leaving the building. We since have rehabilitated my knee so I could ski ‘pain free’ this year. I have been coming to see Olivier on a regular basis ever since. Working with Olivier has been an investment in myself. He has improved my physical health and emotional well being.”

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    Book: Explain pain by D. Butler and L. Moseley
    posted on Feb 15 by Olivier

    I am pain junkie! No, it is not one of my kink. Pain fascinates me. Why do we experience it? Is it completely subjective? Does everybody experience it the same way? How can we alleviate it? Do we want a world where we would never experience it? These are some of the questions that I [...]

    Treat yourself: Evelyn Glennie’s TED.com presentation
    posted on Feb 08 by Olivier

    I have conflicted feelings about TED.com. On one hand, I really feel that the format of the conference is truly pandering to our snippet-driven, short attention span inducing culture. A good TED.com presentation has often less to do with the content and more about the delivery, sometime short-changing really important ideas. And then I stumble [...]

    Music: Concha Buika
    posted on Feb 03 by Olivier

    I am a little bit of a music hoarder. I collect music whenever I can and wherever I go. My friends know that about me and so they feed my addiction once in a while with suggestions of new performers, styles, albums. As a good hoarder, I catalog the music and store it safely but [...]

    Valentine’s Day Promotion
    posted on Feb 01 by Olivier

    Commercial trap or not, it is hard to argue against celebrating that special person in your life. What better way to celebrate than by offering an opportunity for self-care. This Valentine Day, give a gift certificate for a massage or a massage subscription. From February 1, 2012 to February 14, 2012 take 10% off the [...]