Massage Is For Everybody

OSM Student Milo Osswald passionately attests to the benefits of massage as he explains that it guided him into greater attunement with his body and a higher quality of life.

“Of all healing modalities I have tried, massage has impacted my pain levels and quality of life the most. It helped me cope with a multitude of painful and distressing symptoms after I was hit by a car while biking to work; it was, and still is, essential in my recovery process. I have more time without painful symptoms [and I’ve] found more resolve to follow other healing protocols I’d cultivated in the years preceding.”

For Milo, Massage Therapy made exercises in Physical Therapy more accessible and effective, proving it complementary to more standard treatments. Later, it benefitted him significantly more by increasing his capacity to show up for his mother throughout her final stages of life.

“When mom was ill and couldn’t communicate verbally, [quality of] touch became more significant”

Milo described how regularly receiving a massage not only helped him cope with the weight of becoming a family caretaker, it showed him the power of touch in relation to connecting with oneself and other humans. Consequently, Milo’s experiences with chronic pain and family caretaking have broadened his view of Massage Therapy and what it means to live in one’s body. He believes it an essential piece to recovery and wellbeing that deserves to be included in standard treatments for everybody. With this belief held in mind, body, and spirit, Milo aspires to serve our community’s more vulnerable and underserved populations.

Article by Lucille Thornhill