KaMasaJei BioDynamics Bodywork

Sep 2021

I've gone here twice, both times with Johnny. Once because of back spasms so bad I was having trouble walking. And once because of a strained hamstring that took forever to heal. Johnny was great. He really worked the muscles slowly and intensely, and it had an immediate positive impact. He had a good sense for how the muscles are interconnected, and had good input for how to avoid injuries in general. This is not a "feel good with some oil and Enya at the spa" kind of massage. This is intense, focused sports massage. You will be a bit sore the next day. But if you are aging casual athlete like me, this kind of massage can really help you stay on the field/the trail/wherever you want to be. Stretching is good, but it's not enough.

Jul 2021

Between circus arts (aerial tissu or silks, rope, straps, trapeze, etc.) and rock climbing without sufficient rest in between sessions--in addition to an aging body--I ended up with a rotator cuff injury. I got exercises from the physical therapist but otherwise laid off the shoulder for a while. That break was longer than expected (Covid). I finally got back into movement and deliberately increased strength, but found that my shoulder mobility was still limited and it still hurt when I reached up. I checked out a massage therapist and they were super nice and relaxing, but not the vigorous experience I was hoping for. Also, my shoulder was tended to, but it didn't feel any different afterwards. So, I tried KaMasaJei BioDynamics. I was hesitant because I don't really want to spend money to feel good for an hour and change. But my shoulder was going nowhere and I figured I'd try. I had a very thorough intake with Johnny and he asked great questions. I appreciated his thorough Covid practices even though we met after local restrictions were loosened. When we got started, he worked on a muscle group that I thought wasn't related to my shoulder at all but I thought maybe he'd move up to my deltoids (shoulder) at some point. He finished that area and asked me to reach my arms up and I felt nothing in my shoulder. No pain, nothing! I hadn't felt nothing in that shoulder for a year and 9 months! He explained the physiology behind it and then continued working muscle groups around the area. Not once did he actually touch the deltoids where I thought my pain was. He also took care of my forearms and noted differences; one forearm had tightness on the back side and the other was tight in the front. As an aerialist, I have a dominant arm for climbing, so that made sense but I never thought about what it meant in terms of muscles. Neat! At the end, I asked Johnny how long to expect my shoulder to feel good. He noted that I was traveling on a plane soon, but that it would last a few days. So, I've been dying to write this review but I've been waiting to see how long it would take for the pain to return. It's been almost a week and I got tired of waiting so I'm putting up this review now. I've also had two workouts since the massage and the pain hasn't returned. This isn't the lavender essential oil and soothing music kind of place, so don't go in for that. It's not really relaxing unless you are like me and you find pain distracting and relaxing. He works those muscles hard and it will hurt so, so good. If you have rolled out your muscles before (MFR or myofascial release), you will know what I'm talking about. Johnny is better and more precise than any bumpy foam roller or lacrosse ball you have, though, because (unlike you and your foam roller), he actually knows anatomy and how the muscles work together. I'm a talker and Johnny was happy to chat with me, and I wonder if he chats to distract some people from the pain. Again, I like the pain but I am also an extrovert so chatting is just fine for me. He is very athletic himself so he had lots of good stories. I imagine if I said I preferred a silent massage, he would probably be fine with it. If you are serious about your physical activities, if you are an athlete or circus artist, and if you have an injury that is going nowhere, I recommend that you check out Johnny. There's a reason he was out of town working with Olympic teams until recently, so catch him when you can.

Mar 2021

Johnny is such a skilled and patient body worker. Thanks to him, I can continue to work on the computer and play guitar. After having debilitating thumb joint pain for 8 months and a round of steroid injections I thought I was done for. My hand doc told me he had done everything he could, and that I would just have to manage the pain. The pain was so bad I couldn't push a vacuum or do downward dog without intense burning. Johnny not only released the muscles that were contributing to that RSI, but has helped me release other problem areas like my neck, ribs, feet and jaw. He also takes the time to educate you on muscle groups and provides you with stretches to combat...read full review