Winning Hands Massage

Home

WHO AM I?

I am a Licensed Massage Practitioner in the State of Washington (license # 16912, first issued in 2002). I am also Nationally Certified (NCBTMB) and a member of AMTA.

My specialty and primary focus is very serious treatment work, blending and integrating the various energetic modalities. My other interests are hands-on research on the efficacy of energetic bodywork for chronic conditions, and education/teaching the average person how to apply these techniques for self-treatment.

MISSION STATEMENT

This site is primarily intended to provide another way for me to freely share information about various massage and bodywork treatments for a wide variety of issues and conditions, with particular emphasis on connective tissue dysfunctions. Many of the topics in the "Mike's Writing" pages are reprints of various articles and posts from EDS Today, CEDA, and handout materials prepared for different classes and seminars. It is also intended as a vehicle to support my three main objectives involving bodywork and related alternative therapies:

Provide serious treatment work for chronic, stubborn conditions
Conduct hands-on research to determine what does and does not work
Educate as many people as possible about the reality and effectiveness of energetic based bodywork modalities

WHAT DO I DO?

Since retiring from the “day job” in May, 2003, my primary focus has been on research using energetic based bodywork for pain management and connective tissue disorders. To that end, my wife and I traveled all over the United States and Canada during 2004 and 2005 doing research. We took six trips, logging about 50,000 miles through all 48 contiguous states, DC, and three Canadian Provinces, putting in over 600 hours of hands-on research in around 300 treatment sessions. In addition, I have worked with two of the doctors at the National Institute of Health in Baltimore, doing some preliminary research on energy work for extremely stubborn, chronic conditions. I have conducted clinics or seminars in California and Ohio and taught Applied Energy Work for Self Treatment through Discover U here in Seattle. I will also be teaching Partner Massage for Renton Tech in May and again November.

When at home in Seattle, I have a small private practice operating out of a dedicated treatment room in my home. On request, I still occasionally do actual Swedish, relaxation, massage work but the majority of my hands-on work involves serious treatment sessions. Most of my time, however, is spent on the internet, working with various disability support groups as an unofficial advisor/consultant for alternative therapy questions, especially questions regarding bodywork modalities. I have also recently increased my teaching efforts.

WHY DO I DO IT?

I got into massage/bodywork training in January 2001 to learn what I could for pain management for my immediate family because my family (daughter, son-in-law) and I all have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). I have been involved with the CEDA support group for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and have been writing about various massage and bodywork modalities for the group. I am also a columnist for EDS Today, a newsletter about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and have written articles for Pulse, the newsletter for AOBTA, the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia.

I went through the torment of watching my daughter fall apart physically, and neither knowing why nor what could be done to stop it. She recently turned 32. I watched her deteriorate from the bright- eyed little kid with a love for dance and a dream of ballet, only to see her have to give up that dream. And then progressively go downhill from increasing aches, pains and dislocations to eventually needing leg braces, canes and ultimately a wheelchair.

For some reason, I have had it in the back of my head for years that massage had to offer, if not a cure, at least some type of relief for her. At the end of 2000, I resigned the position I had with a company in Alaska and moved to Seattle. Within a month of being down here, I checked out and then enrolled in the massage program at Ashmead College. My sole objective at the time was to learn as much as I could before the burden of working full time with a full class load caught up with me and flunked me out. I took it one term at a time. And yes, I did make it all the way through.

Back to my daughter. For fifteen years, she stood with both feet laterally rotated to about 45 degrees each and with such severe pronation that her little toes didn’t touch the floor. She had also been told by a total of four chiropractors, four osteopaths and two physical therapists during that time that she had a fused left hip. She was not only not getting better, she was getting worse. She was finally diagnosed with EDS at about the age of 20. All this did was help explain what was happening to her. It didn’t help provide any relief.

During my second term, we had to do a project where we did a series of six massages over an eight-week period on one person so we could monitor and assess changes. I chose her, not for her legs and feet, but because she had walked into her van mirror and messed up her back. It was pure coincidence that at the same time we had our first introduction to myofascial release. A quick assessment showed that she had serious fascial restrictions in her back so I decided to just practice the technique on her as part of the project. During the fourth massage, we were both shocked to discover while doing some hip mobilization that her left hip was NOT fused. I was getting movement out of it. At the end of the fifth session, she came back downstairs while I was filling out my paperwork and said “Dad, look at my feet. You’ve done more for me in a month than ten doctors in fifteen years.” Her feet were straight and her little toes touched the floor. She went back upstairs. I spent the next fifteen minutes alternating between pure rage that she had to go through what she had for so long and for no reason, and simply sitting there crying my eyes out from the pure joy of having been able to help her. Her feet are still straight today and her little toes still touch the floor. Her problem was not a fused hip and never had been. Her problem was a severe fascial restriction in her lower thoracic and upper lumbar back. Once the restriction was released, her legs and feet returned to a normal position. As info, she has long since gotten rid of the braces and the wheelchair is gathering dust in the garage.

That was my introduction to the power for positive change inherent in bodywork. Let’s just say it changed both our lives.

After graduating from massage school, I became sensitized to energy work and shifted my continuing education emphasis toward the energetic modalities. In large measure, this was because I self-taught myself basic acupressure at the end of the massage school program and within three weeks had cured a long-standing tension headache problem. After 35 years of averaging 100-150 Tylenol or Aleve a month for brutal headaches, I suddenly realized that I simply wasn’t getting headaches anymore. I took 8 Aleve in July of 2002 for broken rib pain. I have taken none since, for anything, in almost four years. In addition, anything else I tried it on, worked. That spurred me to learn more about it.

SUMMER ROAD TRIP ITINERARY – 2006

June 21 – Leave Seattle

June 23-25 – Salt Lake City: Treatment Work and Workshop

June 26-27 – Palisade Colorado: Treatment Work

June 28-30 – Lecture, Workshop, Treatment Work

July 1-5 - Travel Days – open

July 6- 9 - Wisconsin, Treatment Work, Workshop (9th)

July 10-13 - Indiana, Personal Down Time

July 14-17 – Dayton Ohio, Treatment Work, Workshop (15th-16th)

July 18-21 – Indiana, Personal Down Time

July 22-23 – Charleston, West Virginia, Workshop

July 24-28 – Detroit: Treatment Work

July 29-30 – Travel Days

July 31-Aug 3 – Baltimore, NIH Study

Aug 4-7 – Treatment Work, Down Time

Aug 8-10 – Travel Days

Aug 11-15 – Orlando Florida area: Treatment Work, Workshop

Aug 16-17 – Travel Days, Down Time

Aug 18-20 – Tampa Florida area: Treatment Work, Workshop

Aug 21-25 – Travel Days, most in Nashville Tennessee

Aug 26-27 – Atlanta Georgia, Workshop

Aug 28 - Travel

Aug 29-31 – Louisiana: Treatment Work

Sep 1- ? - Texas

Total time in Texas is unknown at this time. It will be not less than a week through the 7th and might extend out until the 10th, depending on which weekend is set for another workshop. If we leave Texas on the 7th, we will continue through southern California on the way home. If we extend until the 10th, we will head straight home from Texas and reschedule California for early October.

Classes!

Applied Energy for Self-Treatment

Mike presents information on his Discover U class at the Northwest Women's Show Discover U Catalog Description:

Did you know that you have the energy in your hands to treat yourself and heal others of almost any ache or pain? It's true! Learn from Michael Uggen how to use basic acupressure, polarity and directed energy techniques to relieve headaches (even migraines), arthritis, constipation, allergies, asthma, sinus congestion, acid reflux and much more. With his techniques, discover how you can easily release any contracted muscles, treat subluxed ribs, vertebrae, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Join this all day hands-on workshop and walk away with the skill to be a believer. Imagine, pain relief, without pills. It's possible & with in the touch of your own hands. NOTE: Couples strongly encouraged. There are areas on your body that are not easily reached by yourself. Learn together so you can help each other. Plan to bring a lunch or money to go to one of the local restaurants.
Michael Uggen is a licensed, nationally certified member of AMTA, with over 1600 hours of training in Swedish, Craniosacral, Lymphatic Drainage, Visceral Manipulation, Myofascial Release, Acupressure, Polarity, Chi Nei Tsang, Reiki, Acutonics, Zen Shiatsu, Aromatherapy, Thai Massage and Therapeutic Touch. His primary focus is on serious treatment work, blending and integrating the energetic modalities. For the past two years, he has been researching efficacy of bodywork for pain management and connective tissue disorders, traveling all over the United States to do so.
Location: Northgate
Date: Saturday, September 23, 2006
Time: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Fee: $89
Materials: $10 (Pay Instructor)
Special: $149 for 2. Just mention this special in your registration
Session ID: GS514A
Register Online

Making Waves Logo

There is more to the logo than just an interesting graphic and (hopefully) catchy saying.

For at least two years now, when people have asked me about what I do and why I do it, I have described myself as just a pebble, tossed into a pond. What I do personally is of no great importance. What is important, is the ripple effect of my actions. If every person I interact with, every individual who gets their feet wet regarding their own comprehension of the greater realities underlying energy work, and consequently their own abilities to actively employ it, can in turn splash water on ten more sets of feet, and each of those ten moistens ten more, then the ripple effect of whatever splash I make will hopefully grow into a true wave.

The graphic was a recent gift to me from a young lady I worked with in Canada two years ago. It depicted visually what I had been saying for two years. The words just came to me unbidden the following day.

Making Waves Energy Forum on Yahoogroups

After repeated requests to do so, we have launched a new Energy Work Discussion Forum in Yahoo intended to bring together those seeking information on using energy to treat specific issues and conditions with practitioners of energy work.

Making Waves Energy Work Forum

Mission Statement:

Provide an open forum for the free flow and exchange of information relating to energetic modalities and therapies for the effective treatment of a variety of problems, issues, and conditions. Bring together in one forum those with problems to address and practitioners who might know ways to address those problems. The focus and core of the threads will be energy work but the PURPOSE will be to find ways and methods that actually WORK. The goal is to create a place and space where people with different training or background can exchange ideas and knowledge about what actually WORKS with other people with different backgrounds or training. The source of the idea (modality/system) is of no consequence whatsoever. The goal is to broaden horizons, not narrow them.

Philosophy:

Since there is always more than one way to address any situation, informed decisions require input from all sides of any issue. Therefore, ALL members must feel comfortable and safe to post questions, ideas and suggestions for the benefit of everyone in the group, where everyone can learn and grow from the shared experience. Consequently, the one absolute that will not be tolerated is a personal attack on another member. Disagreements are just a part of having an open dialog, but they can and must be done with proper respect to those with differing views or opinions.

Use the sign-up box below to join the group. Or go to: Making Waves Energy Forum.

Disclaimer

All materials are for education and information purposes only and are not to be construed as medical advice. All participants are urged to consult their primary care provider or other medical specialist for answers to specific medical questions and problems.

Photos

Click on the small images to view a larger image. Use your browser's back button to return to this page.

Subscribe to mwef

Powered by health.groups.yahoo.com