Case Studies | Fluid Movement + Massage

Client Case Study – Forty Pound Weight Loss, And No More Neck Pain!

January 16, 2018February 17, 2018Anne

I love it when a client’s simple, positive, changes lead to huge results!

Meet Bill. In the past year he has:

Eliminated his neck pain
Cleaned up his diet
Increased his strength
Lost 40 pounds!

In August 2016, Bill first came to see me for massage. He suffered from chronic neck pain, tightness, and limited range of motion. Sometimes the pain and tingling sensation would shoot down his arm, and into his head. His job requires him to be on the computer for most of his work day.

For exercise, he was running, and walking his dog, but not doing any strength work. I spent most of his first massage session working on his neck using myofascial release, cranio sacral, gentle manipulation, and passive stretching. I also showed him gentle release exercises he could do at home (nose circles, and puppet arms). I explained that if he did these exercises at home the results would be longer lasting. Guess what? He did his homework!

He felt less pain, and greater mobility immediately after his first massage, and we scheduled his next one for two weeks out. After his second massage we added a few new exercises. He was continuing to feel better, but still had some pain and tightness. We met for 6 sessions over a twelve week period and by the end of October he was feeling so much better we transitioned from massage to strength training sessions. We began a R.O.S.S. training plan, including release work, shoulder stabilization, upper and lower body strength exercises, and neck and shoulder flexibility work. We now had a catalogue of about 20 exercises, plus we went through the Five at the start of each month.

In March of 2017 he decided to clean up his diet. He rarely eats sweets or fried foods anymore, and he and his wife often prepare healthy meals at home together. He has not only lost weight, he has improved his body composition, gained strength, and eliminated his neck pain! Now (January 2018) we meet once a week for thirty minutes, go through that month’s exercises – this month we are working on hamstring flexibility – then he repeats his strength exercises twice that week on his own, in addition to running and walking his dog. Occasionally (maybe four times a year) his neck will flare up and he will opt for a massage in lieu of training.

I nicknamed him “one more” Bill because each week he does one more of each exercise than he did the week prior. So what is the key to Bill’s success? He meets with me consistently, does his homework, and sticks to a healthy diet (with the occasional treat). He is super motivated because he sees the results of his hard work!

What are your 2018 goals? How can I help you get there?

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She loves helping her clients reduce pain, increase mobility, and look and feel their best! Call her today to set up your complimentary consultation. (503) 705-4762.

Client Case Study – Couples Training Love Story

April 23, 2017August 9, 2017Anne

I have several couples who train with me – some together, some separately. Training together works well if both partners have similar goals, schedules, and learning styles. Also, if they don’t mind allowing me to focus more on one partner during the session; say if one partner is injured, working on something specific, or has questions about how best to approach an exercise and needs a little more time and attention from me.

I have also had many clients who have recommended me to a spouse (or friend or coworker) for awhile. “You really should go see Anne, she can help you with your shoulder pain, back pain, weight loss, meal planning, stress reduction…” I love it when the friend or family member does finally come in to see me and they say “Wow, I should have done this years ago!”

Here’s an awesome love story for you about one of my couples. Nancy has been my client for ten years. She has taken Pilates classes; done private training and massage; organized family Pilates classes with her adult daughters and their friends; traveled with me to Hawaii for one of our group vacations; and she even invited me to her daughter’s destination wedding to offer massage and yoga classes to the wedding party. She truly is a gem and I have appreciated getting to know her.

Over the years, I’ve visited with her husband James at different family events. Right now he is unable to train with me due to his travel schedule, but the two of them have been talking about exercises that could help reduce his inflammation and pain. He has specific limitations that preclude traditional strength training, specifically hand issues that do not allow him to grip weights. He also sees the value in adding strength work to his already active lifestyle. In other words, he is ready, motivated, and willing, but not sure where to start. When Nancy came in for her movement + massage session last month, she challenged me to come up with a short strength session that I could show her so that she could teach him. It had specific requirements: exercises that didn’t require traditional strength equipment, no weight bearing on his hands, and it needed to be fun so he would want to continue to do the work.

Looking at her current program (exercises she was already familiar with), I thought about which ones would be suitable for him, what we could add to round out his program (core, back, legs and upper body), and I talked to her about her motivational language to make this fun for him. For example, he is a gear head, so when cueing Flight, a back extension exercise, she could ask him to imagine a hood ornament.

mermaid hood ornament

After he completed his workout, I suggested she reward him (steak dinner, foot massage, etc.). We kept it to ten exercises, and I included in the list a few that she and I had done together so she would be familiar with them, thus comfortable teaching the moves to him.

This is a perfect example of how couples can work together to be positive influences on each other. Without nagging or haranguing (and using gentle positive reinforcement), Nancy can provide her husband with simple solutions to help him relieve his pain and stiffness, thus improving his quality of life.

After checking in with Nancy this week she has this good news to report:

James is doing his exercises with purpose and enthusiasm. They’ve become part of his plan to “get healthy” along with some dietary changes and more cardio.

Who do you know who could benefit from a movement makeover? Can you send your special person my way? Call (503) 705-4762 or email me (Anne@FluidPortland.com) and I will be in touch with your person to set up a complimentary consultation. To receive the latest news in the land of Fluid (healthy recipes, The Monthly Five, workshops, and other events) please subscribe to my monthly newsletter over here on the right ->

Client Case Study – Post Surgery Strength Training

March 20, 2017March 20, 2018Anne

Meet Doug. In 2015 he suffered a shoulder injury that left him with pain, and limited range of motion. A few months later he underwent a successful surgery to reattach a torn tendon. He then went to physical therapy, religiously did his exercises and has regained all of the lost mobility in his shoulder. He began meeting with me for movement + massage sessions in the fall or 2015. Over the past two years he has been lifting progressively heavier weights, and is now stronger than he was before his surgery.

He and his wife love to kayak. In fact right now they are in Mexico where they have done something active every day: lifting weights, yoga, Pilates, swimming, kayaking, hiking to waterfalls… Before he left for Mexico we talked about his desire to continue his workouts while on vacation, so that he wouldn’t lose the strength he has built over the past year. I offered my favorite body weight travel exercises (squats, lunges, push ups, dips) in case there was no traditional gym where they were staying. He concocted a plan to make his own weights using dowels, sandbags and a fishing scale to confirm the weight (did I mention he is a creative genius?). I wasn’t sure exactly what he was talking about until he sent me this photo.

Dougs homemade barbells 3.17

I present to you Doug’s homemade beach barbells! Maybe I will have him video a tutorial on how he created these once he is back in town.

Who do you know who is recovering from surgery? Could your person benefit from strength training with Anne?

Contact her to set up a consultation and discuss if you are a good fit (503) 705-4762.

Anne McCranie is a Portland based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She works with her clients one on one and in small groups, using a combination of movement + massage to aid in pain relief, increase strength, and improve mobility.

Case Study – Natural Pain Relief For Bunions

September 28, 2014August 9, 2017Anne

“For the first time in the past eight years I can walk long distances (8-10) miles without nerve pain in my right foot.”

Do you suffer from bunions, hammer toes, plantar fasciitis or other painful foot ailments? Did you know there are natural, non invasive alternatives to surgery? Check out this success story…

Susan has received monthly massages from me for the past two years. When I first met her she suffered from debilitating foot pain due to bunions. She was not interested in the traditional medical solution which includes surgery and a long recovery period that would require her to be off her feet for weeks. In April of 2012 she purchased Correct Toes from me and started wearing them for a few minutes a day.

In three months she worked her way up to at least a half hour a day, usually wearing them on her daily walks.

Now for the first time in her adult life there is space between her big toe and second toe. She has improved her foot health and decreased her pain to the extent that she was able to hike long distances on her recent trip to Europe.

Here is a more recent photo of her feet in July of 2014. Notice the difference? More space between her big toe and second toe and, especially the foot on the left, her big toe points straight forward instead of to the side. Plus her bunion is much less pronounced.

What can the combination of soft tissue work, strength and flexibility work, and toe separators like Correct Toes do for you? Call Anne to find out (503) 705-4762

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She works with her clients one on one and in small groups using a combination of movement + massage to aid in pain relief and increase mobility. She sells Correct Toes, Yoga pads, Swiss balls, therabands, and other tools to help you build strength and flexibility at home.

Yoga For Pain Relief Case Study Results

November 25, 2009August 9, 2017fluidportland

Last month’s yoga series was a huge success! Thanks to all my ladies who participated. We met once a week for six weeks for ninety minutes of restorative, gentle yoga. Our focus was chronic pain relief and we recorded pain levels at every session.

All of our participants reported lower pain levels by the end of the six weeks. One client reduced her chronic pain by six points, going from a 7 out of 10 at week one to a 1 out of 10 at week six! All noticed increased breath and postural awareness and greater ease of movement during their daily activities.

I know yoga can seem intimidating if you have never set foot in a studio. To quote Martin Luther King: “You don’t have to see the top of the staircase to take the first step”

What can yoga do for you? If you are interested in forming your own small group or joining one of our ongoing classes contact Anne – 503-705-4762.