Boyfriend stressing you out? That old sports injury still slowing you down? Boss got you hunched over your computer all day? Whatever it is, we can all relate to those nagging pains in your neck and back. New pillows, mattresses and massage tools pop up every day, but none seem to have the same impact as a pair of hands to ease your pain. We were all in the fetal position at birth, but there is no reason to revisit that feeling on a daily basis. Offset your daily onslaught of work worries, relationship headaches, and even fitting in your dry cleaning drop-off day with a soothing massage or chiropractic crack from one of Philadelphia’s finest.
Soma Gallery Salon
Viviana Aires begins your one-hour full-body massage with an aromatherapy treatment that’s guaranteed to get you in massage mode– as if that’s what you needed in Soma’s dimly lit spa area that’s like being in a catacomb with an Enya soundtrack playing in the background. She works her way down from scalp to sole, using a combination of gentle sweeping strokes across the limbs and a stronger hand for tension-prone zones like the temples, back and feet. For sore necks, Aires skips direct contact in favor of a heated beanbag over the area and kneads on dual pressure points in between the shoulder blades that harbor all of that PC-related pain. Aires (whose current fitness obsession is hot yoga) uses her breathing to pace the massage and put you further at ease. The sound of birds chirping “awakens” you from your rub-down.
Soma Gallery Salon, 1610 Locust St., 215.735.7303, www.somagallery.com
3000 BC
Since fracturing my clavicle four years ago my back has been a constant mess. And sitting at the computer or hunching over my bike only adds to the discomfort. I’ve gotten several massages before but Helga, Olga and Sven either pressed too hard or not enough. But I recently found a new masseuse to give me the rub down I need. Shana Bly Washington, who is the daughter of the late, great Grover Washington, obviously learned a thing or two from her Pops. Her hands on my back are as in sync with what I need as his fingers were on the saxophone. She takes the time to get a feel for your problems and then customizes it to suit your needs. She specializes in deep tissue massage, which is what she treated me to, but her experience goes beyond that depending on what kind of pressure you’re looking for.
Washington stumbled upon her career when she was challenged to take the test to become a masseuse. While learning the ins and outs of the process, she fell in love with it and realized she was a natural.
You can visit her at 3000 BC or at home, where she attends to some of her clients. Whether you want your lower back worked on or your neck kinks wrinkled out, Washington is your girl.
3000 BC, 7946 Germantown Ave., Chestnut Hill, PA, 19118, 215.247.6020, www.3000bc.com
Steven Fries S DC
Once I found Dr. Fries, I stopped going to masseuses. He uses a combination of massage, reike, acupressure and chiropractic procedures, and combined, it adds up to a much more satisfying end result. Warm compresses are placed on your back for starters as you lie quietly, with only the sounds of a nearby fountain and soft relaxation music for you to enjoy. After 10 or 15 minutes of letting you cool down and relax, he then begins the treatment working out your kinks and other aches and pains. You leave there feeling as relaxed as a massage, but since most of it is covered by insurance, you end up paying far less.
Steven Fries S DC, 319 S. 12th St, 215.629.8311.
AroundPhilly Staff
