49. Unlocking the Healing Potential of Touch: Tyron Perry on the Power of Massage Therapy

When Tyron Perry started his journey as a massage therapist, little did he know it would transform lives, including his own, by unlocking the healing potential of touch. We sat down with Tyron, a master of kneading away life's physical and emotional stress, to distill two decades of his expertise into an enlightening conversation that promises to change how you view massage therapy. Our enlightening chat traverses the landscape of medical massage therapy and its pivotal role in aiding recovery from surgeries and cancer treatments, dispelling the myth that massages are merely a splurge rather than a necessity for maintaining health and wellness. Tyron's emphasis on the need for regular stretching resonates deeply, especially for those of us witnessing the creeping rigidity that comes with age.

The benefits of a tailored massage experience can't be overstressed, and we address misconceptions head-on, such as the notion that deep tissue massage is a universal solution. Through Tyron's narrative, you'll learn why a one-size-fits-all approach can actually backfire, causing more pain than relief. He advocates for a customized massage therapy regimen, which he credits for remarkable improvements in his clients' posture and pain management—proven by heartfelt testimonials. If your work keeps you tethered to a desk, Tyron's insights on consistent massage are a beacon guiding you toward a life less fraught with stress and discomfort.

As our conversation winds down, we tackle the practical side of things: how can you reach out and experience the transformative touch of professionals like Tyron? Even with a hacked Facebook page, our resourceful guest outlines alternative ways to connect, ensuring that his healing hands remain within reach. It's a reminder of the resilience of wellness practitioners and the dedication they bring to their craft, no matter what digital hurdles they face. My own foray into acting might just be a light-hearted footnote in our discussion, but the core of our exchange—the deep interconnection between our physical and emotional wellbeing—remains a profound takeaway for all.

Transcript

Liz Rhea, LMSW Let's Talk About it Conference: 0:00

Hi, my name is Liz and I'm one of the founding members of the let's Talk About it conference, an Atlanta-based conference led by experts in queer and trans clinical care. The conference, taking place on March 14th and 15th and offered in person and virtually, was born from our experiences with continuing education about working with queer and trans folks as affirming clinicians. We often left these spaces wanting more. Topics covered include ethics and ethical liberation, parenting and nonmonogamy, and more. For more information on the conference, please visit Let'sTalkAboutItConcom and we hope to see you there.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 0:33

Welcome to another episode of the TeleWellness Hub podcast. Marta Hamilton Hamilton, your host, and today I get to speak with Tyron Perry, a massage therapist in the spring area since 2006, helping people recover and reduce pain. He's been a licensed massage therapist for 20 years, massage therapy instructor and a CEU provider in Spring, Texas, to customize a massage session to accommodate your specific needs, suited for a 30 to a two hour session. Before we hit record, I also found out that he's also twin, just a fun fact. Yeah, yeah, and specializes in medical massages. Yes, I'm excited to have this conversation we hit record and just for the whole world to hear a little bit about what you do, so welcome.

Tyron Perry: 1:29

Thank you so much. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to spread the word.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 1:33

I'm so grateful for you to join. I think my first question, always for my guest, is why do you do the wellness work that you do?

Tyron Perry: 1:41

Oh my God. So in my younger days I played a lot of sports and I wind up injuring myself and I had a spring my ankle and a couple years later it would make this popping noise and I always want to understand why did it pop? So for me to get that knowledge, I actually want to be a physical therapist to actually understand how the muscles work. But the closest I can actually get to that field was massage therapy. So that's what helped me kind of gather the knowledge of what am I supposed to do to help the muscles where we replenish the blood that's supposed to flow through it. So that's what made me very interested.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 2:29

So I think a lot of people consider massage a luxury and just added benefit, just maybe icing on the cake of their life, rather than more of something to be preventative in their health and wellness journey. Perhaps something you mentioned that you do medical massage therapy. Talk to us a little bit about the benefits of incorporating massage for your health and wellness, not so much just to relax and have an extra kind of luxury in your life, like maybe getting your nails done or something along that line. Correct.

Tyron Perry: 3:15

So I think it took. I think probably like two or three years ago. So now the doctors are starting recommending a lot of their patients get massages because they're starting to see the benefit that it brings when they help them to recover quickly. Because I have a client that I've been working on for almost 17 years and I helped him with his hip and the replacement. I helped him to recover quickly. I also do some cancer patients to help them more relax and there was a couple of them that actually they told me personally that I actually helped them be more relaxed and I'm not for sure but they said it helped them with the cancer.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 4:01

It kind of brought it down some treatment, just being able to have that extra benefit to help with the healing process. It sounds like yes like surgeries, their cancer treatment and and their doctors are recommending it, which is incredible, so nice correct doctors, a lot of.

Tyron Perry: 4:23

I have a lot of physical therapists that send me their clients when they're finished with their session, because so massage therapies are the only person only medical people in their field that's able to work the whole entire body instead of just half of the region, and that's what helps the muscles recover quickly, because physical therapists can only work one area where we able to work from point A, point B, point C, point D. So it's more not say it's more beneficial, but it's more helpful when you add in massage therapy sessions to help you with the muscles, your fascia, those type of ligaments, all those type of regions in the body to help you recover quicker.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 5:11

Yes, that's incredible, and you know I when I was reading your bio you've been doing this 20 years or yes, ma'am, 20 years wow, that's incredible and I'm sure you've seen a lot and have learned a lot. You know you talk about the continuing education piece yes ma'am, what do you? Can you share a little bit about just how you, how you balance just being able to have the educational component, and or how you've seen health and wellness trends evolve in massage?

Tyron Perry: 5:48

that is a very good question. I actually I saw how it it involved into a whole different region where it's more of the stretching is also included in it as well, because a lot of people don't understand we have to stretch every day in order to keep the muscles more pliable. Because I have to try to explain to my clients your muscles is like a sponge, so when a sponge is dry it's hard. It's the same thing as the muscle if you do not have blood circulating through your body, so my shoulder actually help you move the body around. That's why some people do cupping, because they actually pull the old, old blood to the surface to push out through your lip, nose so you can function better oh, I didn't know what exactly that, how it worked, but that's incredible yes, that's, that's the purpose of cupping okay.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 6:44

So you've seen a lot and you're right. I've seen even some places only do stretching right there's like even I've seen correct. So stretching has been a big part of the evolution of massage very big part about it.

Tyron Perry: 7:01

I actually do, I in corporate, stretching in two mama soldiers, because I know a lot of my clients do not stretch like they supposed to, because actually after the age of 30 you're supposed to stretch every day because you're no longer active like you were when you, when your early 20s, are, you know, teenager you're not that active anymore, so the flow of the blood is not really circulating like it's supposed to. So that's why I incorporate stretching in my massage sessions that's incredible.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 7:34

And and for pain to stretching, help when it comes to reducing pain, or what? What are, what are some ways that you, you utilize your sessions, your massage sessions, to help with pain?

Tyron Perry: 7:48

Yes, ma'am. So what I do is I do a lot of what we call customizing massage. So when you do come in and it is pain, I actually have to find an area where the muscle is knotted up at to actually break it down. So we do trigger points. So that's the purpose of a trigger point, because we have to find that knotted muscle and break it up. And a lot of people get a little nervous because they hear the popping. But that's actually good, because when the muscles pop that means it's starting to loosen up, so the flow can go through.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 8:25

Wow, Okay. So if someone is experiencing pain, what should they look for when they're picking a massage therapist Like here? Clearly you are. This is your area of expertise. You are very well qualified. You've been doing this 20 years, you do your job about continuing education.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 8:48

You're getting referrals from doctors. Talk to us a little bit about someone who might be listening and they're saying, okay, well, I, you know, I have some pain, Maybe I need to go to a massage therapist. What? What should they be looking for when it comes to finding the ideal fit? What are some techniques they could ask about if they do? Or just kind of background Cause I know there's a lot of different types of massages. Right, there's.

Tyron Perry: 9:15

Yes, ma'am.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 9:16

Yes, what would you recommend for someone who's listening and looking into getting help with their pain?

Tyron Perry: 9:23

I love that question because I have to explain it to a lot of people. A lot of people want to uh, they want to come in and be the first time. They want deep tissue massage and that is not a good recommendation for you. If this is your first time getting a massage. It is very dangerous, it's going to be painful and it's going to hurt more.

Tyron Perry: 9:42

So the best thing for you to do when you first get a massage, you have to find an experienced therapist, because they have to know how to balance out the pressure because the body that's another thing they need. They need to know exactly how to read the body, because a lot of therapists are trained how to give a massage, but after we learn how to give a massage, now we have to know how to present it, because everybody is different. So you can't give everybody the same type of massage. You have to use your different techniques. So that's going to be very important. You have to find a source therapist with a lot of experience in order for it to benefit you. Otherwise, you're going to be in more pain when you the same pain that you came in with you're going to come out with more pain. Yeah, like recovery period, just some pain, correct, and then, if the therapist don't explain it to you, you're going to be in pain. If you get a deep tissue, then they're really nuts. They experienced enough because they have to let you know that.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 10:49

Yes, okay, and how many sessions do you recommend? I know everybody's different right.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 10:54

Probably, like you mentioned, a massage therapist who can read the body, not just give them a massage will read the body and have a better understanding, especially with experience of okay, here's what they're going to need and here, and depending on how the body responds I'm assuming I'm not a massage therapist but how the body responds. No, you're correct. Yeah, yes, but how much do you recommend people for it to be really incorporated into part of their health and wellness regimen? Right, because we do a lot of things. We drink a certain amount of water, we try to sleep a certain amount of hours or walk certain steps. If you could, in an ideal world, recommend a certain number of massage sessions, what would that?

Tyron Perry: 11:42

look like I try to explain to people. A lot of people think about the cost. Sometimes, if you have that well-experienced therapist, they're going to charge more because of experience. So you have to think about it. Is it really beneficial for you?

Tyron Perry: 11:59

But I do recommend especially if it's your first time and you're trying to get something out it is very important for you to go once a week for a month, because it's already been broke down so you have to complete it. After you do that once a week for a month, then at least go at least once a month to help the muscles stay more relaxed and rejuvenated. If you do not do that, it's going to tighten right back up because I don't know your stress level or where you work. But you have to think about that, because I have a lot of people that work on computers and their shoulder is just sitting in one type of area and they never stretch it back out, so that muscle just tightens right back up. So that's why I recommend it. I tell my clients at least twice a month you need it.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 12:56

I'm writing down these notes because I'm going to. I have been, it's funny you mentioned this yesterday. I sat at my desk for many hours. I'm talking and I thought oh my gosh, I'm sore. I felt sore.

Tyron Perry: 13:14

Yes, yes, because it's just like you have to think about it when you were at a computer. Just think about you holding 10 pound weights out in front of you. It's the same thing. So stretching is so important.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 13:29

And what kind of benefits do you see in people who they're coming in maybe once a week for a month and they're coming in once or twice a month. How are their lives changed? What kind of transformation do you see in people?

Tyron Perry: 13:42

That is so funny. I had a client text me yesterday. She was having upper body problems and she was struggling to stand straight up and I got her to come from. It's been only three months and I got her to come to me twice a week for a month and she just kept coming constantly. She texted me yesterday and she said you know every time that I would try to cook and I'm slummed over by the time I raise up. I'm in so much pain. But today I feel so relieved after I got my massage. And I have to explain to her because every time you come in I'm able to put more and more pressure into those knots, to break them up, to relax the muscles. So that's why I recommended that you come in every two weeks. So it's really benefiting her and she's really happy about it.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 14:40

That's awesome. What are knots? Even we have these muscle knots. What are they exactly?

Tyron Perry: 14:48

So muscle nights are really just where the muscle had been contracted and it made like a ball. And when it does that, the blood is not really circulating through that part of the body. It's poor circulation and what you have to do is what we call trigger points. We have to find that area below, on top and underneath it to break it up. So nights is just actually like a ball in your muscle area.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 15:23

I see Okay, okay. And then you break it up. That's what I can explain, yeah no, I was curious just kind of how they pop up, because are there certain activities or movements that make them come up more often than others, or are certain people just prone to more or less of them?

Tyron Perry: 15:41

I think it's a little bit more stress, especially when you live a stressful life and it's a certain way that you hold your body. It can be your posture is bad, it can be. Basically it's just not stretching those muscle out and you active every day. You have an everyday life and you active and you moving your body Whenever you move your body. Like I said, as we get older, the muscles start to contract because we're no longer, no longer physical like we were when we were younger, when we played basketball, when we dance and when we did different things we kept the muscles loose. But as we get older, we're going to work, we go home, we're done, we don't do anything else. So whatever area that you work on the most, whatever part of the muscle you move the most, will start to tighten up and it will cause a knot.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 16:33

That makes sense. So yeah, I'm thinking about my daughters. I have nine year old twins we were talking about a little bit before we hit record.

Liz Rhea, LMSW Let's Talk About it Conference: 16:41

They're moving.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 16:42

They're just in the backyard. They're sitting on the ground stretching out, playing with chalk or moving around, running around, Sometimes not being able to hold still, I mean even in a chair.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 16:57

But, I think what you bring up is such a good point, also about stress as a therapist. We talk often in a therapy session about okay, where do you feel your stress and when you're anxious? I mean, a lot of people have physical symptoms yes, maybe neck, shoulders, tension, throat headaches, right, so I think you bring up such a good point. I see people sounds like doctors referring patients to you to help along with their medical treatment, and I could see the benefit for therapists who refer from an emotional standpoint, their stress in the body. There's a really famous book, the Body Keep Score. The Body Keep Score about what's going on.

Tyron Perry: 17:51

Yeah, yes, and like you, said, that too, even with the headaches, because a lot of people don't know that it's the muscles that what we call in their shoulders, it's the trap muscles that's pulling down the muscle in your neck and that gives you a headache.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 18:08

Yes, so do you think people kind of alleviate even their headaches a bit?

Tyron Perry: 18:14

Yes, ma'am, I help out with migraine headaches. I used to get my migraine headaches all the time and it was just me. Moving my neck and shoulders was actually helped me loosen it up and break some break ups a lot of that tension.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 18:30

You know you bring up a. You mentioning that with your migraines for yourself, brought up a question I have for you. You know, as someone you know you're deeply involved in the wellness industry. You're, with your continuing education, with the healing work that you've done for decades now. I mean, how do you prioritize your own self-care and well-being?

Tyron Perry: 18:53

Very good question. I stretch every night, every morning. I do not let a lot of, I don't live a stressful life at all, I do not let things worry me, I pray, I believe and I just leave it like that. I do not stress anymore. I guess as you get older, you just kind of let things just, let's say, roll off your shoulder and just don't let it bother you.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 19:22

I love that. So I need listeners out there. I'm thinking for myself, starting your day and your day with some stretches, with some prayer. It sounds like a really nice way to live, absolutely. And you know how much time do you stretch? I mean because sometimes I think we can, or in the health and wellness industry we can over complicate things right, like okay, I need to, you know, do a certain amount of stretches and hit these targets, but like, what does it look like for you? I'm just curious, you know.

Tyron Perry: 19:56

I do. I do 10 to 15 minute stretches every night, every morning, floor stretches. I mean anything, anything to loosen up my muscles, because I know some days I have a busy day. I have probably seven, eight clients a day, so I have to stay loose.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 20:14

Well, yeah, I'm picturing you standing and your job is very physical.

Tyron Perry: 20:18

Correct. Yes, yeah, a lot of people think it's just Physical, mental and emotional. Probably, yeah, because sometimes we are. We are therapists as well, so we have to listen to a lot of people problem and we had to learn how not to bring in a negative energy. So you, so there's a lot going on with it, but I love. I love what I do, yes. So I, yeah, I do not complain about anything. I listen to a lot of people problems and just If I have an answer, I'll give it to me by dawn. I just listen.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 20:49

That's awesome, just facilitate that healing on all levels. It just sounds like yes, man. You're making me wish. I lived in the in the spring area. Here I'm in San Antonio.

Tyron Perry: 21:04

Sometimes. Good, okay, this is a fun fact, so I actually do acting as well. So I'm in Austin probably like twice, twice a month. That's awesome.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 21:19

That's an awesome fact that makes sense why your head so incredible for your bio.

Tyron Perry: 21:33

So, yeah, I used to model, so that's why I have a lot of I still have a lot of modeling pictures I haven't taken off my phone yet. I need to delete those. You've lived a lot of stuff. That's really cool. Yeah, yeah, I'm, I do. I always said I would never say I wish I could have water. I'm just gonna do it.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 22:00

I love that. Well, how can people connect with you? If they want to ask questions, that they want some continuing education, if they want to Book a massage with you, how can people connect with you?

Tyron Perry: 22:15

Yes, so I'm on massage book. That's an app that you could actually book a massage and you can look at the prices of my massage Massage book and you will look up TIE massage. You can Look me up on Facebook is two different pages because I got hacked and somebody took the page so I had to start a whole new page. And on Instagram on, I have Tiie underscore massage. Oh, and also my phone number you can text me. Call is 281 466 7768.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 22:57

Awesome, I'm right down. We'll include it in the show notes for those listening to be able to Thank you now yes and Sorry. I'm so grateful for you to share this, our first episode on the topic of massage and yeah incredible expert, and you can hear your passion for the field too, so I thank you so much for being a part of our wellness journey.

Tyron Perry: 23:21

No, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to be on your show. I am so grateful.

Marta Hamilton, TeleWellness Hub: 23:25

I'm sure a lot of listeners out there will Will be will really benefit from this conversation. So thank you so much.

Tyron Perry: 23:32

Yes, man, thank you so much you.