Douglas Bruce, LMT


When I was a young boy I lived in an older neighborhood in a city in NY state and down the street stood the remnants of an era gone by, an old barn and a farm house. The man who lived in the farm house made hand fashioned bent-wood kitchen chairs in his barn and sold them from his front yard. My brother and I used to go down and watch him as he put the chairs together and I can still remember being mesmerized by the man's deft and sure movements.

It's amazing to watch someone who has been steadily practicing his craft for a long time and using his tools as if they were extensions of hands and fingers. Each movement is precise and smooth and it is a beautiful thing to see. Watching the old man performing his work created a kind of peaceful feeling in me and there was something strangely comforting in the knowledge that such artistry existed. Even at my young age I was aware that my brother and I were observing a very special aspect of life.

When I get worked on by someone who practices massage therapy in the same Zen-like fashion as the old man did his furniture making, I get the same feelings I did when I was a youngster; the same secure appreciation produced by fluid motion and touch. The only difference is that I am feeling the results of that skill instead of seeing it.

My wife says good massage should really be called muscle-whispering. I laugh whenever she says that, but in a way, she's right. Administering the right massage for any given client requires tuning-in and paying close attention while palpating; being able to feel areas that need extra attention and being able to judge how much pressure and time is needed in those spots to relax and release the muscles and connective tissue.

My philosophy concerning the work I do is simple: I strive to give each of my clients the same kind of comforting confidence in my skills and sensitivity that I experienced watching the old furniture maker all those years ago. And I strive to administer the kind of massage therapy that makes a positive difference in people's lives by being good at what I do.

I am a 58 year old licensed massage therapist and have been practicing since 2006. I practice a combination of neuromuscular, deep tissue massage combined with techniques from orthopedic, trigger point release, Swedish and sports modalities. It's a nice combination for the purposes of both relaxation and therapeutic massage. And it works. I have worked on folks with fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, chronic headaches, sciatica pain, joint replacements and many other problems, both chronic and acute. I am also certified by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Of Florida to work insurance cases.