Ask five people around Durango what kind of massage they need, and you'll get five different answers. Sore quads from a Hermosa Creek ride. A shoulder that's been wrong since a fall on ice. A nervous system that hasn't settled in months. Short version: we run two clinical approaches at Glass & Glass Bodywork. Advanced Orthopedic Massage treats soft-tissue injury and joint pain. CranioSacral Therapy treats nervous-system and whole-body restriction. Picking between them usually comes down to one question: is the problem in the tissue, or in the system around it?
I'm George Glass. Thirty years in this chair, and the question hasn't changed much. Most people who call us aren't shopping for a spa afternoon. Something hurts. Something's stuck. Something hasn't been right since an injury, a surgery, or a hard season. This is a straight walkthrough of what we practice here in Durango — not a menu copied from a day spa. Read it, and you'll know what to ask for before you call.
Quick answer: a specific, point-to-it joint or muscle problem — Advanced Orthopedic Massage. A nervous system that won't downshift, recurring headaches, or a body holding tension since an accident — CranioSacral Therapy. Not sure which? Call the office before you book. We'd rather ask three quick questions than have you guess.
The Two Modalities We Actually Practice
Walk into most massage practices and you'll find a laminated menu — Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone, prenatal. A dozen options that all blur together after a while. We don't run that model. Lori Ann and I built this practice around two clinical specialties, hers and mine. Trying to be everything to everyone usually means being mediocre at most of it. Neither of us apologizes for that.
Advanced Orthopedic Massage — For Soft-Tissue Injury and Joint Pain
This is my focus, and it's clinical work, not relaxation work. Orthopedic massage targets the muscles, tendons, and fascia around a joint. That's the tissue that actually moves you, and usually the first tissue to break down. A session starts with assessment, not treatment. How does the joint move? Where doesn't it? What's tender under a thumb? From there, I combine whatever the injury calls for. Neuromuscular Therapy for trigger points. Myofascial Release for fascial restrictions. Lymphatic Drainage for post-surgical swelling. Sports Massage timed to your training cycle. Therapeutic stretching to lock in whatever range of motion we just found.
I see the same patterns constantly. A knee that's been off since a ski crash two winters back. A shoulder that never quite came back after rotator cuff surgery. A low back that flares every hay season like clockwork. None of them get identical treatment. A mountain biker's overuse pattern doesn't look anything like a desk-bound neck. Treat them alike, and someone ends up back on my table three months later with that same old complaint.
If you can point to the spot — right here, when I do this — orthopedic massage is almost always the better place to start.
CranioSacral Therapy — For the Nervous System and the Whole-Body Pattern
Lori Ann's work is a different animal entirely, and it should be. CranioSacral Therapy isn't deep-tissue work. It's gentle, hands-on care that grew out of osteopathy. Instead of chasing one sore muscle, it addresses the fascia, cerebrospinal fluid, and structures around the brain and spinal cord. Together, these are called the craniosacral system. You stay fully clothed on the table. The pressure is closer to the weight of a nickel than a deep-tissue thumb. Most first-timers are surprised how little it takes to feel something shift.
Reasons vary. Recurring tension headaches. A nervous system that's been running hot since long before anyone noticed. Sometimes it's recovery support after a concussion. Sometimes it's someone who's already tried three other things and none of it stuck. What most of them have in common: their body needs to get the message that it's finally safe to stop bracing. Willpower alone doesn't get you there.
Massage therapy in general — including gentler manual approaches like CST — is one of the more widely used complementary health approaches among adults in the United States. That's according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. That doesn't mean every modality fits every condition. It isn't a stand-in for medical care. It means enough people have found real value in hands-on work that researchers keep studying it.
How to Pick the Right One
- A specific joint or muscle problem you can point to — a knee, a shoulder, a low back, an old sports injury. Start with Advanced Orthopedic Massage.
- A nervous system that won't settle, recurring headaches, or a body holding tension since an accident. CranioSacral Therapy usually fits better.
- Recovering from a recent injury or surgery and not sure which applies? Call first. We'll ask a few quick questions before you book. If we're not the right fit, we'll say so and point you somewhere that is.
- Training for something specific — a marathon, a ski season, a long raft season on the Animas? Ask about Sports Massage. It's one of the techniques folded into orthopedic work.
What a Session Actually Looks Like
An orthopedic session opens with a real conversation about what hurts and how it started. Then comes hands-on assessment, before any actual work begins. I want to know what I'm treating before I start treating it. A CranioSacral session is quieter. You lie clothed on the table while Lori Ann works with a light touch. Most people describe it less as "getting a massage" and more as finally being still for forty-five minutes. Neither one is scented-candle spa work, though both can leave you more relaxed than you walked in.
A Quick, Honest Note on What Massage Can (and Can't) Do
None of this replaces a diagnosis from your doctor. We're not shy about telling a client when what they need is imaging, a specialist referral, or physical therapy alongside what we do — sometimes instead of it. Most people use massage along with medical care, not instead of it. That's according to the American Massage Therapy Association, and it's exactly how we treat it here. This article is informational only, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, talk with your physician or another licensed provider. Ask whether massage therapy is a good fit for you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Massage in Durango
How do I know if I need orthopedic massage or CranioSacral Therapy?
Start with where the problem lives. If you can point to a joint, a muscle, or an old injury, orthopedic massage is the more direct route. Diffuse tension is different. A nervous system stuck in overdrive. Sleep that's been off since something stressful happened. That points toward CranioSacral Therapy instead. Still not sure? Call the office. We'll help you figure out which one to book.
How often should I get massage therapy?
It depends on what you're treating. Someone working through a recent injury or post-surgical recovery might come in weekly for a stretch, then taper off as things improve. Someone using CranioSacral Therapy for nervous-system upkeep might come in monthly instead. We'll talk through a realistic schedule at your first visit. We're not going to sell you a package that doesn't match what you need.
Is CranioSacral Therapy the same as a regular massage?
No. Regular massage works your muscles, and depending on the therapist, it can hurt in a good way. CranioSacral Therapy doesn't. Lori Ann's hands barely move once she finds the right spot, and some clients say they can't even tell what she's doing back there. You stay dressed for the whole thing — no oil, no draping, no flipping over halfway through. Walk in expecting a massage, and you'll probably walk out surprised at how little happened, and how much you needed exactly that.
What should I wear or bring to my first appointment?
For an orthopedic session, wear something you don't mind moving in — shorts or loose pants help if we're working around a knee or hip. For a CranioSacral session, regular clothes are fine, since you stay fully dressed the whole time. Either way, come a few minutes early. That gives us time to talk through what's going on before we start.
Do you treat conditions beyond sports injuries?
Yes. A lot of our clients are dealing with an active-lifestyle injury — skiing, cycling, hiking, the usual Durango list. But we also see post-surgical recovery, chronic pain patterns, and people whose nervous system needs support for reasons that have nothing to do with sports. If we're not the right fit for what you're dealing with, we'll say so. We'll point you toward someone who is.
Booking in Durango
We're at 691 CR 233, Unit A4 — an easy drive whether you're coming from downtown, Three Springs, or in off the highway from Bayfield. We see clients by appointment only, Monday through Friday. Plan to book ahead rather than count on a walk-in slot. Book online with either of us directly. Or call the office at (970) 403-5453 if you'd rather talk it through first. Honestly, we'd take that five-minute phone call over having you guess wrong and book the session that doesn't fit.
Sources & Authority
The note on massage therapy's broad use as a complementary health approach follows the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The note on massage as a complement to medical care follows the American Massage Therapy Association. This article describes the massage modalities available at Glass & Glass Bodywork in general terms. It is not medical advice. It does not replace evaluation by your physician or another licensed healthcare provider.
