Thomas is on vacation and the fill-in massage therapist is a woman.

I've heard from other people that women just don't "get" therapeutic massage and maybe they're right.

It sometimes hurts during my massage, but that's because it's really getting deep into the tissue and I know that it's working.

Today felt good while I was getting it, but my "tight spots" still feel tight.

The other thing is (and I've floated the thought before) - I'm familiar with "runner's high" - the release of endorphins during physical stress (such as exercise) or pain.  When your body starts to calm down again, you can get the chills.  I experienced that after cortisone injections.

I start my massage therapy face-down.  I used to have a very sensitive spot at my spine right at the base of my neck.  Thomas goes very deep there and it really hurts.  When I turn over halfway through the massage, if he has gone very deep on my back, I get those chills, as if the deep tissue massage signaled my brain to release endorphins and as they "go away" I get those chills.

The upside to that is that I no longer have that bad spot at the base of my neck.

I haven't seen Thomas for two weeks and it's back a little bit.

Today, I didn't experience those chills...and my back is no better.