David Iler, Author at Iler Method - Massage for Pain Relief in Austin, Texas

What Your Movement Shows. What the Table Confirms.

Illustration showing a client's uneven hips and shoulders on video, a hands-on table assessment of the pelvis and ankles, and a scale from compensation to overcompensation

By David Iler, LMT, CPT. Licensed massage therapist since 2004, certified personal trainer, and founder of Iler Method® massage therapy in Austin, Texas Quick answer: Compensation is how every body stays upright around its natural asymmetry. Overcompensation is when the muscles doing that job work too hard for too long. They tighten, knot, and stop […]

Why Doesn’t Foam Rolling Fix My Pain? The Roller Isn’t the Problem.

Worn black foam roller on a wood floor beside a massage table in an Austin massage therapy room

She brought the actual roller to her session and asked what she was doing wrong. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. Here’s what a foam roller can and can’t reach, and why the tightness comes back on schedule.

Why Stretching Doesn’t Fix Stiffness: What Muscle Glide Actually Is

Illustration of muscle layers sliding past each other, representing muscle glide

Chronic stiffness usually isn’t caused by short muscles. It’s caused by muscle layers that have stopped sliding past each other, a property called glide. Here’s why stretching can’t fix it, and what actually restores range of motion.

Where Not to Use a Massage Gun (and Where It Actually Helps)

Illustration of a person's front and back body outlines with color-coded zones. Green marks safe zones for a massage gun on the shoulders, arms, mid-back, lats, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and quads. Red marks the two zones to avoid: the back of the neck and the low back.

Quick answer. A massage gun works well as a short pre-training warm-up on freestanding limb muscles. There are two regions of the body where it does more harm than good, because sustained vibration on densely innervated, load-sharing tissue doesn’t release the muscle. It stuns it, and the area often flares worse the next day. By […]

Iler Method® FAQ: Chronic Pain, Trigger Points, and Massage Therapy in Austin

This FAQ covers 52 common questions about chronic pain, trigger points, adhesions, and how Iler Method massage therapy works. Whether you’re dealing with persistent tightness, evaluating massage options in Austin, or new to precision massage therapy, the answers below explain what causes chronic tension and what to expect from a session. By David Iler, LMT, […]

What Happens in an Iler Method Discovery Session?

Massage therapist assessing a client's calf and foot during a hands-on evaluation

Quick answer. The Discovery Session is your first appointment, where the whole plan is built. In 60 minutes, it combines an intake conversation, a movement assessment, and hands-on work to find where your body is overcompensating. You leave with a clear read of your pattern and a recommendation for how many sessions you will need […]