Menopause can change the way a woman experiences her body in ways she may not expect. For Tammy Hischke, fitness instructor and owner of Barre3 Frisco, those changes included joint discomfort, stiffness, disrupted sleep, increased stress, and days when movement simply felt harder. As someone whose life and work center around movement, adjusting to a body that suddenly felt different was frustrating.
“I knew movement was key, but some days, my body felt like it was resisting me.”
That was when Tammy began making massage therapy at Frisco Massage Therapy Recovery & Mobility a regular part of her self care. What started as a way to manage some of the physical changes she was experiencing became part of a broader approach to staying active, recovering well, and learning what her body needed during menopause.
Supporting Movement and Recovery During Menopause
One of the most noticeable changes for Tammy was the sudden stiffness and discomfort she experienced through her hips, shoulders, and knees. There were mornings when she felt as though her body had “aged overnight,” making movements that had always been familiar feel more restricted.
For someone who teaches movement and values an active lifestyle, the answer was not to stop moving. Instead, Tammy began looking for additional ways to support her body. Regular massage became one of those tools, giving her an opportunity to address muscular tension and areas of restriction while continuing to teach, exercise, and stay active.
Over time, massage became less about waiting until something hurt and more about consistent care. Massage therapy does not treat menopause or alter the hormonal changes behind it, but for Tammy it provided practical support for some of the muscular discomfort and stiffness she was experiencing along the way.
More Than Physical Tension
Tammy quickly realized that the value of her sessions went beyond addressing sore muscles. Menopause was also affecting her stress levels, sleep, and overall sense of well-being. Massage gave her dedicated time to physically slow down in the middle of a very active life.
As Tammy described it, “Massage became my reset button, helping me feel grounded and calm.”
Sleep had also become less predictable. Some nights she struggled to fall asleep, while others were interrupted by repeated waking. Tammy found that as massage became a regular part of her routine, she often felt more settled afterward and began noticing better nights of sleep. In her original story, she shared that she was “sleeping more soundly and waking up feeling refreshed,” something she had not experienced in a long time.
For Tammy, these experiences changed the way she viewed massage. It was no longer simply something she sought out for a specific tight muscle. It became time intentionally set aside for both her physical recovery and her overall well-being.
Discovering Manual Lymphatic Drainage
Tammy also added Manual Lymphatic Drainage, or MLD, to her self care routine. Before menopause, she had never considered it. As she began experiencing increased water retention, bloating, and occasional puffiness, particularly through her arms and legs, she became interested in a different type of hands on care.
MLD is very different from traditional massage. It uses gentle, rhythmic techniques designed to support normal lymphatic fluid movement. For Tammy, it became another option she could choose based on what her body was experiencing at the time. She described feeling lighter and less bloated following her sessions.
That flexibility became an important part of her experience. Her body was changing, and she became more willing to change the way she cared for it rather than expecting the same routines to always meet the same needs.
Why Massage Remains Part of Her Routine
There was not one appointment that transformed Tammy’s menopause experience. Her story is much more about consistency. She continued moving, teaching, exercising, and learning about her body while becoming more intentional about recovery and self care.
Today, she considers massage an important part of that routine.
“It’s not just about relieving sore muscles, it’s about supporting my overall well-being.”
That may be the most useful part of Tammy’s story. Menopause did not cause her to stop moving or disengage from the active life she loves. It prompted her to reconsider what supporting that body needed to look like.
Every woman’s menopause experience is different, and massage therapy is not a treatment for menopause itself. But when a changing body is also experiencing muscular tension, stiffness, changing recovery needs, stress, or difficulty settling, individualized massage therapy may have a useful place within a broader self care routine.
At Frisco Massage Therapy Recovery & Mobility, our role is to understand what you are experiencing now and determine where skilled Massage Therapy or Manual Lymphatic Drainage may appropriately support your goals.
Your body can change, and the way you care for it can change with it.
Learn more about Massage Therapy and Manual Lymphatic Drainage at friscomassagetherapy.com.
Client story by Tammy Hischke
Fitness Instructor & Owner of Barre3 Frisco
Adapted from her original March 2025 Frisco Massage Therapy Magazine article.
Massage therapy content reviewed by Aqua Webb, LMT, NMT
Founder, Frisco Massage Therapy Recovery & Mobility