Massage

BRATTLEBORO -- It's Saturday morning, and the line of parked cars stretches for several blocks down Route 9 west of town. There's a good reason for this. The Brattleboro Farmers' Market sets up on a grassy field here every Saturday from May through October, and on Wednesdays from June until mid-October. Roughly 55 vendors regularly participate on Saturday (about 10 on Wednesday) and the convivial atmosphere is akin to a small-town country fair. Today is early in the season, so produce is limited to items like salad greens, set beside perennials, herbs, and other plants.

Nurse Jackie 9 p.m., Showtime Jackie's back, and looking for help. Pictured: Eve Best (left) and Edie Falco. Game of Thrones 9 p.m., HBO Turns out the Iron Islands are not the fabulous vacation destination one might think. The Big C 9:30 p.m., Showtime Some good news for a change. The Client List10 p..m., Lifetime Jennifer Love Hewitt tries to massage her new show into a hit. Mad Men 10 p.m., AMC Don encounters someone from his past.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Fighting in Iraq took a heavy toll on Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Patrick, damaging his hand, injuring his brain, and causing him to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. But Patrick's body wasn't the only thing hurt by combat. His relationship with his wife was wounded, too. The couple got married shortly after he returned, yet Patrick refused to talk to her about the war. Sometimes he yelled at her. So the pair marked their first anniversary this past weekend at a Marine Corps retreat that took a decidedly unmilitary approach to saving marriages: combining...

National Geographic has done me wrong. It's not that the debut of "Inside Fenway" on PBS this week was in any way a mismatched production, because it was tremendously directed and narrated (Thank you, Will Hunting). But I have to think I'm not the only one who watched the documentary then sat back and thought ... This is Tom Werner's TV show.  Again. I hate to think that brands like National Geographic or PBS would surrender to the relentless Yawkey Way PR in their endeavors, but what we witnessed in the latter half of the Fenway Park 100th anniversary...

TORONTO -- I have a history of letting women walk all over me. Just ask any of my friends. But I had never had a woman literally work me over with her feet until, on a visit to Toronto, I stopped into the Yorkville Avenue studio of Julie Moore, Zen massage therapist. Moore, 46, a native of Quebec City, is a petite woman who gave up a successful business career in 1998 to become a practitioner of shiatsu - or "finger pressure" - a Japanese form of bodywork based on the holistic system of traditional Chinese medicine.

LAS VEGAS -- As any modern mortal knows, stress and tension are equal opportunity annoyers, and they can cause anything from twitches to pain, stiffness, and sleeplessness. In this city, an army of spa therapists is equipped with an arsenal of the latest lotions, potions, and treatment tools. They can soothe, swath , stretch, and pummel your body into blissful relaxation. For the spa novice or sophisticate, there is a dizzying array of options for body work, so this is a guide to some of the most unusual treatments found in Sin City.

If you’ve been fantasizing about becoming a farmer or a rancher, pick another daydream. No other occupation category has had a bigger decline, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Twitter strategist or massage therapist? Now you’re talking. The digital revolution, changes in consumer habits, and an aging population are continuing to reshape the job market. A million new jobs are forecast to be created Health care, financial services, information technology, and science occupations are also expected to see...

I lay in my sweatpants and loose T-shirt on a red and gold embroidered futon, eyes closed, my mind floating away in the dimly lighted room. The therapist pressed my overworked gluteal muscles with the heel of her hand and stretched my right leg over the left. Slowly, my back muscles gave up their clench. Eighty minutes later, I felt lighter. And taller. Part massage, part yoga (with no effort of my own), Thai massage was turning out to be an excellent après-ski treatment. For skiers and snowboarders with tired legs and cold feet, a plain...

Spa veterans are familiar with the basics and their varieties: Swedish classic long-stroke relaxation treatment; sports massage geared to a specific activity like skiing or tennis; deep tissue, for those who prefer firm pressure. In my travels, I’ve come across vaiations on the standard and some unique treatments. I’m a fan of deep tissue massage, so when I heard the description of an ashiatsu massage at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek’s Allegria Spa in Avon, Colo., near Vail, I knew it was something I had to try. It is often referred to as barefoot...

So there I was, the quintessential battered athlete, standing in a silly little "johnnie" so physical therapist Susan Lattanzi could put me through my paces. I had arrived on her doorstep at Mount Auburn Physical Therapy Associates in Watertown because my right shoulder was killing me. I had just joined a swim team and suddenly increased my weekly yardage substantially. By the time I saw Lattanzi, I couldn't swim 15 minutes without my shoulder screeching in protest. She had me put my arm by my side, thumb facing forward, then lift it overhead alongside my ear. No...

An undercover sting operation at two Needham businesses led to the arrest Friday of two massage therapists on prostitution charges, police said. The investigation began after police received complaints from nearby residents about Needham Oriental Spa at 60 Dedham Ave. and Best Body Work at 430 Hunnewell St., Needham police Lieutenant John Schlittler said Wednesday. Xiao Cathcart, 47, of Warren, R.I., and Liqing Wan, 49, of Quincy were charged with sexual conduct for a fee. Cathcart was arrested at Needham Oriental Spa, and Wan was arrested at Best Body Work.

State lawmakers are considering a bill that attempts to curb illegal massage parlors in Connecticut. The legislation adds shiatsu, acupressure and Thai massage to the list of services that cannot be advertised without a license to perform massage therapy. It also makes it a misdemeanor for someone to knowingly employ an unlicensed person to perform massage. The bill additionally requires the state Department of Public Health to investigate any legitimate accusation of an illegal massage parlor within 30 days of receiving the complaint, or else refer it to local...

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is urging the government-affiliated mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to agree to modify existing loans to help struggling homeowners. In a letter Friday to the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Coakley said the agency should also allow for principal forgiveness to help prevent foreclosures. Coakley said adopting the changes could help stabilize the nation's housing market and give a boost to the wider economy.

Where's the best place to spot Red Sox players Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury during the off-season? Head to a gym in Phoenix called Athletes' Performance, where they come to train two hours a day to stay in shape and prepare for the upcoming season. "We do speed work focusing on movement and technique," company vice president Craig Friedman, who helps train the two athletes, said in a phone interview. "How do you move from point a to point b to steal a base or field a ball?

If you own a ShoulderFlex Massager, get rid of it, said the US Food and Drug Administration in a warning issued today. The device -- which delivers a deep tissue massage to the neck, shoulders, and back while you're lying down -- was recalled last August after it killed one user and resulted in the near-strangulation of another. But the agency is concerned that the now bankrupt company, King International, didn't do a good enough job recalling the product before it went out of business.

A massage machine intended to relieve stress and muscle tension has resulted in at least one death, according to health authorities, who are advising owners of the device to throw it away immediately. The Food and Drug Administration issued an alert Friday saying one death and one near-strangulation have been reported with the ShoulderFlex Massager after a necklace and piece of clothing became caught in a rotating component of the device. In other cases, the FDA says people's hair became caught in the machine.

By Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent The Phoenix-Scottsdale area in Arizona gets extremely hot in summer, but as those temperatures rise, rates at the region's four- and five-star hotels plummet. Use the savings to sample a spa treatment, but instead of the usual massage, wrap, or facial, consider one of these three experiences. Each appeals to those willing to consider that the universe offers truths and powers that can be enlisted and drawn upon, if we're open to it. With me so far?

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The ground felt like a stovetop. Visitors may not wear shoes at Buddhist temples, and we were at the holiest in northern Thailand: Wat Doi Suthep, a glorious, gilded complex at the top of a mountain. After an hour walking on blistering hot tiles, the thrill of lighting incense in front of 14th-century Buddha statues wore off. By the time we walked down the 300 stairs to leave, our feet were raw and our legs were trembling. Faith suggested we get massages, a welcome idea from my older sister, who planned our weeklong...

By Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent The Phoenix-Scottsdale area in Arizona gets extremely hot in summer, but as those temperatures rise, rates at the region's four- and five-star hotels plummet. Use the savings to sample a spa treatment, but instead of the usual massage, wrap, or facial, consider one of these three experiences. Each appeals to those willing to consider that the universe offers truths and powers that can be enlisted and drawn upon, if we're open to it. With me so far?