Scleroderma support group members reduce pain with massage

Warwick — The Scleroderma Support Group of the Hudson Valley will welcome back Sharron Phillips to their first meeting of the new year. Phillips is a long-standing favorite of support group members and attendance is expected to be high, even though winter months can be difficult for those living with scleroderma. Phillips is a massage therapist and personal development Life Coach. She facilitates weekly meditation groups in Chester, offers a 12-week program called Create a Life Plan, and runs mask making workshops. The topic for the meeting in January will be Massage Techniques for your Hands and Feet. Co-facilitator, June Bisel, is an advocate for massage and its healing effects. “I have been having regularly scheduled massages for the past seven years, and truly believe that this has significantly aided my body’s amazing ability to heal itself. I have also taken what I’ve learned from Sharron to do self-massages, as needed — especially on my hands, which have shown remarkable improvement over the years,” says Bisel. Scleroderma Support Group meetings are held the fourth Saturday of every month at St. Anthony’s Community Hospital, in Warwick, from 10 a.m. until noon. Each month the group focuses on a different topic of concern, providing attendees with information as well as a chance to share their experiences and concerns. For more information or to check for meeting cancellations due to inclement weather, call either Fran Batz at 845-986-4451 or June Bisel at 845-294-3865.