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Swedish-style massage uses lotion and/or oil along with five styles of strokes. The five basic strokes are effleurage (sliding or gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (rhythmic tapping), friction (cross fiber or with the fibers) and vibration/shaking. Swedish massage has been shown to be helpful in reducing pain, joint stiffness, and is a great stress reliever.
Deep Tissue Massage is a form of bodywork that aims to relieve tension in the deeper layers of tissue in the body. Deep Tissue Massage is a highly effective method for releasing chronic stress areas due to misalignment, repetitive motions, and past lingering injuries.
Due to the nature of the deep tissue work, open communication during the session is crucial to make sure you don't get too uncomfortable. Keep in mind that soreness is pretty common after the treatment.
Hot Stone Therapy is a style of massage where heated stones are placed at specific sites on your body to deepen relaxation and promote circulation in your muscles, others are held by the massage therapist and used to work the muscles. Muscles that are heated with these stones release tension and stress much more deeply and quickly than with a traditional massage. The overall experience is very relaxing, nurturing, and rejuvenating.
Trigger Point Therapy is a style of bodywork that focuses on stimulating and releasing "trigger points" in your body. Trigger points are tender areas of tension similar to acupressure points, except they occur in the belly of the muscle rather than along the energy pathways of the body. These "knots" are built up throughout a person's life due to physical, mental, and/or emotional stress. During a session, focused pressure is applied through a variety of techniques order to release your trigger points. This process can be quite painful at times, yet the effects are lasting and profoundly transformative.
Sometimes confused with pressure point massage, this involves deactivating trigger points that may cause local pain or refer pain and other sensations, such as headaches, in other parts of the body. Manual pressure, vibration, injection, or other treatment is applied to these points to relieve myofascial pain. These points relate to dysfunction in the myoneural junction, also called neuromuscular junction (NMJ), in muscle, and therefore this modality is different from reflexology, acupressure and pressure point massage.
Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is a type of gentle massage which is intended to encourage the natural drainage of the lymph, which carries waste products away from the tissues back toward the heart. The lymph system depends on intrinsic contractions of the smooth muscle cells in the walls of lymph vessels (peristalsis) and the movement of skeletal muscles to propel lymph through the vessels to lymph nodes and then beyond the lymph nodes to the lymph ducts which return lymph to the cardiovascular system. Manual lymph drainage uses a specific amount of pressure (less than 9 ounces per square inch or about 4 kPa) and rhythmic circular movements to stimulate lymph flow.
Structural bodywork employs soft tissue manipulation with the goal of realigning the body in relationship to the force of gravity. The theory underlying structural integration asserts that often the body's connective tissue (fascia) is "bound up," thus restricting opposing muscles from working independently of one another. Thus, we aim to loosen the restricted connective tissue by using a practice very similar to deep tissue massage. Practitioners typically prescribe a specific sequence of ten sessions lasting between 75 and 90 minutes in order to "unlock" the whole body.
Sports Massage is a type of massage designed for highly active people who engage in athletics. Engaging in sports is harsh on the body and can often lead to injuries in both the short and long term. Sports Massage enhances performance and prolongs a sports career by helping to prevent injury, reduce pains and swelling in the body, relax the mind, increase flexibility, and dramatically improve recovery rates. Sports Massage is also highly effective in aiding the rapid recovery of an athlete from an injury by encouraging greater kinesthetic awareness and in turn promoting the body's natural immune function.
Developed in the former Soviet Union, Russian Sports Massage is considered to be one of the most non-invasive and relaxing forms of massage therapy. Combining aspects of both therapeutic and sports massage, it uses a variety of specific techniques to release stress and enhance circulation. As with all forms of massage therapy, open communication during the session is encouraged to make sure you are enjoying the experience as much as possible.
Chair massage is a popular way of relieving stress and releasing tension right in your home or workplace. You receive your massage in a specialized ergonomic chair which I bring to your location. In addition to the usual health benefits of massage, another benefit of chair massage is that it is done over the clothing. With seated massage, you can avoid the discomfort and awkwardness that you may feel in disrobing for a traditional massage. Also, chair massage sessions are usually shorter than traditional massage, making it convenient enough to fit into your busy schedule.
Reflexology is a type of bodywork that focuses on applying pressure to the specific nerve zones in your feet. Unlike other foot massages that intend to mostly relieve tension in the feet themselves, reflexology is a far more in-depth science that aims to harmonize your entire body. According to reflexology, every part of the human body is mapped into your feet. Reflexology treatments may be highly effective for conditions such as allergies, headaches, and depression.
Acupressure is an alternative medicine technique similar in principle to acupuncture. It is based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) concept of life energy which flows through "meridians" in the body. In treatment, physical pressure is applied to acupoints with the aim of clearing blockages in these meridians. Pressure may be applied by hand, by elbow, or with various devices. Some medical studies have suggested that acupressure may be effective at helping manage nausea and vomiting, for helping lower back pain, tension headaches, stomach ache, among other things.
Shiatsu is a Japanese form of massage therapy. The word Shiatsu comes from two Japanese words - "shi" (finger) and "atsu" (pressure). In addition to the direct stimulation of pressure points along the energy pathways of your body, gentle stretching techniques are applied over a wider area of the body to integrate the point work and encourage the flow of Ki (energy) throughout the body. Shiatsu is a meditative healing art that honors the body, mind and spirit.
CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle yet powerful technique that is effective in releasing neck pain, back pain, and mental stress (among other things).It does this by optimizing the movement of cerebrospinal fluid through the spine and around the skull. Developed by physician William Sutherland, this therapy provides a very soothing and relaxing healing experience.