Massage Therapy

Introduction

Depending on the application and technique used, massage promotes relaxation and well-being, and is beneficial in treating sports injuries and other problems affecting the musculature of the body such as postural misalignment and many painful conditions.

Massage therapy is the manipulation of the body’s muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, and joints to cause a therapeutic response, such as increasing mobility, eliminating pain, or improving circulation and lymphatic drainage. By stretching and loosening connective tissues and muscles and by promoting the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids, massage offers relief from the pain of many injuries and conditions. It can restore internal balance, take out adhesions, correct posture, enhance immune system functioning, aid in relaxation, reduce depression and anxiety, relieve stress and mental and physical fatigue, and improve sleep.

Each treatment will begin with an assessment to decide what the best approach would be for your concern. Your Massage Therapist will then discuss a treatment plan with you and get your consent to treat. Your comfort is our utmost priority and we welcome your requests for changes in pressure, lighting, music, temperature and positioning at anytime time during your treatment.

The Benefits of Massage

• Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.

• Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.

• Ease medication dependence.

• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.

• Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.

• Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.

• Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.

• Increase joint flexibility.

• Lessen depression and anxiety.

• Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.

• Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.

• Reduce post surgery adhesions and swelling.

• Reduce spasms and cramping.

• Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.

• Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller.

• Relieve migraine pain.

Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy. A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing.

Therapeutic – Relaxation Massage

A basic full body massage that incorporates Swedish techniques to help relax the body and mind. In addition to relieving muscle soreness, it will help promote circulation, relaxation, stress reduction and general wellbeing. Special attention is paid to any areas of discomfort

Deep Tissue -Sports Massage

Deep Tissue and sports massage are a more focused form of bodywork that involves penetrating strokes such as muscle compression, stretching and cross fiber friction that focuses on realigning deeper layers of muscles. It is used for chronic aches and pain and contracted areas such as a stiff neck and upper back, low back pain and sore shoulders. Some of the strokes are the same as those used in Swedish massage therapy, but the movement is slower and the pressure is deeper and concentrated on areas of tension and pain in order to reach the sub-layer of muscles and the fascia (the connective tissue surrounding muscles).

Ashiatsu

In ashiatsu, the practitioner uses their feet to deliver treatment. The name comes from the Japanese, ashi for foot and atsu for pressure. This technique typically uses the heel, sesamoid, arch and/or whole plantar surface of foot, and offers large compression, tension and shear forces with less pressure than an elbow, and is ideal for large muscles, such as in thigh, or for long-duration upper trapezius compressions. This massage can be deeper than deep tissue.
In an Ashiatsu session, the client relaxes on a comfortable massage table while the therapist stands on the table holding onto overhead bars for balance and support, using their feet to deliver the massage. The advantage of this massage — both for the client and the therapist — is that Ashiatsu allows gravity to do the work, leveraging the therapists’ body weight to provide a depth unmatched by other techniques.

Hot Stone

Hot stone massage is a natural therapy in which warmed stones are positioned on parts of the client’s body of to maximize the therapeutic benefit. The stones used are typically river rocks or other very smooth-surfaced stones made of basalt. These stones are heated in sanitizing water before use. The high iron content in basalt helps the stones retain heat during the massage. Hot stone massages are beneficial on both physical and psychological levels. Always check with your doctor before getting a hot stone massage; individuals with certain conditions–including pregnant women and people with high blood pressure–are advised to avoid this type of therapy.The heat of the stones penetrates deep into the muscle fascia to provide a truly unique experience

Reflexology

Reflexology is the application of appropriate pressure to specific points and areas on the feet, hands, or ears. These areas and reflex points correspond to different body organs and systems, and that pressing them has a beneficial effect on the organs and person’s general health.

Pre-natal and Post-partum Massage

Studies indicate that massage therapy performed during pregnancy can reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression, relieve muscle aches and joint pains, and improve labor outcomes and newborn health. Massage therapy addresses different needs through varying techniques, one of which is called Swedish Massage.

Swedish Massage

Sewedish Massage aims to relax muscle tension and improve lymphatic and blood circulation through mild pressure applied to the muscle groups of the body. Swedish Massage is the recommended massage method during pregnancy because it addresses many common discomforts associated with the skeletal and circulatory changes brought on by hormone shifts.

Benefits

• Reduced back pain
• Reduced joint pain
• Improved circulation
• Reduced edema
• Reduced muscle tension and headaches
• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Improved oxygenation of soft tissues and muscles
• Better sleep

Thai Yoga Massage

Traditional Thai massage uses no oils or lotions. The recipient remains clothed during a treatment. There is constant body contact between the giver and receiver, but rather than rubbing on muscles, the body is compressed, pulled, stretched and rocked.
The recipient wears loose, comfortable clothing and lies on a mat or firm mattress on the floor. In Thailand, a dozen or so subjects may be receiving massage simultaneously in one large room. The true ancient style of the massage requires that the massage be performed solo with just the giver and receiver. The receiver will be positioned in a variety of yoga-like positions during the course of the massage, that is also combined with deep static and rhythmic pressures.
The massage generally follows designated lines (“sen”) in the body. The legs and feet of the giver can be used to position the body or limbs of the recipient. In other positions, hands fix the body, while the feet do the massaging. A full Thai massage session may last two hours and includes rhythmic pressing and stretching of the entire body. This may include pulling fingers, toes, ears, cracking knuckles, walking on the recipient’s back, and moving the recipient’s body into many different positions. There is a standard procedure and rhythm to the massage, which the giver will adjust to fit the receiver.

Ayurvedic Massage

Ayurvedic massage, known as Abhyangam in Sanskrit, is part of an ancient healing tradition. It is a restorative practice using warm oil infused with herbs. Regular Ayurvedic massage may relieve aches and muscle pain, improve lymphatic flow, support the immune system, and relax and calm the mind