What is Massage Therapy?

 

Massage Therapy can be described as the manipulation of soft tissues by trained massage therapists for therapeutic purposes. Massage Therapy promotes relaxation and eases emotional and physical stress, relieves headaches, and improves the function of the skin, the lungs and digestive organs. 

 

Massage is the application of different techniques in the treatment of muscular pain and dysfunction that affect human movement. It is a form of treatment that is applied in the preventative, corrective and rehabilitative phases of treatment. Massage is concerned with the restoration and maintenance of the soft tissue structures of the body.

 

Massage is known as the systematic and scientific manipulation of the soft tissue of the body and is used to promote health and well-being and is probably the oldest healing art known to man, recorded as being used by the Chinese, Greeks and Romans in ancient History.

 

Treatment techniques include:

• Soft tissue manipulation

• Deep tissue therapy

• Thermal therapy

• Myofascial release techniques

• Stretch and strengthening exercises

 

Common conditions seen by Massage Therapists:

• Sporting injuries

• Work injuries

• Motor vehicle injuries

• Muscle and joint stiffness

• Stress

• Lower back pain

• Neck pain

• Sprains and strains

• Headaches

 

The benefits of massage are many and varied, including:

• Improves circulation and relieves congestion in the tissues

• Stimulates the production of red blood cells, and counters anemia

• Promotes lymph flow which hastens the elimination of cellular wastes

• Helps clear muscles of lactic and uric acid that form during exercise

• Relaxes muscle hypertonicity and relieves muscle tension

• Improves muscle tone and delays muscle atrophy resulting for inactivity

• Deep massage can separate fascial fibers, and prevent the formation of adhesion's

• Massage helps reduction of inflammation and edema in joints and soft tissue

• Can alleviate or reduce pain, stiffness or soreness

• Stimulates increased proprieties and kinesthetic awareness of the body

 

Massage assists the body's natural ability to heal itself. It relaxes and tones the muscles preventing injuries, increases circulation and therefore improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to all body cells.

 

What to expect the first time you come for a massage?

Regardless of the massage therapy technique you will be receiving your initial massage treatment will be preceded by taking of a brief medical history and a brief visit with one of our highly trained doctors to determine your diagnosis. This only occurs on the first visit. You will then be referred to the appropriate massage therapist on our staff for your condition. If you are a referral patient to a specific therapist on our staff this will be honored of course!

 

You may be asked some personal details while having an assessment.

 

These questions are for the purpose of assessment and recommending preventative treatment and exercise. For example, sitting at a computer eight hours a day will affect many parts of the neck, shoulders and spine. You are not required to provide any information you do not feel comfortable giving, however understand that it may prevent accurate assessment and delay the response of your treatment.

 

Types of treatments used by our massage therapists:

 

Myofascial Release

Myofascial Release Therapy is a very gentle yet very effective hands-on manual therapy using sustained pressure into restrictions in the fascial system to eliminate pain and restore motion and function to the body. The therapy is based on the principle that poor posture, physical injury, illness and emotional stress can shift the body out of alignment and cause the intricate web of fascia to become tight and constricted. Fascia is a system of thin connective tissue that weaves continuously throughout the body including the muscles, bones, organs arteries veins etc. It connects every part of the body to every other part of the body. Adhesions and scar tissue may also be broken down with myofascial release therapy. 

 

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep Tissue Massage focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. It aims to release the chronic patterns of tension in the body, through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas, by either following or crossing over the muscle fibers, fascia and tendons. Usually used to address specific problems associated with chronic muscular pain, injury rehabilitation, sporting and occupational injuries, RSI, and physical and mental fatigue. The techniques can include Trigger Point Therapy, deep tissue massage and stretching thereby creating an improved range of motion through the joints. It's important to drink plenty of water after a deep-tissue session to help eliminate toxins from the body. 

 

Lymphatic Drainage

Lymphatic Drainage is a gentle whole body treatment which relaxes the nervous system and aids the body's immune system. It involves a range of specialized and gentle rhythmic pumping techniques to move skin in the direction of the lymph flow through a network of lymph vessels and lymph nodes. This supports the body to naturally eliminate excess toxins, dead cells, viruses, bacteria and chemicals. Other benefits of this massage are: relieving fluid congestion, promoting wound healing, relieve stress and anxiety.

 

Baby/Infant Massage

Gentle touch is very important part of a baby's existence and allows them to feel secure and loved. The benefits for the baby include improvement of their immune system, promotes better and deeper sleep, draws them into a relaxed state, can help alleviate pain from colic, gas congestion.

 

Connective Tissue Massage 

Connective Tissue Massage manipulates fascia, effectively removing restricted movement. Benefit for anyone who has chronic tension, poor posture, arthritis, tendinitis, TMJ and sciatica. Also referred to as Myofascial Release. 

 

Foot Reflexology

Foot Reflexology is an entire system of massage devoted to the feet. The feet map out the entire body through a reflex mechanism so that by stimulating a certain area of the foot a corresponding organ or body part is simultaneously stimulated. The hands and ears are other areas of the body which have similar reflex maps inherent in their structure, but the feet correspond to the chronic state of the organs, etc., rather than to acute or sub-acute levels. Periodic deep massage of the feet in a systematic manner can provide beneficial results in clearing up deep-seated metabolic irregularities and malfunctions. It is a thorough and deep massage which is primarily therapeutic in intent, although, because of the reflex action involved, one's entire body feels as if it had just received a full massage after a Reflexology treatment. 

 

Swedish Massage 

Swedish massage was originally developed in the late 18th Century by a Swedish fencing master as the first systematic system of therapeutic massage in the West. The strokes and manipulations of Swedish massage are each conceived as having a specific therapeutic benefit. One of the primary goals of Swedish Massage is to speed venous return from the extremities. Swedish Massage shortens recovery time form muscular strain by flushing the tissue of lactic acid, uric acid, and other metabolic wastes. It improves circulation and stretches the ligaments and tendons, keeping them supple and young. Swedish Massage also stimulates the skin and nervous system while at the same time relating the nerves themselves. Swedish Massage reduces stress, both emotional and physical, and is suggested in a regular program for stress management. It also has specific clinical uses in a medical or remedial therapy.