MASSAGE

• Pre & Post Natal Massage
• Swedish Massage
• Deep Tissue Massage
• Myofascial Release
• Neuromuscular Therapy
• Sports Massage
• Hot Stone Massage

Pre & Post Natal Massage

Feel the relief of muscles, joints, and circulation. We will spend extra time on your legs, neck and feet. This relaxing massage is soothing and safe for both the mother-to-be and baby. Pre natal massage is not recommended prior to 16 weeks of pregnancy.

Massage during pregnancy is therapeutic bodywork which focuses on the special needs of the mother-to-be as her body goes through the dramatic changes of the childbirth experience. Massage therapy enhances the function of muscles and joints, improves circulation and general body tone, and relieves mental and physical fatigue.

Pregnancy massage can be done in various ways. Pregnant women lie sideline during the treatment because after the first 22 weeks of pregnancy, lying flat on your back can cause pressure to deep blood vessels, cutting off the blood supply and reducing circulation to you and your baby. To avoid this problem, body pillows can be used for support and comfort.

Some of the benefits of prenatal massage are:

• reduced swelling in hands and feet
  - emotional support and nurturing touch
• relaxation and decreased insomnia
• stress relief on weight-bearing joints, such as lumbar spine, ankles, and pelvis
• neck and back pain relief caused by muscle imbalance and weakness
• assistance in maintaining proper posture
• reduced sciatic pain
• fewer calf cramps
• headache and sinus congestion relief

Massage during pregnancy is safe for most mothers. Please inform the therapist of any complications with the pregnancy and a written approval from your practitioner may be required.

Swedish Massage

Rhythmic gliding and kneading strokes relax tense, aching and sore muscles and soothe both body and mind. Treat yourself to some relaxation. You’ve earned it.

Swedish massage is considered the foundation for most massage techniques and is the most common relaxation method. It is characterized by the use of lotion or oil to allow gliding strokes over the skin. Most strokes are done toward the patient's heart with the goal of improving blood and lymphatic circulation. Some of the strokes consist of kneading, stroking, friction, percussion and vibration. The therapist will tailor the techniques based the specific needs of the client. To summarize the overall goal of Swedish massage, it is the manipulation of the body’s soft tissue by using soft, flowing modalities to allow the skin, muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia to heal. Varying degrees of pressure and stretching movements are incorporated. The therapist will either do a verbal or written intake with each client to ensure proper care and precautions in case there are any health concerns or contraindications.

Deep Tissue Massage

Therapeutic massage techniques allow tight, fatigued, overused muscles to lengthen, loosen and become more relaxed. This type of therapy is very beneficial for targeting specific ailments in the body.
Deep Tissue massage is typically Swedish based massage therapy but how it differs from the standard Swedish style massage is that deeper pressure and more local and focused concentration to trouble spots are addressed. There are numerous types and styles of massage therapy that would fall into the "deep tissue" category; which may include elements of Sports massage, Myo-Fascial Release, Neuromuscular Therapy and many other types. Deep tissue allows for the break up of “knots” (bound up muscle fibers due to lack of circulation and blood flow) so that they do not become trigger points and cause neurological damage and pain in the future. An example of a condition where deep tissue would be beneficial is migraine headaches.

Myofascial Release

Myo-fascial Release is an effective hands-on technique that uses sustained pressure to reduce restrictions in the connective tissue system. This method is effectively used to eliminate pain, restore motion and change shape and structure of soft tissue. The fascia is a specialized system of the body tissue that creates shape and structure of soft tissue. Fascia is the packaging system of the body that surrounds and interweaves every muscle, bone, nerve, artery and vein as well as all of our internal organs including the heart, lungs, brain and spinal cord. When the fascia is healthy, it is flexible and has elasticity. When the fascia is under trauma it loses pliability, becomes restricted and tense. Whiplash injuries are a common stress injury to the fascia. Restrictive fascia can cause pain and inflammation and decrease range of motion.

Neuromuscular Therapy

Neuromuscular treatment is very specific dealing with trigger points that affect the various body systems. NMT incorporates several techniques such as myo-fascial release, lymphatic drainage, cross fiber friction and trigger point therapy to assess and treat areas of pain restricted range of motion and inflammation. It attempts to address soft tissue dysfunction through analysis of postural distortion, biomechanical dysfunction and soft tissue causes of patterns presenting pain conditions. This bodywork deals with four systems of soft tissue: the muscular system, the connective tissue system (fascia), the nervous system, and the lymphatic system. The goal of NMT is to reduce pain and improve structural balance and to decrease trigger points.

Sports Massage

Not just for the athlete at heart. Most people can benefit from sports massage. The prime purpose of Sports massage therapy is to help alleviate the stress and tension which builds up in the body's soft tissues during physical activity. Sports massage helps rid the body of lactic acid and injury to the muscle can occur due to overexertion and/or overuse. Massage aids in the recovery process and can be used as a preventative method to injury as well.

Sports massage tends to be more vigorous than Swedish massage. It is a combination of Swedish modalities incorporating a deeper touch, stretching, compression, friction, and toning. The goal of sports massage is to promote optimum performance, injury-free training and minimize post event injuries, but overall healing to overused muscles is essential.

Hot Stone Massage

This eloquent treatment promotes the deepest relaxation. The blending of warm, polished rocks soaked in essential oils with gentle strokes will leave you feeling renewed, rejuvenated and stress free. The firmness of the stones allows the therapist to address specific problem areas with more detailed work or deeper pressure, but the soft texture of the basalt stones of various sizes allows for ultimate relaxation. The heat of the stones penetrates the sore muscles and soothes and melts tension away.

An authentic hot stone massage is not simply the "gliding" of heated stones lightly upon the surface of the skin, but rather the stones are used as tools to deliver effective tissue and muscle massage at a pressure level comfortable to the client. The client can request light, medium or deep pressure, which is the beauty of the hot stone massage technique. It can be customized in an instant to the request of the client.

The heat from the stones relaxes muscles, increase the blood flow to the area being worked, accelerating the healing process. This increase in circulation and the relaxation of the muscles also aids in mental relaxation.