Deep Tissue
Neuromuscular Therapy
Sports Massage
Myofascial Release
Prenatal Massage
Swedish Massage
Deep Tissue:
Deep tissue massage is a technique that 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 pressure on the contracted areas, either following or going across the fiber’s of the muscles, tendons and fascia. Deep tissue massage helps to lengthen shortened muscle fibers, breaking up thickened areas and helping the tissue regain proper elasticity. It is also effective for breaking down scar tissue and muscle adhesions even on injuries that have occurred many years ago. Proper blood and oxygen flow is brought back to the tight muscles. The toxins that have been stored in those muscles are helped release.
This type of massage is often used to treat chronic pain, limited mobility, recovery from injuries (e.g. whiplash, falls, sports injury), repetitive strain injury, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, postural problems, osteoarthritis pain, fibromyalgia, and muscle tension or spasm.
It is normal for some soreness to occur after a Deep Tissue massage. Your practitioner may show you stretching techniques that will aid in your healing process and will remind you to drink plenty of water. When done properly, soreness from a Deep Tissue session should not last longer than 2 days.
Neuromuscular Therapy:
Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) is a very specialized form of manual therapy. NMT is the utilization of static pressure on specific myofascial points to relieve pain. This technique manipulates the soft tissue of the body (muscles, tendons and connective tissue) to balance the central nervous system. In a healthy individual, nerves transmit impulses (which are responsible for every movement, function and thought) to the body very slowly. Injury, trauma, postural distortion or stress cause nerves to speed up their transmission, inhibiting equilibrium and making the body vulnerable to pain and dysfunction. It is therefore necessary to stabilize low levels of neurological activity to maintain normal function and overall health.
Neuromuscular Therapy is used to address five elements that cause pain:
Ischemia: Lack of blood supply to soft tissues which causes hypersensitivity to touch
Trigger Points: Highly irritated points in muscles which refer pain to other parts of the body
Nerve Compression or Entrapment: Pressure on a nerve by soft tissue, cartilage or bone
Postural Distortion: Imbalance of the muscular system resulting from the movement of the body off the longitudinal and horizontal planes
Biomechanical Dysfunction: Imbalance of the musculoskeletal system resulting in faulty movement patterns (i.e., poor lifting habits, bad mechanics in a golf swing of tennis stroke, computer keyboarding)
Even if you are not experiencing discomfort, Neuromuscular therapy can be beneficial for increasing and maintaining flexibility, injury prevention, stress reduction, increased athletic performance and overall well-being.
Sports Massage:
Sports Massage is a modality that is typically used before, during, and after athletic events. The 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. Where minor injuries and lesions occur, due to overexertion and/or overuse, massage can break them down quickly and effectively. The massage will help prepare the athlete for peak performance, to drain away fatigue, to relieve swelling, to reduce muscle tension, to promote flexibility and to prevent injuries. Sports massage can help prevent those niggling injuries that so often get in the way of performance and achievement, whether a person is an athlete or a once a week jogger.
Each type of sport has different demands on the players. Each sport uses muscle groups in a different way. Sports massage is designed to address those specific concerns and may differ according to the sport the athlete plays. Sports massage can be aimed to help heal strained muscles and allow healthy ones to reach peak performance and maintain it while minimizing the risk of injury.
Sports Massage can also include pre-event, post-event and maintenance techniques that promote greater athletic endurance and performance, lessen chances of injury and reduce recovery time.
Myofascial Release:
A blend of stretching and massage, myofascial release therapy uses hands-on manipulation of the entire body to promote healing and relieve pain. Just as its name suggests, myofascial comes from the Latin “myo” for muscle and “fascia” for band—therapists use the technique to ease pressure in the fibrous bands of connective tissue, or fascia, that encase muscles throughout the body. Sheaths of this dense and elastic connective tissue weave about blood vessels, bones, and nerves as well, forming an intricate, 3-D web that supports your organs and joints from head to toe and acts as the body’s shock absorber.
Scarring or injury to this network of connective tissue is a major cause of pain and impeded motion. The therapy’s easy stretches aim to alleviate these problems by breaking up, or “releasing,” constrictions or snags in the fascia. People with longstanding back pain, fibromyalgia, recurring headaches, sports injuries, and a host of additional complaints are all said to benefit from the technique.
The therapy itself is relatively new. Osteopathic physician Dr. Robert Ward of Michigan State University taught the first course entitled “myofascial release” at that school in the 1970s, and references to it first began to appear in the medical literature in the 1980s. However, as a holistic treatment that looks at the body as an integrated whole, its roots go back a long way, to the soft-tissue manipulations and stretches of osteopathy, which was first done in the nineteenth century.
Benefits of myofascial release:
Reduces pain
Enhances blood circulation
Boosts nerve function
Strengthens immune function
Prenatal Massage:
Pre-natal massage, also known as pregnancy massage, has wonderful benefits for both mother and child. For Mom, it helps to reduce stress, provides emotional support through touch, decrease swelling, relieve aches and pains, helps stabilize stress hormone levels, prevents varicose veins, promotes relaxation and deep breathing, reduces fatigue, and reduces anxiety and depression. For baby, it helps to increase the flow of blood and nutrients from the mother and, reducing Mom’s stress reduces baby’s stress too.
Swedish Massage:
Swedish Massage is a very relaxing and therapeutic style of bodywork. It combines oils or lotion with an array of strokes such as rolling, kneading, and percussion to help the body improve its circulation. The benefits of this type of bodywork are wide-ranging and include relief from aches and pains, decreased stress levels in the body, stimulates the nervous, endocrine, and lymphatic systems, reduces stress, enhanced mental clarity, improved appearance, and greater flexibility.