Why would I consider
massage therapy?
Massage isn't capable of curing any serious or life-threatening medical
disorders, but it can provide welcome relief from the symptoms of anxiety,
tension, depression, insomnia, and stress, as well as back pain, headache,
muscle pain, and some forms of chronic pain. It's also frequently recommended
for the treatment of minor sports injuries and repetitive stress injuries, and
for the enhancement of physical conditioning. Some people find that it even
relieves such digestive disorders as constipation.
How are the Treatments Done?
There are dozens of specialized massage techniques for treatment in use today,
including Reflexology, NMT, Thai and Shiatsu too name a few... However, the most
widespread variation builds upon the:
Five Basic Strokes of Swedish Massage:
Effleurage: Slow, rhythmic, gliding strokes, usually in the
direction of blood flow toward the heart, for example, from wrist to shoulder.
Usually the massage therapist uses the whole hand (palm and fingers), gradually
applying an increasing amount of pressure. Variations of effleurage involve
strokes applied with the fingertips, heel of the hand, or knuckles.
Petrissage: Kneading, pressing, and rolling muscle groups. The
massage therapist will take hold of the tissue and alternately tighten and
loosen his grasp.
Friction:
Steady pressure or tight circular movements across muscle fibers without moving
across the skin, often used in areas around joints.
Percussion (Tapotement): Drumming hand movements on broad areas
of the body, particularly the back. Techniques include beating with the side of
loosely clenched fists; cupping or striking with the fingertips and heel of the
hand; hacking, rapid chopping motions with the edge of the hand; and clapping,
using the flattened hand to clap rapidly over fleshy areas.
Vibration and Jostling: Vibration entails rapid movements by
the therapist to transmit an oscillating action to the patient; mechanical
vibrators are also used for this purpose. Jostling requires rapid shaking of a
muscle back and forth, usually for a brief period.
You may also encounter some specialized techniques employed for specific
purposes. These include:
Neuromuscular Massage: Also known as trigger point therapy,
this technique applies concentrated finger pressure to painful areas in muscles
called trigger points.
Deep Tissue Massage: Slow strokes and deep finger pressure on
areas of the body suffering from chronic muscle tension or areas that simply
ache or feel contracted. Deep tissue massage is especially effective with tense
areas such as stiff necks or sore shoulders.
Sports Massage: This rapidly expanding field, popular among
both professional athletes and fitness enthusiasts, focuses on the use of
massage to assist training, prevent injury, and aid healing in case of soreness
or injury. It is used both before and after exercise, as well as in the
treatment of sports injuries such as sprains, strains, and tendonitis.
Reflexology
is an art and science that is based on the principle that there are reflex
points and areas in the ears, hands, and especially, the feet that correspond to
every gland, organ, and part of the body. By skillful stimulation of these areas
and points with hand, finger and thumb techniques, the body systems are
facilitated to greater balance.
Call to make your appointment today!
Member since September 2006!
