Massage vs. Massage Therapy

You may think that you're getting a massage and that massages are all alike but actually the therapist you see regularly has better plans for you.  What you may see in your next session:

• Trigger Point Therapy:  Uses the understanding of strain and counterstain and finding trigger points based on this to relive pain, expect some direction in your fitness and postural habits if you come in with trigger points.​

• Myofascial Release:  Focusing on releasing the muscle tissue (MYO) and correcting the imbalances of the connective tissue (FASCIA) together these 2 are intricately intertwined and 1 does not work without the other.  So myofascial work is a large part of massage therapy.​​​​

• ​Structural Bodywork:  Neuromuscular Integration focuses on the realignment of the bodies structure (bone) by working on the functioning soft tissue (muscle) of the entire anatomical being.  In other words, for me to move your structure into proper alignment I have to manipulate and remodel your soft tissue to do it.  This work was made famous by Ida Rolf.

• ​Neuromuscular Therapy:  This therapy utilizes the principles of some neurological and physiological laws to understand why the body comes to dysfunction.  This work was made famous by Dr. Janet Travell.

• ​Deep Tissue:  Massage that is directed into the deeper layer of muscle, however remember you can injure tissue by moving to fast this is a journey of massage and one wants to allow the body to create density at the surface before pushing those layers to deep.

• ​Soft Tissue Release:  A unique combination of pinning muscles which using active isolated stretching or assisted movement to release a muscle.  You may also hear me say Pin and Stretch.

• ​Muscle Energy Technique:  This technique uses the bodies own antagonistic muscle releasing feedback loops to facilitate release.  This is also known as PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) 

• ​Active Isolated Stretching:  This technique uses the principle of reciprocal inhibition where when the opposite muscle being contracted allows the muscle being focused on the let go in the stretch.  One could also say that calisthenics is a similar principle - slowed down this is AIS.  For example lifting the leg while lying on your back will active the Quadricep in which the hamstring is unable to activate and allowed to lengthen.  These exercises need to be exact and carefully executed.

• ​Manual Lymph Drainage:  Focusing on making the lymph system of the body more efficient, by using light strokes of massage on the lymph nodes.  These strokes are moving towards the center of the body which will help in the elimination of the lymph system.  Please remember that the lymph system in superficial to the muscle system so all massage will drain the lymph system lymph massage is a gentle way to start your journey with massage.