Chair Massage is a relaxing type of massage that re-energizes tired muscles and eases aches and pains. The client sits very comfortably on a special chair, and stays fully clothed. The therapist uses no oils or lotions. Most chair massages last about 15-20 minutes and use a combination of Shiatsu and Swedish style massage techniques. The therapist can do quick massages at offices, stores, festivals or any place you can imagine, so it is very convenient. It is popular in offices because you can take a 15 minute break from work and get a massage that will help you feel renewed and re-energized, increasing circulation and lymph flow enabling you to work more efficiently. Chair massage brings relief of tense muscles, back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, tension headaches, stress, and fatigue.
CranioSacral Therapy, sometimes called Cranial Sacral Therapy, is one of the gentlest forms of bodywork. This holistic therapy is so gentle that it can be used to treat newborn infants. It is also an ideal alternative medicine treatment for the elderly. CranioSacral Therapy was first discovered by John Upledger, an osteopathic physician. The brain and spinal cord are bathed in a fluid called cerebrospinal fluid. The fluid and the dura mater that contain it form the craniosacral system. This system has its own rhythm that is a result of the fluid being pumped around the spinal cord and brain. The craniosacral rhythm is different from your heartbeat or breathing. The therapist is able to feel the rhythm of your craniosacral system by placing his/her hands lightly on various areas of your body. The feet and ankles, thighs, hips, ribcage, shoulders, and head are all the key areas where your therapist will feel your rhythm. By checking these various points the therapist can determine where your rhythm is irregular or weak. The therapist then uses a light touch, no greater than the weight of a nickel, to release restrictions in the fascia around the craniosacral system.
There are sutures in the skull, and we are taught that as you become an adult the bones in your skull fuse together. In reality they are still movable almost like joints. The therapist gently manipulates these bones to improve the flow of craniosacral fluid. CranioSacral therapy is not just used to treat neurological disorders. It is also useful in fibromyalgia, headaches, chronic pain, stress, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), central nervous system disorders, and chronic fatigue.
Deep Tissue Massage is a type of massage therapy commonly requested in spa and clinical settings. This form of therapeutic massage is great for providing chronic pain relief by addressing pain in specific areas. It is commonly used on athletes. This type of massage works the deeper layers of muscles. To get to these deeper layers the therapist makes more use of forearms and elbows and massages more slowly. The therapist can also use tools to help get deeper pressure. The primary aim is to break up adhesions in the muscle tissue, and as in other forms of massage increase the circulation and lymph flow to that area. Adhesions are areas where the muscle tissue is stuck together forming rigid bands of tissue or hardened lumps often referred to as knots in the muscle. These adhesions keep blood and lymph from circulating freely in the muscle causing the muscle tissue to be malnourished and waste to build up inside the tissue. This causes pain in the muscle. Cross-fiber friction often used in deep tissue massage helps loosen these stuck muscle fibers. Deep tissue massage benefits fibromyalgia, arthritis, tension headaches, muscle injuries, neck pain, back pain, chronic pain, and general muscle tension. There is a level of discomfort or even pain that you will feel during a deep tissue session. You should always let the therapist know if you are feeling pain during the treatment. The therapist will sometimes instruct you in some deep breathing to help deal with the discomfort. You may feel some soreness after the massage but as the days go by you'll notice that you are looser and feel better. Be sure to drink plenty of water after the massage.
Hot Stone Massage uses heated basalt lava massage stones with traditional Swedish massage techniques to melt away stress and relieve muscle tension. Hot Stone Massage is a popular spa therapy. The stones are sanitized and heated in water before the massage. The therapist places them on areas of the body to open up meridians, loosen muscles and increase circulation. They are usually left on for about 20 minutes before the massage starts. Loosening the muscles with heat first makes it easier for the therapist to work deep muscle tissue. The therapist then uses the stones to massage you. The stones are very smooth and glide very nicely with a bit of oil across the skin. Cool marble stones can be used to treat muscle injuries. This form of massage helps sedate the nervous system, detoxify the body, increase lymph flow, and causes you to relax more deeply. Hot Stone Therapy can benefit symptoms of arthritis, fibromyalgia, depression, muscle aches, insomnia, back pain, anxiety, stress, and circulation problems.
Hot Stone Therapy should not be done on pregnant women who are less than 3 months pregnant, people with varicose veins, high blood pressure, ulcers or any kind of skin disease. Let your therapist know if the stones are too hot or if the pressure is too deep during the massage.
Lomi Lomi Massage is a traditional Hawaiian healing art. It has been practiced for generations. Traditionally, Hawaiian massage was practiced by kahunas (traditional healers), and it involves both physical and spiritual aspects of healing. Hawaiians believe that memories are stored in all the cells of the body, not just the brain. Negative memories can block the flow of energy in the body. Lomi Lomi therapists work to relieve muscle tension while releasing negative memories from cells allowing energy to flow freely through the body. Lomi lomi massage consists of flowing strokes that are done with the hands and forearms. Multiple areas of the body are massaged at once causing the mind to relax. Sometimes Lomi Lomi is performed by two therapists at once allowing the mind to fall into a deeply relaxed state. The use of the forearms in the massage helps the therapist get deep pressure more easily. Lomi Lomi is performed on a massage table without a sheet covering it. This allows the therapist to reach under you more easily. Lomi Lomi is done fully undressed with a sheet that is folded to cover you minimally. This allows the therapist to have access to multiple areas of your body at once. Some people experience emotional releases on the table.
Lymphatic Drainage is a gentle massage technique used to clear up blockages in the lymphatic system allowing lymph to flow more freely. The lymphatic system is a series of ducts, nodes and organs that balances the body's fluid levels. It also supplies the body with important immune cells. When this system becomes blocked, swelling called lymphedema occurs in the blocked area. Lymphatic drainage was invented by Emil Vodder in the 1930's. Vodder was a doctor in philosophy, biology, and physiotherapy. He started out using the therapy to treat people with colds, because he noticed that people with colds often had swollen lymph nodes. At the time doctors were discouraged from tampering with the lymphatic system because it hadn't been studied extensively. Vodder began to study the system and developed a series of gentle sweeping stokes to push the lymph through capillaries just beneath the skin. Now the therapy is used to treat pre and post-operative problems. It can also be used to treat a whole variety of conditions such as lymphedema, burns, fluid retention, lymph node removal, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic mastitis, headaches, scar tissue, and chronic sinusitis. During a Lympatic Drainage session the therapist massages the skin directly with no massage lotion or oil. Light strokes are used to stretch the walls of the lymphatic ducts. You should refrain from getting this type of massage if you have cellulitis or fever. This type of massage may cause you to experience an increased need to urinate after the massage that could continue for the rest of the day. This is because fluid has been pushed to your kidneys during the massage and your kidneys turn that fluid into urine. As with all massages, be sure to drink plenty of water after your Lymphatic Drainage session to replenish lost fluids.
Neuromuscular Therapy, also called Trigger Point Therapy, was developed with a strong emphasis in physiology. Neuromuscular Therapists are extensively trained in the nervous system’s effects on the muscular and skeletal systems. They must also have a working knowledge of kinesiology and biomechanics. Neuromuscular Therapists work to treat five main causes of pain:
TRIGGER POINTS – Irritable areas of muscle tissue that refer pain along a predictable pattern.
NERVE ENTRAPMENT/COMPRESSION – When nerves get trapped in bound-up muscle tissue or get compressed against bone.
POSTURAL DISTORTIONS – When the muscular system becomes imbalanced because of bad posture.
ISCHEMIA – When lack of blood supply to an area makes the tissue very sensitive.
BIOMECHANICAL DYSFUNCTION – This is a direct result of doing a task repeatedly in an incorrect manner. It’s associated with common injuries like tennis elbow or carpal tunnel syndrome.
After treatment you may feel some soreness. This soreness should go away within 24 hours. You may not notice much of a difference in the looseness of your muscles until several days after treatment. Neuromuscular massage is great for treating chronic pain disorder, correcting postural dysfunction and increasing ranges of motion.
Knead For Healing Therapeutic Massage
