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RELAXATION MASSAGE
Swedish Massage - is the most familiar form of massage in the US. It includes gentle, relaxing strokes: effleurage, petrissage, friction,
tapotement and vibration. Among the many positive effects on the body are relaxation, release of muscle tension and
increase in circulation.
MEDICAL
MASSAGE Medical Massage - differs from relaxation massage in several important ways. First, medical massage is outcome-based, not time-based, meaning that we
are more interested in what is being done during your session than we are in how many minutes you are on the table.
Second, because diagnosis is outside the scope of practice for massage therapists, we do this work by prescription
of a medical doctor only. The bonus here is that because it is "medically necessary," most insurance companies
will pay for medical massage. Patients
seeking medical massage as a treatment for an accident or injury should plan to schedule appointments 2-3
times a week for about four weeks and will be expected to be active participants in their own healing (applying ice at home,
for example.)
THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE
Myofascial
release - is a form of bodywork that seeks to
rebalance the body by releasing tension in the fascia (the body's connective tissue). Long, stretching strokes are utilized
to release muscular tension. Little or no oil is used.
Sports
massage - focuses on muscle groups relevant to
a particular sport. Can help athletes prepare more efficiently for an event or recover from it more quickly.
Deep tissue massage - releases chronic tension in the body through slow strokes and deep concentrated pressure on the contracted areas,
either following or going across the grain of muscles, tendons and fascia. "Deep tissue" does not simply mean harder
pressure. It is called deep tissue because it also focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. When done properly,
this should not be painful, but you may need to ice the area afterwards.
Trigger point therapy / Neuromuscular facilitation - helps to release hyper-irritable points in muscle tissue which can cause local spasm and pain or refer/radiate pain
throughout the body. Relieving a tense trigger point in your back, for example, could help ease pain in your shoulder
or reduce headaches.
Reflexology - massage based around a system of points in the
hands and feet thought to correspond to all areas of the body.
Facilitated stretching - various stretching techniques used by a therapist after massage to lengthen muscle tissue and increase
range of motion.
Hot
stone massage - stones heated in water are
used in two ways to release and deeply soothe tight muscles, encourage relaxation and improve circulation. Heavier
"placement stones" are set at specific places on the body to begin "preheating" muscles. Meanwhile,
smaller "working stones" are oiled and held in therapist's hands, providing customized massage, one section
at a time, using a variety of strokes and pressure.
CHAIR / ON-SITE /
CORPORATE MASSAGE
Chair
massage - is administered while the client is clothed and seated in a specially-designed
chair. A music CD is played to help with relaxation.
One session usually lasts between 15 and 30 minutes
and is intended to relax the client mentally and physically while improving circulation. The therapist is often hired by a
company to come into the building to provide this service on a number of employees as part of a regular benefits program or
to boost morale and stimulate productivity.
This service is also offered in the therapist's treatment room to
clients who prefer the chair to table work.
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