Massage Therapy

Treatment description

Massage Therapy has many applications and variations.  Therapeutic massage can be an important component of any healthcare plan.  It can be used to promote wellness and for stress relief, but it can also be used to treat many conditions.  Benefits include improving circulation of blood and lymph, relaxing muscles and improving joint mobility.  Common conditions effectively treated by therapeutic massage include tension headaches, pregnancy related back pain, muscular back pain, and tendonitis.  Massage is effective for people of all ages, and can even be used on infants.  Our experienced registered massage therapists can determine the best massage techniques and applications for you to help you reach your health care goals.

Massage therapy can help treat:

• Asthma/ Emphysema/ Bronchitis
• Cancer Management
• Constipation
• Edema/ Water retention
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches
• Iliotibial Band Syndrome
• Inflammatory conditions like Arthritis and Bursitis
• Insomnia
• Low Back Pain
• Neurological conditions like Multiple Sclerosis & Parkinson's disease
• Post Fracture Recovery
• Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
• Pregnancy related back and rib pain
• Scar Tissue
• Strains/ Sprains
• Stress
• Stroke Recovery
• Tendinitis
• TMJ Dysfunction
• Whiplash

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Techniques

Swedish Massage

A variety of techniques from light, general techniques to more specific and deeper techniques. Techniques may be applied with the use of palms, knuckles, fingers, thumbs, forearms and elbows. All basic Swedish massage techniques are applied with the use of either oils, lotions or creams to allow for glide over the tissues. The two most common Swedish massage techniques are Effleurage and Petrissage. Effleurage is a broad contact base general technique that is most commonly used to spread the oil, warm up the tissues for deeper work and to encourage general blood circulation to the areas being treated. Petrissage includes muscle squeezing, muscle stripping, wringing, pick-ups, skin rolling and kneading. Petrissage techniques encourage local blood circulation specific to the area being addressed, are used in the breakdown of muscle and connective tissue adhesions and when used in a rhythmic motion encourage relaxation.

Trigger point Techniques

Trigger Points are hyper-irritable areas in soft tissues. When present they can inhibit mobility of that muscle and be a source of aches and pains in the surrounding areas. Treatment is variable, but the most commonly used techniques at our clinic are repetitive muscle stripping and ischemic (stationary) compressions.

Myofascial Release

This technique is used when fascial/ connective tissue layers become restricted. These techniques are applied without any oil or lotion. Pressure is variable depending on where the restriction is found. Fascial techniques can be general gliding techniques applied with the therapist's palms or more specific torquing techniques that can be applied with the therapist's fingers, thumbs or knuckles.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage

Is used in situations where edema (including chronic) or acute inflammation is present. No oil is used to apply this technique and very minimal pressure is used. The technique begins by engaging the nearest proximal lymph node (the one above the injury site). Once this is done, a light circular technique is applied that starts at the edge of where the inflammation is present and gradually moves towards the proximal lymph node. Lymphatic drainage encourages lymph flow and reduces pain and edema.

Frictions

Are used in the breakdown of irregular scar tissue in muscles, tendons and ligaments that can inhibit mobility. Over a series of treatments frictions can realign the fibers to form a more functional scar. This technique is only applied in the late stages of healing and is followed by stretching of the area and ice. To see how this technique works, empty any number of toothpicks in a random pile so that they are not all in one direction. Repeatedly roll your fingers back and forth over top of the pile in one direction. The toothpicks over time will align themselves to be perpendicular to the direction of the motion you are applying.

Active Release Technique (ART)

ART is a soft tissue release technique that includes treatment of muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerve entrapment disorders. The client is actively involved in the treatment by moving the area(s) to be treated through their range of motion while the therapist applies pressure to the involved structure(s). Loosely fitted clothing is required for some protocols.

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