All massage, when done well, reduces stress and anxiety; boosts your immune system; increases circulation; can help relieve mild depression; helps relieve pain, stiffness, and swelling; and increases range of motion. However, different types of massage, because of their focus, will have additional results and emphasize some results over others.

We offer a variety of different types of massage, but because your needs change from session to session, we never schedule you for a specific type of massage. Instead, we talk to you when you come in for your session and find out how you’re feeling and what your needs are at that time. Then we tailor your session to you.

NOTE: Essential oils are available with all types of massage for an additional $5 fee.

 

Our massage offerings include the following:

 

Medical Massage

Medical massage is a type of deep tissue massage focused on problem areas to normalize joint, tissue, and postural function to restore health. It can also be used to address a host of health issues such as endometriosis, abdominal issues, asthma. The specialized techniques of medical massage are exceptional for all muscle and joint issues, including chronic or recent injuries; chronic or nagging pain, stiffness, or soreness; headaches; skeletal misalignment and more. This type of massage often works well where other types of massage have had little or no lasting result.

Key benefits of medical massage include:

• Induces profound relaxation through relief of pain and stimulation of endorphins.
• Specifically restores/normalizes joint function to increase range of motion and flexibility.
• Relieves or eliminates tingling, burning, and numbness.
• Generally has greater and more lasting results compared to other types of massage.

 

Sports Massage

Sports massage uses medical massage techniques to address the wear and tear of sports with emphasis on the muscle groups and joints most stressed during the activity. Recommended for any athlete or person participating regularly in sports, including children, teens, amateurs, and professionals. Highly recommended for regular maintenance between events. May also be done pre- or post-event.

Key Benefits

• Prevents loss of performance due minor muscle and joint injuries
• Prevents many major injuries resulting from the accumulation of minor injuries.
• Speeds recovery time after injury or an event

 

Therapeutic Massage

Therapeutic massage is usually a full body massage that is gentle, penetrating, and relaxing. The therapist generally places less emphasis on specific problem areas than with a medical massage. It is suitable for people who do not have particularly troublesome muscle or joint problems and have relatively minor pain or people who have systemic problems such as fibromyalgia or MS. Many times, clients find they have more musculoskeletal issues than they thought, and a therapeutic massage becomes a more specific medical massage.

Key Benefits

• Acts as a good preventive for future musculoskeletal issues in a healthy person
• Relieves the effects of systemic problems such as MS or fibromyalgia
• Relaxing but more healing than a straight relaxation massage.

 

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage is another version of therapeutic massage but done with more pressure. Deep tissue work is often assumed to go deeper than other types of massage, but in reality, you can only go as far as the bone regardless of how hard you push. Pushing too hard only causes the tissue to tense and resist the massage resulting in tissue damage. A good deep tissue massage is very relaxing and at most has a feel good pressure/hurt that doesn’t leave you bruised and sore for the next 3-5 days.

 

Pregnancy Massage

Pregnancy massage is an adaptation of medical or therapeutic massage. The greatest difference is in positioning the client on the massage table and contraindications of deep work over the abdomen.

 

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy takes massage one step further and brings even more specific focus to restoring normal joint and/or postural function. It’s used heavily with medical massage but is included as part of all types of massage. If a joint doesn’t function normally or your posture is poor, the muscles have to work harder and more inefficiently to create movement, which means they get tired and sore and return to the original state that led you to massage in the first place. Manual therapy techniques release the soft structures in and around the joints and should help to keep you out the office as much as possible.

We use a wide range of manual techniques and add to our repertoire and expand on what we know all the time. We also mix and match techniques according to your needs. When done appropriately, we believe that any manual technique should be relatively painless.

Anyone with injuries old or new, or chronic pain or joint issues will benefit from manual therapy. Even people who experience only stiffness will greatly benefit from manual therapy because it can prevent or delay the onset of painful, chronic, or degenerative conditions.

Key Benefits

• Restores function and decreases or eliminates pain/inflammation in the tissues inside and surrounding joints
• Increases range of motion and flexibility
• Can free nerves trapped by tight tissues and relieve nerve tension that results in pain.
• Improves skeletal alignment
• Can be used to address other health issues such as endometriosis or asthma

 

NOTE: We do not use chiropractic methods nor do we intentionally cavitate (crack) your joints.