Description of Therapies

The scope of practice for massgae therapy includes the application of any form of manual treatment of bodily soft tissues for the purpose of general relaxation, of improving the health of the client, and of maintaining or restoring the client to proper health. "Soft Tissue" denotes the various layers of the integument (skin), the muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia ("connective tissue"), catilage, nerves, blood vessels, viscera, and membranes of the body. "Manual Treatment" includes all forms of therapy whereby the soft tissues of the client's body are treated with direct or indirect contact of teh massage therapist's hands, feet, elbows, knees, and forearms. Specific manual treatments are listed and described here:
Scope of practice for massage therapy also includes the general assessment of the client's condition by interview, palpation, and consultation with the client's other health care providers with the client's permission. Scope of practice does NOT include diagnosis of illness or injury, prescribing or advising the use of medications, rendering a prognosis, or spinal or joint manipulations. Instead of a prognosis, massage therapists can give an estimated duration of treatment or opinion regarding the client's progress.

Swedish Massage - the discipline of Swedish Massage and its strokes as codified by Pehr Henrik Ling forms the basis for all our work. Within this system we regularly use
effleurage - gliding strokes
petrissage - kneading and squeezing strokes
tapotement - tapping strokes (this is the James Bond one)
vibration - fine and coarse shaking motions
compression - pressing on tissues to allow them to relax
friction - deep back and forth motions which access deep tendinous and ligamentous structures to assist in healing and proper scar tissue formation
Deep Tissue Massage - Deep Tissue Massage is a variant of Swedish Massage in which the practitioner uses deeper pressure and slower gliding to access and affect deeper structures, or to access superficial structures at a more profound level than is possible with pure Swedish Massage.

Effective Deep Tissue massage requires great skill, precise anatomical knowledge and much experience to avoid damaging tissues and causing pain.

While many equate Deep Tissue massage with pain and discomfort, this doesn't have to be the case. Skillfully applied Deep Tissue massage requires much softening of tissues and requires longer time periods for the body to become accustomed to the practitioner's pressure.

Neuromuscular Therapy - massage therapists relieve myofascial trigger points by palpation and sustained digital compression as described in Janet Travell, M.D.'s book, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction; a Trigger Point Manual. Frequently, trigger points are addressed using a combination of myofascial release, digital compression, muscle energy techniques, stretching, and hydrotherapy.

Hydrotherapy - the therapeutic application of heat and cold via thermophores (like heating pads, only stronger), hydrocollator packs, heated gel packs, ice massage, and cold packs.

Myofascial Release - manipulation of the myofascia in order to reduce or eliminate painful and motion-restricting adhesions by static holds, skin rolling, fascial stretching, as well as with pin-and-stretch methods involving movement. Massage therapists regularly eliminate fascial adhesions in regions of fibrotic tissues and around surgical scars.

Cranio-Sacral Therapy - the therapeutic manipulation of the cranial-sacral rhythm via gentle holds and manipulations. This therapy is generally non-threatening and non-intrusive, and generates a positive therapeutic response by indirect means.

Muscle Energy Technique - using post-contraction refractory periods in muscle tissue, we use both direct and indirect muscle energy techniques, relying on the post-isometric relaxation phenomenon to help normalize muscle tone and increase the working and resting length of contractile muscle tissues.

Strain/Counterstrain - we have found that, especially in the cervical and thoracic regions, tender points in the deep paraspinals may be relieved by the osteopathic method of strain/counterstrain. We palpate for tender points in the affected muscles, then while keeping digital contact with the point, place the muscle in its position of greatest ease for 90 seconds or more to reset the proprioceptors and return the tissue to normal functionality and lwoered neurological activity.

Stretching - active and passive stretching methods are used to return contractile tissues to full working lengths, reset the proprioceptors, and to help normalize neurological activity in the affected, facilitated spinal cord segments.

Joint Mobilization - to a massage therapist, "joint mobilization" is equivalent to Per Henrik Ling's Swedish Gymnastics, the artful and fluid presentation of active, passive, and resistive range of motion of the body's joints. We palpate for joint restrictions and attempt to alleviate them using the soft-tissue methods described here within the limits of our training and scope of practice.

Acupressure - we have found that, especially in the shoulder and neck, acupressure in the Jin Shin Do tradition can be especially helpful for chronic or somewhat intractable pain and guarding patterns.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage -

Reflexology -