Massage Modalities

Below are the names and definitions of the different types of massage and bodywork techniques that are performed by our massage therapists.

Accupressure. Acupressure is an ancient healing art that uses the fingers to press key points on the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. Acupuncture and acupressure use the same points, but acupressure does not employs needles. Acupressure can be effective in helping relieve headaches, eye strain, sinus problems, neck pain, backaches, arthritis, muscle aches, tension due to stress, ulcer pain, menstrual cramps, lower backaches, constipation, and indigestion.

Deep Tissue Massage. Techniques that utilize deep-tissue/deep-muscle massage are administered to affect the sub-layer of musculature and fascia. It helps with chronic muscular pain and injury rehabilitation and reduces inflammation-related pain caused by arthritis and tendonitis. It is generally integrated with other massage techniques.

Healing Touch. Developed by Janet Mentgen, RN, Healing Touch is an energy-based therapeutic approach to healing. Healing Touch uses touch to influence the energy system, thus affecting physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health, as well as healing. The goal of Healing Touch is to restore harmony and balance in the energy system to help the person to self-heal.

Energy Work / Chakra Balancing. This gentle treatment assists clients in balancing their energy flow. Therapists hold a space for clients to make whatever shifts or changes toward balance they deem necessary. Emphasis is given to the chakras, leaving clients feeling at peace with themselves and in balance.

Chi Nei Tsang. Chi means energy and information, and nei tsang means viscera or internal organs. Chi nei tsang addresses the origin of health problems, including psychosomatic responses, and increases the resilience of the body’s defense system. Chi nei tsang practitioners work mainly on the abdomen with deep, soft, and gentle touch to train internal organs to work more efficiently.

Lymphatic Drainage. The strokes applied in manual lymph drainage are intended to stimulate the movement of the lymphatic fluids in order to assist the body in cleansing. This is a gentle, rhythmical technique that cleanses the connective tissue of inflammatory materials and toxins, enhances the activity of the immune system, reduces pain, and lowers the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

Manual Ligament Therapy. Manual Ligament Therapy (MLT) is a brand new, cutting-edge therapy which uses the sensory qualities of ligaments to relieve hypertonic muscles and rebalance joint space. The end result is proper structural alignment of the body with little or no discomfort to the client. MLT is able to quickly resolve both simple and difficult injuries and pathologies.

Sports Massage. Sports massage is designed to enhance athletic performance and recovery. There are three contexts in which sports massage can be useful to an athlete: pre-event, post-event, and injury treatment. Pre-event massage is usually fast-paced and stimulating to help establish blood flow and to warm up muscles. Post-event, the intent is to calm the nervous system and begin the process of flushing toxins and waste products out of the body. Post-event massage can reduce recovery time, enabling an athlete to resume training much sooner than rest alone would allow. When an athlete sustains an injury, massage therapy can often speed and improve the quality of healing.

Swedish Relaxation Massage. A massage techniques designed to energize the body by stimulating circulation. The strokes, all flowing toward the heart, are used to manipulate the soft tissues of the body. The many benefits of Swedish massage may include generalized relaxation, dissolution of scar tissue adhesions, and improved circulation, which may speed healing, and reduce swelling from injury.

Myofascial Release. Myofascial release is the three-dimensional application of sustained pressure and movement into the fascial system in order to eliminate fascial restrictions and facilitate the emergence of emotional patterns and belief systems that are no longer relevant or are impeding progress. First, an assessment is made by visually analyzing the human frame, followed by the palpation of the tissue texture of various fascial layers. Upon locating an area of fascial tension, gentle pressure is applied in the direction of the restriction. Myofascial release is an effective therapeutic approach in the relief of cervical pain, back pain, fibromyalgia, scoliosis, neurological dysfunction, restriction of motion, chronic pain, and headaches.

Thai Massage. Also called nuad bo rarn, Thai massage has been taught and practiced in Thailand for approximately twenty-five hundred years. Although the origins are somewhat vague, credit for Thai massage is given to a famous Indian doctor, Shivago Komarpaj, who was the personal physician of the Buddha and Magadha king. Historically, manipulation was one of four major branches composing traditional Thai ceremonies or magical practices. This is based on the theory the body is made up of seventy-two thousand sen, or energy lines, of which ten hold top priority. Thai massage also involves peripheral stimulating, meaning it acts as an external stimulant to produce specific internal effects. This point serves as the main division between Thai and Western massage. Thai massage is practiced on a firm mat on the floor instead of on a table, instrumental in the effective use of the practitioner’s body weight. Except for the feet, the client remains fully clothed, so draping is not necessary.

Zen Body Therapy. This technique integrates Zen training with Eastern teachings of the circulation of vital energy or essence of life.