A gentler approach to being well.There are a variety of different styles, types and techniques of massage utilized by massage therapists. We've provided a description of some of the more popular and well known types of massage being used today.
» Craniosacral Therapy » Deep Tissue Massage » Stone Massage » Swedish Massage » Trigger Point Therapy » BodySaver™ Method |
CranioSacral Therapy
Craniosacral therapy taps into a motion called the craniosacral rhythm that can be felt most strongly at your head (cranium) and the base of your spine (sacrum). The craniosacral rhythm is created by a "wave" of fluid which continuously ebbs and flows in the space around the brain and spinal cord. Because your body is connected in all its parts, the rhythm can also be felt throughout your tissues.
Tension anywhere in your body can restrict the flow of this rhythm. Practitioners use gentle touch, often less than a nickel's weight, to subtly correct that rhythm. In the process, tension can spontaneously release, allowing for positive change to occur throught the body.
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep Tissue massage is designed to relieve severe tension in the muscle and the connective tissue or fascia. This type of massage focuses on the muscles located below the surface of the top muscles. Deep tissue massage is often recommended for individuals who experience consistent pain, are involved in heavy physical activity, such as athletes, and patients who have sustained physical injury. It is also not uncommon for receivers of Deep Tissue Massage to have their pain replaced with a new muscle ache for a day or two. Deep tissue work varies greatly. What one calls deep tissue another will call light. When receiving deep tissue work it is important to communicate what you are feeling.
Stone Massage
In this comforting and healing massage, stones of varying sizes and weights are settled into body contours in areas that tend to hold tension like the back, neck, abdomen and hands. Oiled stones are then used in flowing strokes to relax the whole body, creating a nurturing experience beyond compare.
Alternating cold and heated stones increase circulation and reduce pain. Cold stones can also decrease inflammation and pain in a localized area. Massage with cold oiled stones can help you relax and energize at the same time.
Swedish Massage
Swedish massage uses five styles of long, flowing strokes to massage. The five basic strokes are effleurage (sliding or gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (rhythmic tapping), friction (cross fiber) and vibration/shaking. Swedish massage has shown to be helpful in reducing pain, joint stiffness, and improving function in patients over a period of eight weeks. It has also been shown to be helpful in individuals with poor circulation. The development of Swedish massage is credited to Per Henrik Ling, though the Dutch practitioner Johan Georg Mezger adopted the French names to denote the basic strokes. The term "Swedish" massage is not really known in the country of Sweden, where it is called "classic massage".
Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger points or trigger sites are described as hyperirritable spots in skeletal muscle that are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibers. Trigger point practitioners believe that palpable nodules are small contraction knots [ambiguous] and a common cause of pain. Compression of a trigger point may elicit local tenderness, referred pain, or local twitch response. The local twitch response is not the same as a muscle spasm. This is because a muscle spasm refers to the entire muscle entirely contracting whereas the local twitch response also refers to the entire muscle but only involves a small twitch, no contraction. The trigger point model states that unexplained pain frequently radiates from these points of local tenderness to broader areas, sometimes distant from the trigger point itself. Practitioners claim to have identified reliable referred pain patterns, allowing practitioners to associate pain in one location with trigger points elsewhere.
BodySaver™ Method
Influenced by Thai Massage, Shiatsu, Active Isolated Stretching, Yoga & principles of ergonomics & mechanics. This allows the therapist to expand their capacity & creativity to deliver an effective deep tissue massage while preventing therapist injury.
Created by Patrick Ingrassia, Founder of Nayada Institue