Are you suffering from back, shoulder, or neck pain? Do you experience discomfort in your legs, feet, arms or hands? If so, Therapeutic Massage (or Manual Therapy) is the right approach for you.
Therapeutic Massage is clinical, designed to specifically treat people who are in chronic or acute pain. It addresses various kinds of pain patterns, like Sciatica, low back pain, Frozen Shoulder Syndrome, Scoliosis, hip and knee pain, Plantar Fasciitis, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Often clients feel immediate relief after the first session.
What a Session is Like
On your first visit we will take a full analysis of your posture. We will look at your structural and movement patterns and where your muscles and range of motion are constricted or inhibited. These findings are charted. Then, incorporating your presenting complaint and health history, the chart will provide a clear idea for your treatment plan. We will discuss where the source of your pain lies, where to start the treatment, and how many sessions might be needed.
We proceed by examining and treating muscles, tendons and ligaments that are involved in the pain pattern. This also helps to locate further hidden sources of pain. As a Manual Therapist I utilize deep tissue work, the treatment of trigger points and mobilization techniques to relieve any constricted areas that may be the cause of pain or immobility.
The client plays an active part in his or her treatment. I might ask questions like: how strong is your pain on a scale from 0 to 10, does the pain refer into another body part, or do you feel a release?
An Integrative Approach to Therapeutic Massage
At Transformational Healing & Massage my approach to Manual Therapy is both clinical and integrative. It is clinical because my goal is to reduce tension and alleviate restrictions in the myofascial system of a client. The techniques I use allow me to improve muscle function by:
- enhancing the levels of oxygen and nutrients in the muscle fibers
- reducing the effects of scar tissue and other adhering factors in the muscle fibers and surrounding fascia
- decreasing pain sensations
A central consideration in treatment is: what led to the pain patterns or disfunction in the first place? Usually, we trace it to postural abnormalities and movement habits that lead to misuse, abuse, and injury. It is important to further understand that emotions and thought patterns also play an important role in creating a heightened activity in the sympathetic nervous system that can lead to muscular tension, pain and structural dysfunctions.
My approach is integrative because Manual Therapy allows me to first address the pain patterns in clients through manipulation and realignment of the soft tissues. That results in a more relaxed, balanced and pain free body. The next step is to motivate the client to make the necessary lifestyle changes to stay relaxed, balanced and pain free!
This might be as simple as integrating stretching before and after exercise. It can also include learning a Kundalini Yoga routine, starting to meditate, making healthy adjustments in diet and nutrition, deepening breathing patterns or committing to a regular schedule of relaxing Bhakti Massage, a Thai Yoga Massage, or a Brennan Healing Science session, or referring you to a personal trainer.
Continued Education
I continuously try to improve my understanding of the human body and it’s functions to better support my clients. Currently I study under Paul St. John, Randy Clark, and Kevin Wade at the Center for Neurosomatic Studies in Clearwater, Florida. A lot of what I’ve learnt there I have integrated into my approach to Manual Therapy.