Swedish Massage

This modality is what is often thought of when massage comes to mind. The practitioner uses oil and effleurage (long gliding strokes) to warm and activate the muscles to relieve tension.

Pregnancy Massage

This one’s fairly self explanatory. This is massage geared towards aiding in pain management during the child bearing process. Typically this modality is received while side-lying on the massage table with pillows strategically bolstering the body for extra support.

Reflexology

A similar practice to acupressure, reflexology uses predetermined reflex points to connect to the rest of the body system, based on the the theory that there are points on the feet, hands, and head that reflects the rest of the body’s tension and illness.

Myofascial Release

Our entire body structure is supported, binded, separated, and protected with connective tissue.  Often these tissues harden, preventing flow of movement and causing pain and stiffness.   

Myofascial release work uses gentle pressure to get even as deep as the bone to eliminate pain and restore motion. There is a common misconception of “no pain, no gain”, whereas Myofascial Release is one of many lighter modalities that can effect deep tissue with lighter pressure.

Myofascial restrictions can produce tensile pressures of approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch, and are not findable on x-rays, myelograms, CAT scans, electromyography, etc.
Only lighter pressure allows the body to relax enough to melt and move; anything heavier causes the body to fight and resist.

This can be an oil-less modality, so direct contact with the skin can be used to gently and slowly coax the body into letting go of trauma, inflammatory responses, and myofascial restrictions left from surgery. This technique can also be used to reduce inflammation, such as in the ankles and wrists.

Acupressure (Shiatsu)

Acupressure, also known as shiatsu (translating to finger pressure in Japanese) uses mild targeted pressure on points of the body (whereas trigger point therapy uses more forceful pressure) to do deep work.  This modality uses principles similar to those of acupuncture but without the needles.  The practitioner may choose points predetermined by Chinese meridian lines, or may choose points that the practitioner is drawn to for energetic or physical purposes.

Sports-Massage

Sports-massage doesn’t just have to be for athletes!  This upbeat rehabilitative modality promotes flexibility, reduces fatigue, improves endurance, and helps prevent injuries.  Kinesiology (the study of movement) pairs excellently with sports-massage, specifically Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF).  In PNF muscles are stretched and contracted for flexibility training, using methods like range of motion, pin and stretch, and post isometric relaxation.  These can also be used for rehabilitation, as well as preventative maintenance.

Cranial Sacral Therapy

This modality is heavily researched by the Upledger Institute, and uses five grams of targeted touch to manipulate the fascia and structures within and surrounding the central nervous system.  Whether this work is nudging bones or resetting the Cerebrospinal Fluid flow from obstructions, Cranial Sacral Therapy continues to show its effectiveness in studies and medical results for releasing and alleviating compression, stress, and pain.  Clinical studies performed by the Upledger Institute have repeatedly found significant evidence of this modality’s effects on ADD, ADHD, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Headaches, Cancer, and several other chronic conditions of the nervous system.

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Polarity

This modality works with the electromagnetic fields that pass through the body to balance the positive and negative poles.  Some practitioners see this as a human energy field, or auras, or intuitively feeling blocks in Qi. Manipulating these fields can reduce physical and mental stress, contribute to the body’s natural healing ability, or build a sense of calm.