MASSAGE MODALITIES |
Some Different Types of Treatments used by Therapists Acupressure is part of Chinese Traditional Medicine and is often described as ‘acupuncture without needles’. Deep finger pressure is applied at certain points and can reduce tension, increase circulation and offer pain relief for many complaints, and removes energy blockages to promote good health. These points follow the energy channels of the body’s meridian lines. Acupressure encompasses the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit. Alexander Technique is observing the body’s own mannerisms while in motion, and to observe any limitations to the postural structure. It is a method of re-educating the mind and body to improve movement, balance and co-ordination and provide greater freedom of movement. Commonly used for acting, dance and some Olympic sports. Aromatherapy is the art of applying essential oils combined with relaxation massage to improve physical and emotional well-being. The essential oils have been extracted from various parts of certain plants. They are easily absorbed through the skin with a gentle caring massage by a professional aromatherapist and works on a physical, mental and emotional level. The selected essential oils and base massage oil are combined to create a unique mix for each persons needs. The oils can also be used in oil burners for inhalation or in the bath to provide therapeutic outcomes. Baby / Infant Massage is an excellent way for both parents to bond and communicate with their child. Gentle touch is very important part of a baby’s existence and allows them to feel secure and loved. The benefits for the baby include improvement of their immune system, promotes better and deeper sleep, draws them into a relaxed state, can help alleviate pain from colic, gas congestion. The benefits for parents are a closer relationship to the baby and increases confidence in baby care. Bowen Therapy is a very gentle, yet dynamic remedial therapy that empowers the body to heal itself. Exact moves over muscles, tendons and ligaments are applied to disturb the fascia. There are frequent pauses between each series of moves to allow the body time to benefit from the treatment. This promotes healing through physical, emotional, mental and energetic levels as well as relief from pain and discomfort from a multitude of chronic and acute conditions. Bowen does not interfere with the effectiveness of other disciplines. Related to Fascial Kinetics. Cancer / Palliative Care massage is a commonly used complimentary therapy and is employed on cancer/palliative care to improve the quality of life, relieve physical discomfort and improve the disposition of patients. The improved effect is only short term. The massage is very gentle and lasting 10 – 20 minutes. The therapist asks for feedback during the treatment. Doctors’ clearance must be obtained before commencing treatment. Chinese Massage (Tui Na) is the most common form of acupressure practised in China and is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Tui Na translates as ‘push and grasp’. Acupoints are stimulated with fingers, thumbs, feet and knees. The client remains dressed and experiences a vigorous body massage using techniques such as rubbing, kneading, and rolling to recharge the body’s energy levels. This can be done on a floor mat or table. Specialising in injury repair and curing illness, Tui Na massage can also maintain your health by adjusting your Qi so it flows smoothly. Removes blockages and stagnations caused by injuries, exercise and/or aging. Connective Tissue Massage
manipulates fascia, effectively removing restricted movement. Benefit
for anyone who has chronic tension, poor posture, arthritis, tendonitis,
TMJ and sciatica. Corporate Massage therapists can be contracted by an employer, as a health benefit for their staff. The massage is performed in the workplace and the therapist provides their own mobile massage chairs or tables. The client stays fully clothed and a session lasts 15 minutes with the therapist concentrating on back, shoulders, neck and arms. The clients feel relief from muscle tension, stress, headaches and back pain. This can result in less absence in the workplace, and improved company morale. Craniofascial Therapy uses slow pressure and stretching techniques to release connective tissue. An involuntary movement is induced that assists with assessing and releasing restrictive patterns. It’s a gentle non-invasive energetic touch therapy developed to help trigger the body’s innate self-healing ability to release old suppressed trauma and establish ultimate balance in the body. This technique is closely related to Polarity Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Accupressure and Myofascial Release. Cupping is used to expel toxins from areas of pain and tightness and uses glass cups, held by suction, to massage the body. The action on the nervous system can be sedating and the client can experience a deep state of relaxation. Traditionally the cups are placed on the back, shoulders and lower back. After treatment clients can experience a feeling of lightness and flexibility in the area which was creating pain or range of movement restrictions. Cupping can be either stationary or in massage. Stationary cups are left on the skin for 5 to 15 minutes to facilitate the release of stagnant blood, pathogenic factors and dispel internal heat. Massage cupping uses oil so the cup can glide over the skin to release tension and congestion in the muscles. Most cupping procedures will create a red to dark red circle on the skin but will disappear within a week. Other conditions that respond well to cupping include: fibromyalgia, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, sciatica, and asthma. Fascial Kinetics
is the name given to the work taught by Russell Sturgess who studied
the soft tissue therapy from Tom Bowen. It addresses fascial and connective
tissue restrictions in a very gentle and less obtrusive manner by working
across the muscle fibres in a specific sequence. It stimulates the healing
response of the connective tissue, reducing inflammation, swelling and
pain significantly and increasing mobility. This treatment is suitable
for everyone. Conditions that can be treated include: frozen shoulder,
back and neck problems, asthma, TMJ, tennis elbow etc… Feldenkrais method is recognised for its demonstration ability to improve posture, flexibility, co-ordination, self-image and to alleviate muscular tension and pain. It integrates both body and mind to achieve greater co-ordination, balance and performance. This is done by expanding the self-image through movement sequences to detect an in-balance from the person’s habitual and unconsidered actions. It is expressed in two parallels – Awareness of Movement and Functional Integration. The first parallel involves precise structured movement explorations that involve, thinking, sensing, moving, imagining. The second parallel is a hands-on, kinaesthetic communication. This uses movement through gentle non-invasive touch. Flotation Therapy takes place in a confined tank and can last between one and two hours. The water in the tank is kept a skin temperature and contains a very dense solution of Epsom Salts to aid buoyancy. Research has shown that the use of a flotation tank can not only reduce stress levels through extreme relaxation, but it can also have beneficial psychological results. Foot Reflexology is an entire system of massage devoted to the feet. The feet map out the entire body through a reflex mechanism so that by stimulating a certain area of the foot a corresponding organ or body part is simultaneously stimulated. The hands and ears are other areas of the body which have similar reflex maps inherent in their structure, but the feet correspond to the chronic state of the organs, etc., rather than to acute or sub-acute levels. Periodic deep massage of the feet in a systematic manner can provide beneficial results in clearing up deep-seated metabolic irregularities and malfunctions. It is a thorough and deep massage which is primarily therapeutic in intent, although, because of the reflex action involved, one’s entire body feels as if it had just received a full massage after a Reflexology treatment. Functional Fascial Taping method is a simple drug free alternative that can immediately modify pain and increase a person’s range of movement and flexibility encouraging normal movement patterns of the body. This innovative analgesic procedure is a directionally specific and load dependant procedure that: allows for activity and rehabilitation in a pain free manner and is custom made for each client. It provides immediate and long term benefits, and is a non-invasive and cost effective form of treatment. Ron Alexander has developed this method over a ten-year period and it uses a combination of approaches from physiotherapy, soft tissue therapy and osteopathy. Works on a variety of conditions on most areas of the body including musculoskeletal injuries. Hawaiian Lomi Lomi is a prayerful healing that works with breath. The flowing, soothing rhythm and pressure are part of draped full body massage with oils. It incorporates assisted joint rotations and muscle stretches that are all done with a meditative touch and slowly the pressure can increase into a very deep muscle massage, Different strokes and pressures with heat are used for the client with spasm or injury. Hydrotherapy is an accepted and proven aid in the treatment of many conditions, from arthritis to varicose veins, and in physical rehabilitation. The virtues of water as a therapeutic tool has been known for thousands of years. Types of water include hot, cold, steam, liquid and ice. Today’s modern techniques include ice or freezing water, spa baths, high powered jets, hot & cold baths and saunas. Kinesiology / Touch for Health is a very powerful tool that combines non-invasive muscle monitoring and feedback system with traditional theories of Chinese Medicine to evaluate energy (meridian flow) and body function. This helps to identify imbalances in the body’s structural, chemical and emotional energy to establish the body’s priority healing needs. Kinesiology’s premise is that the body has an innate healing energy and is always repairing and caring for itself, but sometimes it needs to be helped along to achieve this care. Kinesiology does not treat or diagnose conditions. It is concerned with the imbalances in the body’s energy. Some areas used for relief are: injury and emotional trauma, unresolved stress, fatigue and tiredness. Lymphatic Drainage
a gentle whole body treatment which relaxes the nervous system and aids
the body’s immune system. It involves a range of specialised and
gentle rhythmic pumping techniques to move skin in the direction of
the lymph flow through a network of lymph vessels and lymph nodes. This
supports the body to naturally eliminate excess toxins, dead cells,
viruses, bacteria and chemicals. Other benefits of this massage are:
relieving fluid congestion, promoting wound healing, relieve stress
and anxiety. Mobile Service (Massage) is available for clients who are unable to attend a clinic or find it more convenient to have a massage at home. The elderly and those recovering from surgery or other physiological conditions, parents with small children at home benefit from this service. Mobile massage is also offered at some hotels for business people, visitors and tourists. In all cases, stress relief and relaxation will be a major focus Myofascial Release Therapy is a very gentle yet very effective hands-on manual therapy using sustained pressure into restrictions in the fascial system to eliminate pain and restore motion and function to the body. The therapy is based on the principle that poor posture, physical injury, illness and emotional stress can shift the body out of alignment and cause the intricate web of fascia to become tight and constricted. Fascia is a system of thin connective tissue that weaves continuously throughout the body including the muscles, bones, organs arteries veins etc. It connects every part of the body to every other part of the body. Adhesions and scar tissue may also be broken down with myofascial release therapy. Myotherapy employs a number of treatment modalities for use of pain management for chronic musculoskeletal conditions, postural conditions, sporting and occupational injuries by method of assessment and treatment protocols. Treatments can include: soft tissue treatment, trigger point therapy, myofascial dry needling, thermal therapy, electrical stimulations (TENS) and corrective exercises. This style of massage helps loosen muscle tissues, releases toxins from the muscles and gets blood and oxygen circulating properly. It’s important to drink plenty of water after a Myotherapy treatment to help eliminate toxins from the body. Oriental Massage There
are two types of massage used in Oriental Medicine. Tui – Na and
Shiatsu. Both focus on the concepts of Qi energy and acupressure points.
Tui- Na is closely associated with TCM. It utilises soft tissue techniques,
acupressure points and structural re-alignment methods to treat a variety
of musculoskeletal and internal organ disorders. It consists of very
specialised strokes. An excellent program for therapists who wish to
treat the whole client. Ortho-Bionomy means ‘the correct use of the principles of life’ gentle positioning is used to relieve joint and muscular pain and reduce stress. This is achieved by working with the innate reflexes of the body by introducing a concept of self-correcting reflexes to assist with structural balance and client awareness. The actions of proprioreceptive nerves are activated and the treatment is non-forceful and indirect. Great results are achieved for clients with acute or chronic pain, neck tension and headache syndromes. Postural Integration The body has the ability to store past traumas, and unexpressed emotions. This means that the body structure is affected by a person’s physical health and their emotional stress. This modality addresses an important part of this process using breath to encourage their discharge and the ‘body mind’ is restored to flexibility and health. Reiki is an ancient
Japanese hands-on form of alternative healing that can incorporate other
methods such as chakra balancing, meditation, crystals, aromatherapy
and spiritual healing. Remedial Massage / Deep Tissue Massage focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. It aims to release the chronic patterns of tension in the body, through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas, by either following or crossing over the muscle fibres, fascia and tendons. Usually used to address specific problems associated with chronic muscular pain, injury rehabilitations, sporting and occupational injuries, RSI, and physical and mental fatigue. The techniques can include Trigger Point Therapy, deep tissue massage and stretching thereby creating an improved range of motion through the joints. It’s important to drink plenty of water after a deep-tissue session to help eliminate toxins from the body. Rolfing or Structural Integration is based on the belief that a combination of memories of physical and emotional trauma, stored in the muscles and connective tissue, and a misalignment of the musculoskeletal system with the body’s centre of gravity were responsible for many physical and psychological problems. Treatment is based on loosening and stretching connective tissue to realign the body so that each part sits in its correct position in relation the section above and below it. This ensures that muscles work freely and correctly with the force of gravity. Seated / Chair Massage allows clients to remain fully clothed and seated in specially designed massage chair. Treatment is primarily done on the back, neck, shoulders and arms. Treatment can be with or without oil/lotions. This is an ideal method for those who need a ‘quick fix’ during their lunchbreak or for offices wishing to provide their staff with on-site chair massage service. Many businesses recognise the value of this office style treatment. Employees who receive the seated massage at the workplace have the ability to decrease their stress levels, improve morale and provide sense of well-being. Shiatsu is a
traditional healing art based on TCM. It combines massage, stretching,
and gentle physical pressure along meridian channels and pressure points.
Acupuncture also uses these meridians and pressure points to balance
the body’s energy (known as “Ki” or “Chi”).
Each meridian relates to an organ function. When the meridians are balanced,
the tissues, muscles, nerves, metabolism and emotions are balanced. Swedish Massage was originally developed in the late 18th Century by a Swedish fencing master as the first systematic system of therapeutic massage in the West. The strokes and manipulations of Swedish massage are each conceived as having a specific therapeutic benefit. One of the primary goals of Swedish Massage is to speed venous return from the extremities. Swedish Massage shortens recovery time form muscular strain by flushing the tissue of lactic acid, uric acid, and other metabolic wastes. It improves circulation and stretches the ligaments and tendons, keeping them supple and young. Swedish Massage also stimulates the skin and nervous system while at the same time relating the nerves themselves. Swedish Massage reduces stress, both emotional and physical, and is suggested in a regular program for stress management. It also has specific clinical uses in a medical or remedial therapy.
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