Massage Techiques
Massage needs vary from person-to-person, day-to-day. Holly's Healing Hands offers a variety of massage techniques that best suit your predetermined needs. With variations in pressure, technique, areas of focus and desired outcome, every visit is a new experience.
Swedish Therapy:
Swedish massage therapy is what typically comes to mind when most people think about massage. One of the primary goals of the Swedish massage technique is to relax the entire body. This is accomplished by rubbing the muscles with long gliding strokes in the direction of blood returning to the heart. Swedish massage therapy goes beyond relaxation. It is exceptionally beneficial for increasing the level of oxygen in the blood, decreasing muscle toxins, improving circulation, promoted lymph movement and flexibility while easing tension.
Deep Tissue Therapy:
Deep tissue massage is a form of intense massage that aims to release myofascial (connective tissue) restrictions in the body, and to break up any restrictive scar tissue. It has also been known to help relieve chronic tension, to increase the bodys range of motion, to improve posture and to enhance the natural harmony of the entire body and mind.
The strokes of this type of massage are slower and more pressure is applied in order warm the muscle tissue and reach the deeper layers of muscle. Although having a deep connective tissue massage shouldn't cause you any pain, its often less relaxing and less comfortable then a traditional Swedish massage.
Trigger Point Therapy:
A method of relaxing muscle spasms, improving circulation and alleviating pain. Myotherapy works by defusing "trigger points", which are intense knots of muscle tension that often refer pain to other areas of the body. When a trigger point is under excess emotional or physical stress it often responds by throwing a muscle into spasm. Spasm, in turn, causes pain. Holly alleviates the spasm by pressing on the appropriate trigger points for several seconds by means of fingers, knuckles, and elbows, and then re-educates the affected muscle to its normal resting relaxed condition.
Neuromuscular Therapy:
Neuromuscular massage is an intense form of bodywork consisting of focused, concentrated massage on one specific area of the body. The pressure may continue for up to 60 seconds at a time, and it's designed to relieve tension that extends from a "trigger point" into an entire muscle. The theory behind Neuromuscular massage is that when a muscle spasms, it is not caused by a spasm in the entire muscle, but by a spasm in a very centralized area of the muscle, which may reverberate to other areas of the muscle, causing pain.
Prenatal Massage Therapy:
Massage therapy during pregnancy is a wonderful complementary choice for prenatal care. It is a healthy way to reduce stress and promote overall wellness. Massage relieves many of the normal discomforts experienced during pregnancy, such as backaches, stiff neck, leg cramps, headaches and edema (or swelling). In addition, massage reduces stress on weight-bearing joints, encourages blood and lymph circulation, helps to relax nervous tension-which aids in better sleep-and can help relieve depression or anxiety caused by hormonal changes.
Women with normal, low-risk pregnancies can benefit greatly from the variety of massage techniques offered by Holly's healing Hands. However, women in high-risk pregnancies should consult their doctor or midwife before beginning one of our massage therapy programs. If at any time during the prenatal massage you experience discomfort, tell Holly immediately.
Muscle Energy Technique:
Muscle energy techniques are applied to a patient in order to lengthen shortened or spastic muscles, to improve weakened ligament and muscle strength, and to improve range of motion. This procedure is performed when a patient is asked to contract a muscle for approximately 5-seconds against an anti-force applied by the therapist. The muscle contraction is performed by the client 2 or 3 times in a row in the hopes to stretch the muscle further each time.
Muscle energy techniques can be applied safely to almost any joint in the body. Many athletes use MET as a preventative measure to guard against future muscle and joint injury. However, its mainly used by individuals who have a limited range of motion due to back, neck and shoulder pain, scoliosis, sciatica, unsymmetrical legs, hips or arms (for example when one is longer or higher then the other), or to treat chronic muscle pain, stiffness or injury.
Myofascial Release Therapy:
Myofascial release therapy is applied hands-on, in kneading-style strokes that are meant to stretch, loosen, soften and lengthen muscle tissues. The strokes are applied with gentle pressure, and held for approximately two minutes in order for the stretch to have its full effect on the muscle. Typically the same stretch is performed more than once by the therapist until the muscle is totally relaxed and a release is felt. The therapist will always apply massage in the direction of the muscle fibers to encourage the full range of motion of the muscle.
Myofascial release is a safe therapy that can be used as a preventative method or to promote the healing of an injured, stiff or painful muscle. However, this therapy has also been affective in treating patients with sloppy posture, chronic fatigue, severe tension and anxiety, as well as repetitive stress injuries of the muscular-skeletal system.