Bodywork Techniques
Following are some of the techniques I have been trained in and may use in your massage treatment if it's appropriate for your needs.
Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger points or myofascial trigger points was first coined by the American physician Janet P Travell, Travell is remembered for being John F Kennedy's personal physician and for alleviating John F Kennedy's back pain related to injuries he sustained during the war. Trigger points are located within muscle, tendons and connective tissue and can often be felt as tender or sore knots within the muscle causing pain and discomfort. We all experience these tender or sore spots at some point or another but for some these knots can cause chronic or long term musculo-skeletal pain. We most commonly feel these in our shoulders and backs but they can be found throughout the body ranging from the size of a pin head to olive sized or even the size of a golf ball.
The primary characteristic of a trigger point is when it is compressed it will cause more tenderness or pain either in the area or will radiate pain in a predictable pattern.
Trigger points can be caused by poor posture, repetitive activities, direct trauma, acute overload strain i.e picking up a heavy object, physical, mental, emotional or chemical stress (i.e poor diet).
Trigger points can cause a huge amount of pain and discomfort, often restricting your movement and ability to do what you want to do. You don't have to put up with this pain and discomfort though, detailed trigger point work can often bring a relief from pain within 1-6 weekly sessions.
The primary characteristic of a trigger point is when it is compressed it will cause more tenderness or pain either in the area or will radiate pain in a predictable pattern.
Trigger points can be caused by poor posture, repetitive activities, direct trauma, acute overload strain i.e picking up a heavy object, physical, mental, emotional or chemical stress (i.e poor diet).
Trigger points can cause a huge amount of pain and discomfort, often restricting your movement and ability to do what you want to do. You don't have to put up with this pain and discomfort though, detailed trigger point work can often bring a relief from pain within 1-6 weekly sessions.
Myofascial Release
Fascia is the connective tissue surrounding our muscles, blood vessels and nerves binding some structures together and allowing others to slide smoothly over each other. The connective tissue system and its collagen matrix are the primary stability system of the body. It provides more than anything else the supportive environment required for movement to exist without pain. Forget how it supports your bones and muscles and realize it also supports your nerves and blood vessels. This is a far more important role than how it helps muscles stay balanced.
Fascia normally a fluid like collagen tissue can become sticky and dehydrated, myofascial release aims to re-hydrate and release restrictions through the fascial network.
Fascia normally a fluid like collagen tissue can become sticky and dehydrated, myofascial release aims to re-hydrate and release restrictions through the fascial network.
Soft Tissue Release (STR)
Soft Tissue Release (STR) was initially developed for olympic athletes but can be adapted for everybody from sports people to office workers. STR is a dynamic, highly effective technique that has an immediate and powerful effect on muscle and connective tissue. The technique involves applying precise pressure during a specific stretch performed in multiple planes of movement the goal is to appeal to the autonomic nervous system in a way that leads to spontaneous release of the injured muscle, thus regaining the original resting length of that muscle. The result: fast and permanent re-organisation of scar tissue, the targeted muscle(s) return to the proper resting length, muscle imbalances are corrected, associated pain is decreased or eliminated all together and muscle performance is improved. Results are often obtained quickly and permanently.