Specialties

I draw from my diverse training and experience to tailor each session to what a client needs on a particular day. I address areas of concern, while attempting to blend treatment work into a full-body, relaxation massage. Experience has led me to believe that even when there is acute pain or injury present, the body benefits from connecting and unifying the whole being. Relaxation is as integral a part of the healing process as focused, treatment-oriented work.

The foundation of my work comes from training in the following modalities:

Swedish Massage is a popular, well-recognized form of massage therapy. This form of massage includes gentle, gliding strokes, kneading, friction, vibration, tapotement, and compression to help alleviate tension, muscle aches and pains, and increase circulation while energizing the body. Swedish massage effects the nervous system, musculature, glands and circulation while promoting health and well-being. 

Neuromuscular Massage (Deep Tissue) is a deeper, more treatment specific form of massage. Neuromuscular therapy (NMT) helps to relieve pain, speed recovery from injury, improve range of motion in joints and restore function and balance to the body. NMT is used to help people suffering from chronic pain – whether from poor posture, repetitive stress injury (RSI), or long-term muscle holding and tension. NMT uses techniques such as:

Myofascial Release – deep stretching of the skin, fascia, and muscles (used to increase energy, warmth and movement to an area)

Trigger Point Therapy – deep, direct pressure on tight bands of muscle (used to release toxicity, increase circulation and lengthen shortened muscle fibers)

Muscle Energy Techniques – therapist-assisted stretches (used to re-train shortened muscles and increase range of motion).

For a more detailed look at Neuromuscular therapy, see “Neuromuscular Therapy: A Deeper Understanding”.

Sports Massage is usually geared towards the athlete, whether that’s a weekend warrior or an elite, professional athlete. This form of massage is very muscle-specific and dependant on the level of training or the sport being trained.  Sports massage is most often performed pre- or post-event to increase muscle performance, prevent injury and to speed recovery time. Including sports massage in a training program can reduce muscle fatigue in addition to injury prevention and helping muscles function at peak performance levels.

Orthopedic Massage (Medical Massage) focuses on rehabilitating specific injuries and managing structural dysfunctions in the body. This type of massage is often used to treat patients post-operatively in hospitals, to treat chronic conditions like low back pain, to treat whiplash and other acute injuries, as well as to treat neurovascular compression syndromes (like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome), TMJ problems, and headaches, injuries to the Cervical and Lumbar Spine, as well as Repetitive Stress Injuries. More and more, Orthopedic massage is being included in treatment plans for people recovering from knee replacements, shoulder surgeries and a host of other Orthopedic problems and procedures. 

Prenatal Massage offers expecting mothers a safe, healthy way to reduce pain and swelling while pregnant, as well as to increase circulation and to decrease recovery time post-partum. Specific, extensive training on correct positioning for the health of both mother and baby, as well as for contraindications for prenatal massage is a necessity for any therapist offering this type of massage.