Swedish Massage is a very relaxing and therapeutic style of bodywork. It combines oils or lotion with an array of strokes such as rolling, kneading, and percussion to help the body improve its circulation. This is the best option for a full body massage as opposed to specific focus area. The benefits of this type of bodywork are wide-ranging and include; relief from aches and pains, decreased stress levels, enhanced mental clarity, greater vitality and flexibility and faster recovery from injury, to name a few. From the American Massage Therapy Assosiation website-
In the 1820s a Swedish doctor named Dr. Per Henrik Ling developed the first modern method of massage through his study of physiology, gymnastics, and the massage techniques borrowed from China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Swedish massage includes long gliding strokes, kneading, friction, tapping, and shaking motions. It is effective for most ailments, because massaging the skin, the body's largest organ, sets up a chain reaction that produces a positive effect on all layers and systems of the body. It affects the nerves, muscles, glands, and circulation, and promotes health and well being.
Regulars will recieve discounted rates. The more you invest in your self, the more affordable it gets!
A true Deep Tissue Massage (DTM) is a form of bodywork that focuses on a specific area or body part where steady pressure and repetition are utilized to lengthen muscles and fascia, and also to break up scar tissue. This is a highly effective method for releasing chronic stress areas due to misalignment, repetitive motions, and past lingering injuries. Due to the nature of the deep tissue work, open communication during the session is crucial to make sure damage does not occur to the tissue. It is good to note that soreness is a possibility after the treatment, and that plenty of water should be ingested before and after the session to aid with the flushing and removal of toxins that will have been released.
Regulars recieve a discounted rate. The more you invest in your self, the more affordable it gets!
This service is for those who are looking for solely Deep pressure and no relaxation. I will be using more forarms and elbows as needed. Open communication is very necessary here, so no harm is caused. I will be consistantly checking in to see if the pressure is appropriate. It is preferred that at most, one half of the body is worked per hour for maximum benifit.
Please inquire about package rates. The more you invest in your self, the more affordable it gets!
- Reduced back pain
- Reduced joint pain
- Improved circulation
- Reduced edema [swelling]
- Reduced muscle tension and headaches
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Improved oxygenation of soft tissues and muscles
- Better sleep
Studies indicate that massage therapy performed during pregnancy can reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression, relieve muscle aches and joint pains, and improve labor outcomes and newborn health. Massage therapy addresses different needs through varying techniques, one of which is called Swedish Massage.
Swedish Massage aims to relax muscle tension and improve lymphatic and blood circulation through mild pressure applied to the muscle groups of the body. Swedish Massage is the recommended massage method during pregnancy because it addresses many common discomforts associated with the skeletal and circulatory changes brought on by hormone shifts.
Hormone regulation
Studies done in the past 10 years have shown that hormone levels associated with relaxation and stress are significantly altered when massage therapy is introduced to women’s prenatal care. This leads to mood regulation and improved cardiovascular health. In women who received bi-weekly massages for only five weeks, hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol (hormones associated with stress) were reduced, and dopamine and serotonin levels were increased (low levels of these hormones are associated with depression).
These changes in hormone levels also led to fewer complications during birth and fewer instances of newborn complications, such as low birth weight. The evidence strongly suggests there are maternal and newborn health benefits when therapeutic massage is incorporated into regular prenatal care.
Reduction of swelling
Edema, or swelling of the joints during pregnancy, is often caused by reduced circulation and increased pressure on the major blood vessels by the heavy uterus. Massage helps to stimulate soft tissues to reduce collection of fluids in swollen joints. This also improves the removal of tissue waste carried by the body’s lymph system.
Improvement of nerve pain
Sciatic nerve pain is experienced by many women in late pregnancy as the uterus rests on muscles of the pelvic floor and lower back. The pressure of the uterus spreads tension to the muscles of the upper and lower leg, causing them to swell and put pressure on nearby nerves. Massage therapy addresses the inflamed nerves by helping to release the tension on nearby muscles. Many women have experienced a significant reduction in sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy through massage.
Massage is good for your developing baby too! From thepeacefulbirthproject.org-
Massage increases blood flow to the uterus, placenta & baby, also improving lymph flow, which helps flush out toxins. A better flow of nutrients and oxygen promotes healthy tissues for both mother and the baby. Dr. Fredrick Wirth, a neonatologist at Tufts University School of Medicine in Medford, MA, believes that maternal stress on the fetus changes the way the baby’s brain is developed.
Studies show that expectant moms who actively work to decrease their stress have babies who are easily calmed and children who socialize well with others.
Please inquire about package rates. The more you invest in your self, the more affordable it gets!
As the body begins to realign and heal itself from giving birth, massage can aid in the physicial and emotional process. After nothing but focus on the new life in the world, it will be worth it to take some much needed time for yourself! As you and your body adjust to motherhood, these are some of the possible benefits you can expect, from the American Pregnancy Association website-
Massage is well known for relaxation, stress reduction, pain relief and other health benefits. Unique postpartum benefits include hormone regulation, reduced swelling, better sleep and improvedbreastfeeding. More advanced therapy helps restore your body to its pre-pregnancy condition, speeds healing and assists with C-section recovery.
Please inquire about package rates. The more you invest in your self, the more affordable it gets.
*Packages purchaced for Prenatal massage will be transferred free of charge.
This gentle and rhythmic massage is combined with periods of light or no touch. The variations will be based on feedback and each session is different. My form of Energy Work uses focused intention, attention and intuition. Every body has a "life force", and each body needs to sustain its energetic flowing balance for optimum health. When the body experiences emotional or physical illness, it indicates that the life force has become unbalanced, blocked. I work directly with your energy field to restore balance and flow to your entire system. This is mostly a 'hands-off' or no touch approach. Clients report varying sensations, from heat, pressure, tingling, relaxation and more.
There is now scientific evidence that these energy based processes are effective. The human heart and brain each create their own electro-magnetic fields. When these are working together, we are 'present,' less stressed, and more 'ourselves.' See the Heartmath Foundation website for more on this-
https://www.heartmath.org/research/
An interesting quote from the Foundation for Alternative and Integrative Medicine
US Government Recognition of Energy Medicine
Today, energy medicine is officially recognized by the U.S. healthcare systems as a sub-specialty within the larger field of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a center within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the federal government's lead agency for scientific research on CAM. NCCAM's mission is "to explore complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, and to disseminate authoritative information to professionals and the public." NCCAM's budget has risen from 2 million dollars in 1993, when it was originally called the Office of Alternative Medicine, to $121.6 million in 2008.
NCCAM classifies five domains within CAM as follows:
- Whole Medical Systems such as homeopathic medicine, naturopathic medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda
- Mind-Body Medicine such as meditation, biofeedback, or mental healing
- Biologically based practices such as herbs and specialty foods
- Manipulative and body-based practices such as chiropractic, osteopathy, and massage
- Energy Medicine
According to NCCAM, energy medicine is divided into the application of "veritable" energy fields, those that can be measured for diagnosis and treatment, and "putative" energy fields (also called biofields) that have defied measurement to date by reproducible methods. Veritable energy include mechanical vibrations (such as sounds); electromagnetic forces, including visible light, magnetism, monochromatic radiation (such as lasers), and rays from other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. In contrast, putative energies are based on the concept that a subtle form of energy (vital energy or life force) infuses living systems that has been known in traditional healing systems by many names such as prana, etheric energy, fohat, orgone, Odic force, mana, and homeopathic resonance.
Examples of practices involving putative energy fields include Reiki and Johrei, both of Japanese origin, the Chinese practice of Qi Gong, Healing Touch and Polarity Therapy, Therapeutic Touch and related practices, distant healing, and intercessory prayers. Although these approaches are the most controversial of CAM energy medicine practices, they are gaining in popularity in the American marketplace and have become the subjects of investigations at several academic medical centers. A recent National Center for Health Statistics survey indicated that approximately one percent of Americans had used energy medicine techniques, 0.5 percent had used veritable energy techniques, and 4.6 percent had used some kind of healing ritual (CDC Advance Data and Report #333, 2004).