Modalities
What is Bodywork
Bodywork is a combination of manual techniques used to produce therapeutic and restorative effects on a persons body and mind. Manual manipulation of muscular, fascial and connective tissue is used to alleviate pain and restore function. You may be asked to produce movement, describe sensation or bring awareness or breath to an area. Oil based massage strokes are combined with movement, friction, compression, breath and stretching to make change to tissue and joint fluidity while promoting fluid flow and pain relief.
Myofascial Release
What is Fascia?
Myofascial tissue is a network of fine web-like, but strong tissue that spreads throughout your entire body, connecting and encasing your muscles, joints, and bones. It also acts as a sort of dividing layer to your organs, helping to keep them in place and also glide smoothly along each other. Amongst these layers is a liquid that provides stretch and encourages free range of movement. When this liquid becomes thick, sticky, or dries up, it can impact the surrounding body parts by interrupting mobility, fluid exchange and creating stiffness.
When you feel stiffness or pain in your body, it can originate from tense or weak muscles but it can also stem from facial adhesions binding our natural movement and compressing nervous tissue. Referred pain or Myofascial pain may present differently because it can radiate from the dysfunctional area and spread sensation to seemingly unrelated areas.
How to treat fascia
Focus on myofacial release involves slow deep stretching to the skin and underlying tissue. Generally less lubrication is used to give more grip to the skin and muscles. Cupping and Gua Sha are commonly used to bring space and fluid between tissue layers and to restore elasticity and correct patterning to the fascial web.
Neuromuscular Therapy
Neuromuscular Therapy uses soft tissue manipulation to help improve nervous system function and the overall function and alignment of the skeletal system based on proper communication of the brain, nervous system and soft tissues of the body. Assessment of tissue and pain patterns are used to determine if any of the below situations are the culprit.
ischemia (tight tissue with reduced blood flow)
myofascial trigger points (hypersensitive points within muscles that give rise to referred phenomena, including pain)
neural entrapment (pressure on nerves by muscles and other soft tissues)
nerve compression (pressure on nerves by osseous and other bonelike tissues, such as cartilage or discs).
postural assessment (assessment of the position of the body as a whole)
dysfunctional gait patterns (manner of movement when walking)
with constant consideration for many other perpetuating factors, such as hydration, nutrition, breathing patterns, and psychological stress.
Trigger Points
NMT commonly focuses on “trigger points” in muscles. Trigger points are pea-sized restrictions in muscular tissue. Repetitive motion, injury, posture and muscle weakness are some causes of trigger points. In these areas tension is not released and circulation is restricted via pressure and compression of muscular fibers, meaning that nutrient delivery and cellular waste circuits are limited. This tension can entrap nervous tissue causing pain and impoper communication to the brain. Muscular function is limited when fibers are not able to fully contract and release leading to muscle spasm and limited range of motion. Getting the brain and the soft tissues to communicate accurately and restore proper muscular function is the goal of this treatment.
Stretching and Active Release
What is PNF stretching?
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation
PNF is a form of stretching designed to increase flexibility of muscles and increase range of motion. The technique was first used in clinical rehabilitation, it was designed to relax muscles and increase tone or activity. It is now commonly use in athletics as a method of increasing flexibility and in Injury healing to improve range of motion.
How does it work?
PNF is a progressive stretch involving muscle contraction and relaxation. Your therapist will gently stretch the muscle and you will resist the stretch by contracting the muscle for about 5 seconds . Your therapist will indicate the force of contraction required and this depends on the condition of the muscle. You then relax the muscle and your therapist will gently stretch the muscle further for about 30 seconds. There is then about 30 seconds rest and the process is repeated again several times.
Cupping
When the body experiences a muscular injury, weakness or fascial restriction such as a wound, we may guard or posture ourselves in a way that overuses and/or under stimulates certain muscles. This can lead to a prolonged tightening of the muscle and fascia. If left untreated, the tissue becomes hypertonic(compressed), and a buildup of metabolites can cause a reduction in circulation (ischemia). The chronic presence of excess metabolites can increase nerve sensitivity and cause pain. Tight muscles and fascial tissue can also '“pinch” nerves and other muscle tissue, leading to more unwanted sensations.
Loosen up
Cupping therapy targets the underlying cause of this pain by loosening these tight (hypertonic) muscles and restoring proper blood flow and nutrient exchange. This restores natural circulation and breaks down the toxins, reducing pain.
What about the marks?
Cupping is one of the oldest and most effective methods of releasing stagnant energy from body tissue. It is a practice in which the therapist puts specialized cups on the skin to create suction. This causes the tissue beneath the cup to be drawn up and away from the layers below. Purposeful swelling increases blood flow to targeted areas while bringing space and pliability to the fascia and muscular tissue. Enhanced blood flow under the cups draws stagnant energy and metabolites away from deeper tissues and towards the superficial layers and skin for elimination by our capillary and lymphatic vessels. The dark spots you see left from cupping indicate metabolites that were stagnant in compressed tissue. Once the metabolites are drawn into surrounding tissue and interstitial fluid they can be processed by our vascular system more efficiently.
Though cupping can appear to be painful and aggressive it is actual very gentle and enjoyable to experience. Marks will flush out of the skin as any bruise would and should be clear in a few hours to a week depending on your circulation and hydration.
Gua Sha
What is Gua Sha?
Gua sha is a traditional Oriental bodywork technique used in many parts of Asia as a home remedy. Most often used for muscle soreness and tension, it can be applied to many parts of the body. It’s not often used in this country because of the temporary purple or red marks it leaves on the skin (called petechiae or sha), but I encourage you to be curious and openminded.
Gua Sha aims to bring deep blockages to the surface to be released. Also known as scrapping or Graston Technique , where the focus is more on tissue pliability and inflammation to stimulate healing. The technique involves the application of one directional pressure by scraping your skin with a massage tool or soup spoon in a rhythmic manner.
Why does it look so painful?
As the skin is scraped, it turns pink from the stimulation. Where there is no tension, the normal skin color returns in a few minutes. In areas of tension or stagnation, however, where the blood flow is restricted, the blood is forced out of the capillaries and forms red dots under the skin. This can visually appear to be painful, but I find most clients feel relief. The ‘rash’ takes 2-3 days on average to disappear.
How does it aid in healing?
Where the blood has been forced from the capillaries, new blood must flow in. The body must also clean up the blood no longer in the capillaries. The result of these two processes is an improvement in the circulation in the area. Circulation and the flow of energy is the foundation to healing soft tissue.