"If something hurts, fix it!  Pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong.  We all know what happens when we ignore the "check engine" light on our car.  Don't make that same mistake with your body!"

Wellness Therapy Techniques

Swedish Massage

Life and stress seem to go hand in hand.  However, the negative and cumulative effects of stress can have serious consequenses to our health.  The medical impacts of stress have a direct correlation to increased pain, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal issues, weight gain, decreased immunity, headaches and many more.  Swedish massage therapy is an exceptional method for learning and acheiving physical & mental relaxation  It utilizes a lighter touch with long gliding strokes, gentle friction and kneading to help quiet your mind and revitalize your sense of health and well-being.  Hot Stones and/or aromatherapy may be incorporated into this session to further reduce muscle tension and enhance relaxation.

Deep Tissue Massage

A deeper massage that targets chronic muscle tension commonly found throughout the body, in particular the neck, shoulders and back.  It utilizes strokes that are slower and deeper with more direct pressure and friction.  Deep tissue massage eases chronic tension, increases range of motion, improves posture and relieves pain.  It helps to release deeply held patterns of restriction thereby relaxing, soothing and encouraging the muscles to operate at full capacity.  It is both corrective and therapeutic.

Sports Massage

Whether you're an elite athlete, a dedicated fitness enthusiast or a weekend warrior, an important part of any active person's overall conditioning program is maximizing performance, preventing injury and recovering quickly.  "No pain...no gain" is out the window.  Sports massage utilizes a combination of massage and stretching techniques designed specifically for your sport or activity.  It helps your body repair, rebuild and eliminate the pain and restrictions that can slow you down, thereby keeping you in the game or taking you to the next level.

Advanced Therapy Techniques                            

Orthopedic/Clinical Massage

Orthopedic Massage (OM) is a comprehensive therapy system, rather than a single technique, that is focused on the treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal pain, injury and athletic performance issues.  OM looks beyond the massage session to the origin of the pain and restrictions that cause your daily activites to become uncomfortable, unbearable or unproductive.  Common orthopedic conditions can stem from a variety of issues including trauma, sports injuries, over-training, poor work ergonomics, postural imbalances or adhesive scar tissue from repetitive use or inactivity.  During your initial session, a certified orthopedic massage therapist will take a detailed history and thoroughly evaluate your condition.  Using specific active, passive, functional and range of motion tests, the therapist will identify soft tissue dysfunction and determine the likely cause of your pain.  Based on these findings and utilizing their skilled knowledge and understanding of orthopedic and soft tissue conditions, the therapist will design a safe and effective treatment specifically tailored to you and your stage of healing.  OM works with you as an active participant in your recovery.  A home program of corrective exercise and/or stretching is typically recommended to further advance and maintain your progress.  This combination of clinical reasoning and expertise provides for the most effective treatment using advanced massage and stretch therapy.

Active Muscle Release Therapy
One of the primary causes of soft tissue pain is the poor healing and repeated tearing of adhesive scar tissue.  It is normal & natural for scar tissue to form when soft tissues are injured, overused or kept under tension for prolonged periods.  It is the "glue" that mends and repairs microscopic trauma to muscles, tendons & ligaments.  Unfortunately, scar tissue typically forms in a dense and jumbled matrix of fibers that shortens muscle length, renders them inflexible and binds them to adjacent tissues.  This creates constant tension and restricted motion throughout the tissue and at the attachment sites.  After a period of time, the muscle memory becomes ingrained with this tension and forgets how to return to a relaxed and elongated state.  Normal function & movement is compromised and a cycle of chronic re-injury is then experienced.  Inflammation, nerve impingement and muscle compensations are commonly associated with this scenario, resulting in PAIN!  Typical forms of massage impart only temporary relief.  Active Muscle Release Therapy is a system of neuromuscular re-training that involves precise muscle compression, movement and stretch in an exact plane of direction.  This coordinated movement appeals to the nervous system in such a way that evokes a profound and rapid reorganization of adhesions and scarring, a resetting of contracted tissue to its normal resting length, restoration of blood/oxygen flow and elimination of pain.  The results are typically felt immediately and can be permanent where previous interventions have failed.

Neuromuscular/Trigger Point Therapy
The hallmark of deep tissue massage, this technique is designed to balance and stabilize the relationship between the nervous system and the muscular system.  Trigger points are areas of taut, hyper-contracted bands of muscle.  These areas of restriction starve the muscle of blood (ischemia), oxygen and nutrition while building up with cellular waste and inflammatory bi-products.  Trigger points have predictable referred pain patterns which can mimic the symptoms attributable to other conditions.  These referred pain patterns are often located far away from the actual site of the trigger point and can lead to the misdiagnosis of a more serious condition or even unnecessary medical procedures or surgery.  Locating a trigger point can be a bit of detective work as the therapist examines the texture of your muscles.  After locating a trigger point, a firm and static pressure is applied for a distinct period of time to affect a release.  Once resolved, the tissue can return to its normal, healthy state and pain is typically eliminated.

Myoskeletal Alignment Technique

The epidemic levels of neck/back pain in our society can be directly correlated to the abundance of flexion-based postures.  Rounded shoulders, forward heads and swaybacks are created by hours of prolonged sitting in front of a computer, daily car commutes or other sedentary activities.  These flexed positions promote the development of compensatory muscle and joint restriction patterns that effect how our skeletal system moves and functions within the force of gravity.  MAT is a revolutionary therapeutic system rooted in the principles of structural integration and osteopathy.  The work is very detailed and involves active participation by the client during sessions.  It identifies common muscular and joint imbalances and incorporates specific deep tissue massage, joint mobilization, muscle energy and stretching to correct dysfunctional strain patterns before they become chronic pain patterns.

Fascial Stretch Therapy™
A revolutionary, pain-free method of assisted stretching widely used by elite and professional athletes to enhance performance, prevent injury and improve recovery.  FST™ creates lasting change in your body and dramatically improves your health, quality of life and performance in your sport or activities.  Don't make the mistake of thinking that getting stretched is something reserved only for athletes!  Lack of flexibility and general "tightness" is the cause of most people's day-to-day aches and pains and is a significant component in the aging process, joint deterioration and the tendency for injury.  Athlete or not, children and adults of all ages can reach their optimal level of pain-free function and performance with FST™.  Once you've experienced a Fascial Stretch Therapy™ session, you'll forget everything you ever knew about "old-school" stretching!

Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) 
Recognized by many as the "scraping method", IASTM integrates ancient Eastern technique with orthopedic and sports rehabilitation in a cutting edge approach that quickly & effectively treates stubborn, nagging conditions that result from soft tissue scarring and adhesions.  Chronic pain within tendons, ligaments and muscles is often of a degenerative nature rather than inflammatory.  This is why anti-inflammatory medication or injections may temporarily reduce pain but not resolve the problem.  The damaged and restricted tissue needs to be located, removed and remodeled.  Treatment is applied using stainless steel instruments that glide along the patient's skin.  When the instrument comes into contact with scar tissue, both the patient and the therapist are able to feel the "gravel-like" texture which resonates through the instruments.  The instruments are then utilized to breakup the adhesive fibers, restore circulation and create a controlled inflammation. This inflammation signals the body to send healing and reparative cells (fibroblasts) to clean up the area.  The old, deteriorated tissue is reabsorbed and new, healthy tissue is generated.  A program of exercises and stretching teaches the body how the new tissue should be remodeled to quickly allow a return to pain-free activity without limitation or downtime. 

   Contact Us for an appointment
   and start feeling better now!
   (480) 314-5033

     

 

   Bodies in Balance
   Orthopedic Massage & Stretch Therapy
   8149 N. 87th Place, Suite 111
   Scottsdale, AZ  85258