Massage
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Benefits of Massage
Massage has been used for thousands of years as a simple and effective method for maintaining good health. Therapeutic massage can be used to promote general health and well-being as well as boost the circulatory and immune systems to benefit circulation, muscle tone, and digestion. It has been incorporated into many health systems, and different massage techniques have been integrated into various complimentary therapies. Massage also helps relieve the stress and tension of everyday living and can improve concentration and promote better sleep. At WillowBridge Center we offer several varieties of massage and each of our Massage Therapists is extensively trained to exceed your expectations.
Types of Massage We Offer
This is an ancient technique to relax and relieve mental fatigue and confusion. It helps to create more clarity and regenerate the mind and brain activity for better functioning. The oils used for this massage contain herbs that are calming to the mind, and stimulating to the brain, nerves and sensory organs.
Deep Tissue Massage is a massage technique that focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. It aims to release the chronic patterns of tension in the body through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas, either following or going across the fibers of the muscles, tendons and fascia. Deep tissue massage is used to release chronic muscle tension through slower strokes and more direct deep pressure or friction applied across the grain of the muscles, not with the grain. Deep tissue massage helps to break up and eliminate scar tissue. Deep tissue massage usually focuses on more specific areas and may cause some soreness during or right after the massage. However, if the massage is done correctly you should feel better than ever within a day or two.
Stones of all shapes and sizes and varying temperatures are used to elicit physical healing, mental relaxation, and spiritual connection. Warm stones encourage the exchange of blood and lymph and provide soothing heat for deep-tissue work. Stones are placed in varying positions on the body for energy balancing or may be used by the therapist for specific trigger-point work. Our stones are gathered from the shores of Lake Superior, and energized with healing forces of the sun and/or moon.
Light, rhythmic strokes are used to improve the flow of lymph (colorless fluid that helps fight infection and disease) throughout the body. One of the most popular forms of lymphatic massage, Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD), focuses on draining excess lymph. MLD is commonly used after surgery (such as a mastectomy for breast cancer) to reduce swelling.
This massage is only for women in their 2nd and 3rd trimesters of their pregnancy. It helps relax mothers to be, and is a stress and tension relieving massage. It is also very beneficial for sore feet, swollen ankles, cramping that occurs in the legs, and helps to reduce sleepless nights. We accommodate the mothers-to-be for frequent bathroom runs and nausea. This massage can be done on the massage table with the careful placement of pillows, or done as a chair massage.
The Raindrop Technique was developed by Dr. Gary Young and uses a sequence of oils that are dispensed like little drops of rain above the back and neck and very lightly massaged along the vertebrae and back muscles. Seven single oils and 2 oil blends are used to reduce inflammation and stimulate circulation. The oils used are: oregano, thyme, basil, cypress, wintergreen, marjoram, peppermint, valor blend and aroma size blend.
This treatment begins with a relaxing foot bath using fresh herbs, and is then followed by a full treatment of reflexology. Reflexology or foot massage has been practiced for centuries, and it is claimed that over 100 ailments can benefit from it. The feet are a map of our total body and therefore pressure placed on specific reflex points can stimulate the healing in the corresponding area of the body.
Shiatsu, also known as acupressure, is a finger pressure massage technique. Shiatsu massage therapy and acupuncture are founded on the Chinese meridian system. The therapist applies pressure with his or her thumbs, finger, and palms to specific areas of the client's body that have been determined during an assessment period prior to the massage session. There are no needle pokes involved with Shiatsu. Massage techniques like tapping, squeezing, rubbing, and applied pressure are used along the meridians to unblock energy and reintroduce the optimal flow of chi.
The term Swedish Massage refers to a variety of techniques specifically designed to relax muscles by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones, and rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart.
Trigger point therapy is a form of massage in which the therapist and client work together to reduce or eliminate the effects of trigger points on the body. After thoroughly warming the muscle, this technique utilizes deep pressure on specific areas of the muscle that causes local or referred pain anywhere in the body. The referral zone is the area where the pain is felt, the pain could be felt within the muscle being worked on, or it could be felt elsewhere in the body. If the spot is sensitive, but no pain is felt anywhere else, it is called a tender point and can be treated the same as trigger point. Trigger points differ greatly; they may show up as a knot or nodule, and indentation, or a rope-like band. They can also have a mushy feel or a temperature difference from the surrounding tissue. Nodulations rage from the size of a pinhead to the size of a quarter.
Tuina utilizes soft tissue manipulation, acupoints, external herbal medicines, therapeutic exercise, and structural realignment methods to treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal and internal organ disorders.
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