What are the benefits of massage?

Physically it has been proven that massage...

• helps relieve stress and promotes relaxation
  
• helps relieve muscle tension and stiffness
  
• fosters faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments; reduces pain and swelling; reduces formation of excess scar tissue
  
• reduces muscle spasms
  
• provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion
  
• enhances athletic performance
  
• promotes deeper and easier breathing
  
• improves circulation of blood and movement of lymph fluids
  
• reduces blood pressure
  
• helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eye-strain
  
• enhances the health and nourishment of skin
  
• improves posture
  
• strengthens the immune system

Mentally, it's known that massage...

• fosters peace of mind
  
• promotes a relaxed state of mental alertness
  
• helps relieve mental stress
  
• improves ability to recognize stress signals and respond appropriately
  
• enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity
  
• satisfies need for caring, nurturing touch
  
• fosters a feeling of well-being
  
• reduces levels of anxiety
  
• increases awareness of the mind-body connection

How long should my massage session be?

A therapeutic massage can go anywhere from 30 minutes on up. A full body or neuromuscular massage can go from 75 minutes on up. A full body massage is for relaxation only. If you are wanting a full body massage WITH therapeutic to the tighter area, you will need at least 90 minutes.

How often should I get a massage?

Masssage is a great 'treat' for special occassions (GIFT CERTIFICATES ARE AVAILABLE) or a welcomed 'relief' for troublesome aches. However, the benefits of massage are cumulative, if supported by regular maintenance treatments. Optimally, 'regular maintenance' translates to weekly/ biweekly/monthly sessions. I offer both 5 and 10 session packages at a savings to help make massage a simple and affordable way to stay healthy. If you have a chronic condition, you may want to schedule 1-2 appointments a week for a few weeks and gradually lengthen the time between appointments. However, under normal conditions, once a month is recommended for health maintenance. Start taking one hour out of each month to spend on yourself!

Does massage hurt?

The 'no pain, no gain' mentality is not really appropriate for massage. There's a fine line between therapeutic discomfort when a 'knot' is 'worked out, and just plain pain when the muscles tense to protect themselves. You know the difference. So you decide how much, if any, discomfort you'll experience for a positive outcome. Working within your comfort zone can achieve great results!

Will massage 'fix' whatever is bothering me?

Healing is a process with many components. There's no quick fix-not even with massage. Massage complements other traditional and non-traditional healing methods. As a high percentage of diseases are stress-related, and massage is an excellent stress remedy, massage may significantly relieve symptoms and speed recovery for many conditions. And, since massage is relatively non-invasive, it is safe in almost all cases.

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Questions pertaining to Neuromuscular Massage Therapy

What is Neuromuscular Massage Therapy?

Neuromuscular therapy is a type of bodywork that reduces chronic pain and normalizes body posture by selectively loosening tight muscles and connective tissue. First, the therapist consults with the client to get an understanding of their symptoms and concerns. Then the client’s presenting posture is observed. It is understood that muscles move bones, and that distortions in posture are a result of muscle imbalance.

When posture is distorted, joints deteriorate prematurely, nerves become compressed, and circulation is impaired. Tissues are deprived of vital nutrients. Chronic pain often results.

A neuromuscular therapist develops an individualized strategy to restore the client’s healthy posture and reduce pain. Overly tightened tissues are relaxed through the use of specifically applied manual therapy.

Neuromuscular therapy owes its success to the successful resolution of compensating factors, often distant from the site of the client’s presenting symptoms.

What symptoms can Neuromuscular Therapy help?

Neuromuscular therapy is effective for many soft tissue pain problems including back and neck pain, headaches including migraines, hip and shoulder pain, numbness and tingling in the arms or legs, and the soft tissue aspects of fibromyalgia syndrome.

It’s also quite effective at improving dysfunctional posture patterns that, if uncorrected, can cause eventual degeneration of the joints. Neuromuscular therapy has also been clinically effective for a wide range of other related conditions.

Isn't Neuromuscular Therapy just for muscular pain?

No. While neuromuscular therapy is helpful for muscular pain, it can also help other pain and other conditions.

• Muscle imbalance can cause nerve compressions commonly known as sciatica and carpal tunnel syndrome, for example.
  
• Or nerve compression (secondary to bulging inter-vertebral discs) that causes numbness and tingling in the arms and legs.
  
• Or nerve entrapments, such as entrapment of the greater occipital nerve that leads to headaches.
  
• Neuromuscular therapy can relieve trigger points, whose symptoms include referred pain, tingling, burning, numbness, and hot and cold sensations to various parts of the body.
  
• Muscle imbalance can rotate vertebrae and reduce blood flow to and from your head, creating headaches.
  
• Neuromuscular therapy can help reduce the mechanical load on your joints so they don't wear out so fast.
  
• It can reduce muscular pull on your spinal column that distorts its shape, reducing kyphosis, lordosis, scoliosis, and loss of normal curve.
  
• It can align your jaw and reduce symptoms of tempormandibular joint syndrome.
  
• Neuromuscular therapy has been clinically effective in reducing the exacerbation of symptoms of multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, though it does not affect either disease process.
  
• It has been clinically effective in reducing the effects of certain types of spinal cord injuries (where the cord is not severed).

And the list goes on...

What are the limitations of Neuromuscular Therapy?

Limitations of neuromuscular therapy may include the inability to accurately detect and/or resolve perpetuating factors outside the scope of the soft tissue system. Perpetuating factors, while not the cause of a particular condition, may prevent its resolution.

These factors may involve:

• Skeletal asymmetries (such as differences in anatomical leg length, which we do screen for but cannot confirm without consultation from a medical doctor or chiropractor)
  
• ineffective mental and emotional habits
• hormonal factors
  
• nutritional factors
  
• unidentified disease
  
• lifestyle issues such as use of neural system stimulants (caffeine, tobacco) or depressants (alcohol), including prescribed medications
  
• and ineffective movement habits such as holding a telephone on one ear, slouching, or repositioning the head to aid vision (for example when wearing bifocals)

When it appears that these factors are slowing down the therapeutic process, a neuromuscular therapist may suggest consultation with a health professional trained in the area involved.

How is Neuromuscular Therapy different from what I’ve already tried?

Neuromuscular therapy has a distinct therapeutic philosophy. Here’s how it compares to certain other modalities:

• Chiropractic – Chiropractors do an excellent job of mobilizing joints. The person feels better immediately because when pressure is released from the joint, the muscles that insert over that joint also loosen up. Neuromuscular therapists look at a number of factors that a typical chiropractor doesn’t have time for. They look at the body as a whole to see why the joint came under pressure in the first place. Also, since muscles move bones, the neuromuscular approach can address muscle tension that predisposes the joint mobilization problem.
  
  
• Physical Therapy – Physical therapists generally work from a philosophy of therapeutic exercise and symptomatic treatment. When the problem is lack of strength, physical therapy is a great resource. In cases of chronic pain, the tissue is often fatigued, not weak. Neuromuscular therapists work with the body to take the strain off fatigued tissue and place the structural load of the body back over its skeletal system as it should be. This requires assessment of the whole body rather than focusing exclusively on symptoms. Physical therapy programs are often symptom-driven, with treatment to the general region of complaint. Neuromuscular therapy is specific to the involved tissue, within a whole-body context.
  
  
• Massage Therapy – Massage therapy is a wonderful way to relax from physical stress. Nearly everyone can benefit from a well-timed and well-executed massage. Nonetheless, Swedish massage and neuromuscular therapy have several important differences for the pain patient. Most significantly, general massage therapists may attempt to address symptoms without considering them in context. Despite their best intentions, this strategy may be ineffective in cases where the person’s symptoms are created as compensation for problems somewhere else in the body. The neuromuscular therapist places the symptoms in context, and then works specifically to resolve the underlying structural pattern. Neuromuscular therapists use massage techniques, but they’re delivered in a different package than the general therapists use.
  
  
• Applied energy therapies (Reiki, Healing Touch, Acupuncture, Hypnotherapy, Cranio-Sacral Therapy) – Energy modalities, skillfully applied, offer an opportunity to address underlying energy imbalances that may have contributed to the presenting physical symptom. People who understand the relationship between body energy and physical circumstances often appreciate these therapies as part of their program. The main difference between energy therapies and neuromuscular therapy is that the energy modalities affect the person’s subtle energy systems and neuromuscular therapy works directly with the physical substance of the body.
  
  
• Surgery – In some cases, surgery is definitely the best answer. When tissue has been ripped, torn, fractured, or the nucleus of a vertebra herniated, your physician will generally recommend surgery. People often consult their doctor about a degenerative condition when it first becomes painful. The initial pain is a great signal from the body that something’s wrong. But if the doctor says surgery isn’t immediately necessary, a conservative approach like Neuromuscular Therapy can often slow down the condition’s progress. Correcting ineffective posture minimizes the structural load on vulnerable joints. Loosening muscles that insert over a joint will result in less joint pressure. These strategies can minimize the effects of a degenerative process, delaying the need for surgery. When in doubt, ask your doctor.

Will insurance cover my sessions here?

The best way to answer this question is to ask your insurance company. Most of my clients are private-pay. However, there have been cases where insurance has reimbursed the client for their sessions with us. This is most likely when the person has been injured in an automobile accident, and nearly always requires a physician referral. If your employer offers a flexible-spending account for health care, remember to ask there, too. We're happy to provide you a receipt for your services with us at your request.

How much does it cost?

To receive Neuromuscular Therapy, your scheduled appointments will be 75 minutes for $45.00 or 90 minutes for $53.00

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept cash, checks and soon to accept credit cards.

Do I need a physician referral to see you?

No**. This is one of the benefits of a private-pay system! However if you wish to submit your visits for insurance reimbursement, your insurance company will probably require a physician referral.

**Exceptions:

• If your therapist suspects that your condition is beyond the scope of our services, we will ask you to consult with your doctor. We are not medical doctors and are therefore not qualified to address medical concerns.
  
• If you have been in a recent accident or have certain types of active medical conditions, we may ask for a release from your doctor before working with you. This is for your safety and ours.

How many sessions will it take?

Each case is individual, so the answer to this question varies considerably. In some cases, two or three sessions are enough to resolve the person’s problem to their satisfaction. Six to twelve sessions would be more typical. Sometimes the process can take quite a bit longer. Reasons for a lengthy treatment program might include:

• The problem is severe or complicated.
  
• The problem has been present for a long time.
  
• The source of the problem is a longstanding pattern, even though the symptoms may have only begun recently.
  
• The person is continuing to exacerbate the problem outside the session through repetition of old habits (physical, mental, or emotional) or movement patterns.
  
• Allowing too much time to lapse between appointments in the early stages of therapy.
  
• The person's tissue is slower to respond due to age or condition.
  
• The person is resisting the healing process. This is usually unconscious.
  
• Some people feel so great with our work, they simply enjoy coming back!

For an average person from the local area, our experience has been that one session per week is generally the best frequency to start with. As the person begins to feel better, treatment frequency decreases until the desired maintenance level is reached. We recommend that you monitor your body for the treatment frequency that allows you to feel your best.

Persons from out of town can often receive substantial benefit from an intensive program over a period of several consecutive days.

How can I support my treatment and get faster results?

This is something to discuss with your therapists as your program proceeds. The best time for these conversations is during your session.

Suggestions include:

• Watch your nutrition. Consult with a nutritionist if you need guidance. Eating more foods that are minimally-processed and plant-based and less foods that are highly-processed or fried and animal-based is generally considered helpful.
  
• Minimize nervous system stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine and nervous system depressants like alcohol.
  
• Incorporate quality movement and stretching exercises at an appropriate level. Yoga classes or tapes are a great resource here. We do not generally recommend adding strength-training exercises to your daily routine until your pain problem is under control.
  
• Get enough rest. Healing occurs when you rest.
  
• Get a handle on stress and stress reactions.
  
• Mobilize your body’s innate healing energy. In many people with chronic pain or illness, the body’s healing energies are unavailable to be utilized due to being preoccupied with other concerns. This misdirection of life-force energy is one of the major causes of ill health in the first place.

How will I be clothed?

For neuromuscular therapy, I ask you to provide shorts (men and women) and tops (women). My work is most effective when I can manually and visually access the body, while retaining your modesty and comfort. You will always change clothing in private. If you get cool, I can offer a blanket.

For therapeutic massage, you will be draped with a sheet. You may wear underclothing or shorts for comfort. Again, you change clothing in private.

If I phone and get your answering machine, does it mean you’re not there?

NO! True, I may have stepped out. However it's normal for my machine to answer when I am in session. (You'll appreciate this policy when it's your turn!) Please leave a detailed message, including your name and phone number, so that I can call you back.

What are your business hours?

I schedule by advance appointment. I normally work Monday - Friday 11am to 6 pm. Please understand that I have small children in daycare and daycare is unavailable to me on nights and weekends.

What is your cancellation policy?

If you cannot keep a scheduled appointment, please let me know as soon as possible. The sooner you let me know, the more likely it is that I we will be able to accommodate someone else in that time. You would appreciate this yourself if you felt unwell and were trying to arrange an appointment. You will be charged $20.00 for any appointment that you fail to cancel 24 hours prior to the scheduled time.

What should I bring with me to my first appointment?

When you come for your first appointment, please bring:

• Easily accessible medical information or evaluations related to your condition. The more information I have about your condition, the better I can help you. If you have questions about the necessity for tracking down certain films or evaluations, please ask.
  
• Your appointment book or schedule.
  
• Whatever payment method you prefer.
  
• A parent or guardian must accompany minors (under age 18).

I recommend that you plan to arrive a few minutes early and allow extra time in your schedule after your appointment to allow for fluctuations in treatment length and traffic conditions.

Can you recommend any additional information resources?