Overview of Services

Swedish Massage

Swedish massage is the most commonly offered and best known type of massage. It was developed by a Swedish physiologist, Henri Peter Ling at the University of Stockholm in 1812. It uses firm but gentle pressure to improve the circulation, ease muscle aches and tension, improve flexibility and create relaxation.

Stress Management

A recent survey showed that 70-90% of us feel stressed at work and at home. Today's fast paced lifestyle is putting a toll on us. Unless we learn to manage stress, we will get sick. But it does not have to be that way. There are steps Debra can take to help you manage your stress.

Sports Therapy

Massage, applied skillfully, is the most effective therapy for releasing muscle tension and restoring balance to the musculo-skeletal system. Received regularly this may help athletes prevent injuries, which might otherwise be caused by overuse. A constant build-up of tension in the muscles from regular activity may lead to stress on joints, ligaments, tendons as well as the muscles themselves.

These muscle imbalances may develop and often go undiagnosed until they are serious enough to cause the athlete discomfort or impede performance. The skilled massage therapist will be able to detect variations in the soft tissues and by using the correct techniques, help the sports person maintain a much healthier physical state.

It may therefore be reasonably claimed that one of the greatest benefits of sports massage is in helping prevent injury.

Surgery and Injury Recovery

Even with preventive maintenance, muscles cramp, tear, bruise and ache. Sports massage can speed healing and reduce discomfort during the rehabilitation process.

Soft tissue techniques employed by Debra are effective in the management of both acute and chronic injuries. For example, adding lymphatic massage to your treatment in the acute stage of injury will improve control of secondary, hypoxic injury and and reduce swelling throughout the healing process. Trigger point techniques reduce the spasms and pain that occur both in the injured and "compensation" muscles. Cross-fiber friction techniques applied during the subacute and maturation phases of healing improve the formation of strong and flexible repair tissue, which is vital in maintaining full pain free range of motion during rehabilitation.

In all cases, such massage techniques are employed in collaboration with other appropriate medical care. For example, encouraging circulation around a bruise, but not directly on it, through the use of compression, cross-fiber techniques or even long, deep strokes is only used after appropriate medical referral and diagnostics indicate that there are no clots formed in the area which may embolize.

Neuromuscular / Positional Release

By definition, the manual application of specialized strokes and pressure, usually delivered by a finger or thumb for diagnostic (assessment mode) and therapeutic (treatment mode) objective. The treatment aims to restore circulation and reduce pain in an area. Also, the aim is to normalize imbalances in fibrotic tissue where adhesions or scar tissue and calcium deposits have restricted movement in a joint.

This comprehensive program of soft tissue manipulation balances the body's central nervous system with the muscles. Based on neurological laws, which explain how the central nervous system initiates and maintains pain, the goal is to help relieve the pain and dysfunction by understanding and alleviating the underlying cause.

Neuromuscular therapy can help individuals who experience distortion and biomechanical dysfunction, which is often a symptom of a deeper problem. It is also used to locate and release spasms and hyper-contraction in the tissue, eliminate trigger points that cause referred pain, restore postural alignment, proper biomechanics and flexibility to the tissues, rebuild the strength of injured tissues, and assist venous and lymphatic flow

Reiki

Reiki practitioners channel energy in a particular pattern to heal and harmonize. Unlike other healing therapies based on the premise of a human energy field, Reiki seeks to restore order to the body whose vital energy has become unbalanced.

Reiki energy has several basic effects: it brings about deep relaxation, destroys energy blockages, detoxifies the system, provides new vitality in the form of healing universal life energy and increases the vibrational frequency of the body.

Craniosacral Therapy

The craniosacral system consists of the 22 cranial bones, brain, spinal cord and cerebrospinal fluid.   Craniosacral therapy is a gentle and relaxing hands on procedure for evaluating this delicate system in your body, helping to release any restrictive patterns that may have formed in your connective tissue or fascia.

Fibromyalgia Therapy

Fibromyalgia is defined as widespread pain throughout the body, along with a number of other symptoms like anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, extreme fatigue and sudden muscle cramping.   This massage works with specific tender points to provide relief of this chronic disease.

TMJ Dysfunction Correction

This is a very deep and specific massage targeting the muscles of the jaw to treat TMJ Dysfunction and other neck conditions such as whiplash.   TMJ work is effectively done intra-orally and may require a prescription from a dentist. Often this work can control or eliminate jaw grinding.

Massage Therapy for Whole Mind and Body Wellness

Massage Therapy helps to reduce stress, relieve pain and increase the body's own natural ability to heal. Massage is the manipulation of soft tissue to increase circulation and lymph flow, decrease stress and muscle tension and produce an overall feeling of well being in the body. Massage can be used for different purposes. Some people choose to use massage to decrease stress and relax; others are rehabilitating from injury or illness or are in chronic pain. No matter the reason the effect is the same, better health!