Massage Therapy
The YourBodyWorks team of New York State Licensed Massage Therapists (LMT’s) strive to provide you with the most effective massage therapy sessions possible. What is considered “effective” depends on you - your body, your life, your goals for the specific session, and your tolerance and comfort in how the therapist touches you.
TYPES OF MASSAGE
Medical Massage
Medical massage is specifically directed to improve conditions that have been diagnosed by a physician. Your LMT will focus the treatment on the areas that are involved with and affected by your condition and will use a variety of techniques (circulatory/Swedish, myofascial, trigger point, neuromuscular) in order to realign the soft tissue and increase range of motion. Whiplash, rotator cuff injuries, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, chronic headaches, sciatica and tendonitis are just a few of the many conditions that can be treated with medical massage.
Sports Massage
Sports massage therapy is used to help alleviate the stress and tension that builds up in the body’s soft tissues during physical activity. It can reduce fatigue and muscle tension, promote flexibility, normalize blood circulation and lymphatic flow, and provide relief from pain. Compression, vibration and stretching are used in addition to Myofascial, Trigger Point, and Neuromuscular techniques. Sports massage can be performed before or after a workout/event through your clothes without oil. Maintenance sports massage can be performed between workouts with you appropriately draped using myofascial, trigger point, and neuromuscular techniques to help keep your body well tuned by identifying and addressing any areas that are being stressed in your training.
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massage focuses on reaching the deeper layers of muscle tissue to relieve chronic muscle pain and tension. Your LMT will start superficially and ease into the tissue in order to accommodate the patient’s tolerance for pressure. How “deep” your LMT works in up to you. Using fingers, thumbs, forearms and elbows, the therapist will work directly on the affected areas to “unstick” fibers and relax and soothe the tissue.Sports mas
Myofascial Release
Fascia is a web of connective tissue that envelopes and connects the organs and muscles of the body. Muscles and fascia are united in the myofascia system. When fascia is injured by things like trauma, stress, poor posture or inflammation, restrictions are formed, causing the fibers to become short and tight. Over time, this uneven pull can begin to spread and cause pain and problems in other parts of the body. With myofascial release, your LMT seeks to ease these restrictions by working slowly through the layers of fascia and muscle to stretch and mobilize the tissue. This type of massage is done directly on the skin with little or no oil or cream.
Trigger Point Massage
Trigger points are small, hypersensitive areas in muscle fibers, often referred to as “knots.” When touched, these nodules cause local pain as well as referred pain in other parts of the body. For example, trigger points in the cervical area can cause pain in the face, jaw and head. Trigger point therapy involves placing pressure on these spots in order to stimulate the nervous system to encourage the taut areas to relax thus reducing the local and referred pain. Your LMT may incorporate stretches, neuromuscular, heat, cold, and other techniques into the session based on your response to the work.
Neuromuscular Massage
NMT or neuromuscular therapy is a combination of myofascial, trigger point and stretching techniques designed to normalize the nervous system’s control over the muscles. In addition to stretching your muscles, your LMT may ask you to contract specific muscles to help facilitate their relaxation. In sharp contrast to Swedish massage which focuses on the circulation to the muscles, this type of massage concentrates on the nervous system and its control over the muscles. These techniques are generally applied to the skin using little or no oil or cream.
Thai Massage
The roots of Thai massage can be traced back 2,500 years to Buddhist monks in Thailand who used it as a healing modality. A combination of assisted stretching and acupressure, this unique bodywork incorporates yoga, pressure point and reflexology. Using his hands, feet, arms, and legs, the Thai massage practitioner gently guides the recipient through a series of yoga postures which will help remove blockages and stimulate energy flow thus restoring balance and health in the body’s energy systems. A Thai massage session can help increase flexibility, provide relief to tense muscles and joints, and give one a feeling of refreshment and renewal. Thai massage takes place on a futon mat on the floor with the recipient wearing loose, comfortable clothing.
