As a licensed Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork practitioner, the modalities I practice allow an individual to Stop, Re-focus and Re-organize their energy systems all the way down to their cellular/chemical levels and beyond. Results include relaxed muscle tension, relief from pain, improved oxygen intake/blood circulation, improved immune system and a greater sense of well-being. Below is a list of the services / modalities I practice integrative or session specific each day.
Click on anyone to see a therapy description and some of its benefits.
Therapeutic Massage Therapy
NeuroMuscular Re-Education Therapy
CranioSacral Therapy
Energy Work – Reiki
Bellabaci Therapeutic Cupping
Pre/Post Surgical Lymph Drainage
Manual Lymph Drainage
Myofascial Release
Complex Decongestive Therapy
Electro-Lymphatic Drainage
Positional Release Therapy
Facilitated Stretching
Percussion Infrared Therapy
Contrast Hydro-Thermal-Hot/Cold Thermalball Therapy
Far Infrared Heat Therapy
Castor Oil Therapy
Therapeutic Massage Therapy
What is it?
One of the oldest art forms of healing, massage therapy has been received professionally by over 25% of the United States population. It is a hands-on therapy designed to relax muscles and consequently the nervous system by helping release stress and tension from the body.
What does it do?
Massage physically helps to release muscles that are tight. Massage therapists use a variety of strokes and techniques to help relax the musculoskeletal system. There are over 600 muscles in the body. And it is tough to keep them all relaxed. So massage involves a routine designed to relax the body. Professional Massage Therapy is non-sexual and therapeutic in nature.
What can I expect?
Most massage therapists offer a relaxing atmosphere and offer draping for their clients. This means that the client, while undressed, is appropriately draped with sheets to make them feel more relaxed. The pressure of the massage therapist varies greatly. Most will ask about whether you like the pressure used. Often times gentle music is played in the background to encourage a sensation of relaxation. The massage can last 30 minutes to 2 hours, whichever you prefer. The majority of massage therapists use massage oil. They are trained to really accommodate people and to help create the most relaxing environment for the client.
What are the reported benefits?
The benefits of massage are musculoskeletal relaxation, increased circulation, faster recovery time, feeling better, more energy,reduction of aches and pains.
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NeuroMuscular Therapy
NMT is a thorough program of recovery from acute and chronic pain syndromes which utilizes specific massage therapy, flexibility stretching, and home care to eliminate the causes of most neuromuscular pain patterns. This specific and scientific approach to muscular pain relief will help to bring about balance between the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system.
NMT enhances the function of joints, muscles and biomechanics (movement) and it releases endorphins, the body’s own natural pain killers. It can be part of a comprehensive program, complementing all other health care modalities.
This therapy can reduce muscle pain -Muscles that are in spasm will be painful to the touch. The pain is caused by ischemic muscle tissue. Ischemia means the muscle is lacking proper blood flow, usually due to the muscle spasm. This in turn creates the following undesirable process:
- Because the muscle is not receiving enough blood, the muscle is also not receiving enough oxygen
- The lack of oxygen causes the muscle to produce lactic acid
- The lactic acid makes the muscle feel sore following physical activity.
After the muscle is relaxed through massage therapy, the lactic acid will be released from the muscle, and the muscle should start receiving enough blood and oxygen.
Neuromuscular therapy will feel painful at first, but the pressure of the massage should alleviate the muscle spasm. At this point, it is extremely important to communicate with the massage therapist regarding the pressure – whether the pressure is too much, too little, getting better, getting worse. The therapist should listen and respond accordingly. The massage therapy pressure should never be overly painful. In fact, most people describe the pressure as “good pain”.
What to expect after massage therapy – Following a neuromuscular therapy massage, any soreness that presents itself should fade after twenty-four to thirty-six hours. The muscles that were tight should remain noticeably more relaxed for four to fourteen days, depending on stress, activity level, and severity of back pain prior to beginning massage therapy
Neuromuscular Therapy examines six physiological factors which may create or
intensify pain patterns.
These six factors are:
1. Ischemia
2. Trigger Points
3. Nerve Entrapment/Compression
4. Postural Distortions
5. Nutrition
6. Emotional Wellbeing
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CranioSacral Therapy
Using a soft touch generally no greater than 5 grams, or about the weight of a nickel, practitioners release restrictions in the craniosacral system to improve the functioning of the central nervous system.
Craniosacral therapy is a pain management technique focusing on the manipulation of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spine. This technique combines alternative healing practices with traditional cranial osteopathy by applying massage to the head and spine with the goal of unblocking points of tension.
Craniosacral therapy is based on the notion that releasing restrictions in the craniosacral system will improve the functioning of the central nervous system and all the other systems of the body.
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Energy Work – Reiki
What is it?
Reiki is a specific form of energy work originating in Japan in the late 1800’s. While studying kiko, the Japanese version of qigong, Dr. Mikao Usui, found this form of energy healing demanding of the “healer” who would build up and then deplete his own energy for the work. Spontaneously, in meditation, he received the Reiki process, which uses spiritually guided life force energy. While the energy is perceived as coming through the crown chakra at the top of the head through the hands, it comes from within ourselves. It is not, however, our own personal energy. It comes from that part of us that connects to the unlimited life force energy.
Reiki is a simple, natural, gentle technique that uses the unlimited supply of “life force energy” for self-improvement, spiritual healing, and improved health.
What does it do?
Reiki transfers healing Life Force Energy that can assist with personal improvements and healing in exponential ways that are unique to each person and session.
What can I expect?
Though Reiki can be done in any position, Reiki treatments are usually done on a massage table with the client fully clothed. The practitioner allows energy to flow from his or hands to the client on or near the body. This is in areas of need and around the stomach, feet, head and shoulders. Sessions generally last from 45-90 minutes. Reiki sessions are also done in the form of distance healing.
While individual experiences vary, most people feel deeply relaxed and sense a warm, radiance surrounding them. Some people fall into a peaceful sleep. Some people feel a state of deep peace as tension, fear, and negativity release. After sessions, clients have reported feeling balanced and uplifted.
What are the reported benefits?
As with any energy work, there is a wide range of reported and documented benefits from the complete healing of measurable conditions to improved overall wellbeing. Reiki works well with other forms of medical and alternative care. It has been known to reduce the side effects of medical care, accelerate healing, reduce stress, reduce hospital time, help with post surgical depression and relieve pain.
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Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD)
What is it?
Manual Lymph Drainage is a systematic series of light rhythmic manipulations that stimulate the lymph flow and fluid movement in the whole body. Gentle stretching of the lymph collectors of the body and face sends blocked fluid through lymph vessels for drainage into the venous system. MLD was developed by physical therapists Emil and Estrid Vodder in the 1930’s. They helped change the practice of removing the vital lymph vessels for related problems.
What does it do?
MLD gently cleanses the body of wastes and toxins. It improves immunity and accelerates healing time. MLD relieves lymphodema symptoms. MLD is gently relaxing.
What can I expect?
Manual Lymph Drainage techniques involve application of a very light touch applied to the skin’s surface over the areas with lymph nodes on the body and face. This is very relaxing.
What are the reported benefits?
Manual Lymph Drainage is used for maintaining overall wellness by helping the body to cleanse, remove toxins and fend off infections.
Manual lymph drainage has been successfully treating lymphodema ( protein rich swelling of the limbs) for decades. Manual lymph drainage has proven to be beneficial for conditions such as skin problems, allergies, scar tissue, and a wide range of stress related disorders. It is also helpful for fibromyalgia and other autoimmune conditions. It is being used pre and post plastic surgery and for skin conditions such as spider veins, rosacea, acne and more.
What kind of training does a therapist have?
Training varies among those practicing lymph drainage. Training through the Vodder School is 160 hours offered to licensed health care practitioners and massage therapists who have completed 500 hours of massage training. Vodder offers advanced courses and certification. Other schools offer lymph drainage courses that therapists can take over time. The Upledger Institute offers courses in Lymph Drainage Therapy developed by Bruno Chickly.
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Pre/Post Surgical Lymph Drainage
The Benefits of Manual Lymph Drainage -Pre and Post- Surgical Applications
The Importance of Manual Lymph Drainage in Cosmetic Surgery
The proper functioning of the lymphatic system is crucial to our body’s ability to drain fluids, filter out toxins, regenerate healthy tissue and maintain a sound immune system. The lymphatic system is a highly complex system composed primarily of a vast network of lymph capillaries, vessels, and nodes working together to accomplish these tasks.
Unlike the circulatory system, which uses the heart to pump and circulate blood flow, the lymph vessels rely upon hundreds of tiny muscular lymphangious contracting throughout the body to move the lymph. These tiny pumps enable the lymph vessels to transport numerous substances (toxins, hormones, fatty acids, proteins, immune cells) to the lymph nodes. This process can be impaired or stopped, however, due to fatigue, stress, infections, chemicals, lack of physical activity, age, or substantial swelling. When the lymph circulation is hindered, fluids and toxins accumulate and stagnate, and cellular function is significantly compromised. This slows the healing process, opens the way to physical disorders and may hasten the aging process.
How M.D.L. Therapy is performed
Manual Lymphatic Drainage is a hands-on massage technique designed to activate, stimulate, and cleanse the lymphatic system. M.L.D. applies subtle manual wavelike movements to aid in the recirculation of lymphatic fluid flow. The pressure applied is very light and gentle; generally around five grams. Trained M.L.D. therapists are able to detect the specific rhythm, depth, direction, and quality of lymph flow. With this knowledge they can use their hands to assess the lymphatic circulation and determine the best pathways for draining and stimulating lymph flow.
The Benefits of Manual Lymph Drainage -Pre and Post- Surgical Applications
Regeneration of lymphatic vessels:
Begins after 24 hours
Maximum regeneration attained on day 14, by comparison maximum venous regeneration occurs by day 12.
Local lymphedema may occur in the wound during and after scarring.
Pre-Surgery Benefits of M.L.D. Therapy
One to five M.L.D. sessions are recommended.
Prepares tissue for surgery, alleviates existing edema, allowing surgery to be scheduled sooner, detoxifies tissue, stimulate the immune system: accelerates production of lymphocytes, induces a state of relaxation, promoting parasympathetic response.
Post-Surgery Benefits of M.L.D. Therapy
Performed as soon as 24 hours after surgery.
Alleviates post-surgery edema, helps stimulate temporary rerouting of lymphatics, reduces pain, alleviates spasms, detoxifies; helping reverse buildup of toxins secondary to effects of medication and immobilization, stimulates immune system and helps prevent post-surgical infections, improves skin regeneration and wound healing, and optimizes the scaring process, may help to prevent the formation of hypertrophic or keloid scars.
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Complex Decongestive Therapy
What is the Treatment of Lymphedema?
Lymphedema is a serious condition, indicating that the lymph system is unable to handle the lymph load. Treatment should begin as soon as lymphedema is diagnosed.
The goal of treatment is to reduce swelling and facilitate the flow of the lymph fluid to the venous circulation of the affected area.
The most effective approach used by therapists in many European countries is Combined Decongestive Therapy; a four step process, carried out over a 4 week period. The individual elements are Manual Lymph Drainage, compression therapy, remedial exercises, breathing techniques and excellent skin hygiene. The patient visits the clinic once or twice a day, 5 times a week, or in accordance with the physicians recommendations.
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Electro-Lymphatic Drainage (ELDT)
What is Electro-Lymphatic drainage (ELDT)?
How does it work?
ELDT presents a flood of photons that target unhealthy, random protein structures, helping the protein structures to release the water they were holding. Cells in the lymphatic system can clump together and bond electrically with water to create disease conditions of swelling and abnormal growth. ELDT is able to separate these cells from each other and their accumulated fluids placing the inter-cellular fluid in a free-flow state for easier removal by the lymphatic system.Stagnation is reversed and the lymph system is now free to perform its cleansing functions! The result is a significant reduction in pain due to lymphatic swelling. Detoxifying and enhancing immunity leaves the client feeling calm and rejuvenated.
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Myofascial Release
What is it?
Myofascial Release techniques blend massage and gentle stretching to release restrictions in the fascia or connective tissue that surrounds muscles, organs, and all systems throughout the body. Physical therapist John Barnes as well as osteopathic physician Dr. Robert Ward introduced this therapy in the 1970s.
What does it do?
Myofascial Release relieves pain and restricted movement caused by constricted fascia due to injury or holding patterns in the body.
What can I expect?
After discovering areas of tightness or restriction, therapists will gently knead the tissue and softly stretch an area. Stretching with the direction of muscle fibers lengthens and aligns tissue. Stretches may be held as long as two minutes or more until a release is felt. This process is repeated until the area is released completely. You may be asked to help the process with deep breathing or making sounds. Some people feel great immediately following and others may feel a healing soreness for a day or two followed by increased motion and less pain than before. You may be given exercises to do at home as follow up.
What are the reported benefits?
Myofascial release is being used to treat a wide variety of conditions that involve connective tissue and muscle. These include but are not limited to: muscle spasms, fibromyalgia, frozen shoulder, rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, stress injuries, headaches, jaw pain, menstrual problems, birth trauma, cerebral palsy and scoliosis.
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Positional Release Therapy
This is a method of analyzing and eliminating the chronic spasm at the deepest muscular levels of the spine, pelvis, and ribs.
PRT encourages the patient to take an active role in recovery and aims to remove restrictive barriers of movement in the body. It is used to help decrease pain and tension in muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joint areas and to improve joint mobility. This is accomplished by decreasing protective muscle
spasm, tendon or ligament tension, joint hypomobility, pain, swelling and by increasing circulation and strength. After treatment, patients feel a sense of relaxation in the treated area which affords greater movement with less discomfort.
By stretching and resetting the bodies proprioceptors it is possible to restore full range of motion of the joints of the axial skeleton. It is effective for improving frozen shoulder, lordosis, kyphosis, and scoliosis.
Which condition responds the best to Positional Release Therapy?
The best response is reported among patients who have had a distinct, physical mechanism of injury. These include injuries resulting from falls,improper lifting, throwing, motor vehicle accidents, sudden unexpected movements, and sports. The technique is very useful in muscle and ligament strains and injuries. Other patients who respond well to PRT are those who have had acute or chronic pain that arose insidiously with no clear mechanism of injury or history of trauma and who have no diagnostic test
showing underlying disease. These dysfunctions tend to be related to stress, visceral dysfunction, or previous surgical intervention.
Facilitated Stretching
Facilitated stretching utilizes active motion and measured bodywork to enhance motor skills and increase flexibility. Involving the work of one muscle at a time, facilitated stretching is administered by gentle stretches that release the muscle before it has a chance to protectively contract.
Originally developed for patients suffering from paralysis, facilitated stretching is more than just a typical exercise. With the stretcher’s aid, this therapy helps to lengthen and contract specific muscles, relaxing and allowing movement around joint areas. Improving the body’s potential to heal itself, this beneficial exercise enhances overall performance.
In a typical session, the limbs of the client are gently stretched. This work is known to improve flexibility, range of motion, and to relieve muscle stiffness. As a general rule, stretches should not be painful, so this is a relatively non-invasive and therapeutic exercise.
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Percussion Infrared Therapy
This is a Percussion Infrared Heated Palm Massager used artfully and creatively stimulates circulation within muscles, which in turn stimulates cell metabolism by flushing out metabolic by-products.The massager’s penetrating percussion action 
with single head pivoting heat therapy invigorates tired, sore muscles, refocuses the nervous system and promotes edema drainage (the fluid that causes joints to swell) which reduces pain caused by lactic acid build-up in the muscles and promotes healing by stimulation the flow of nutrients to tissues.
This massaging tool when combined with manual lymph drainage gives incredible therapeutic results.
Alternating Temperature Therapy
By alternating between heated and cooled icyballs, the body’s healing systems are thermally and mechanically energized to speed recovery from minor injuries.
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Far Infrared Heat Therapy
How FIM Works?
The FIM (Far Infrared Mineral) TDP Lamp device features a plate coated with a mineral formation consisting of 33 elements, essential to the human body. When activated by its heating element, the mineral plate emits deep penetrating, Far Infrared waves ranging from 2 to 25 microns in wavelength. This coincides with the natural, healing far-infrared waves generated by our own bodies, and are naturally absorbed into our tissues.
Far Infrared Heat Benefits
At the molecular level, this exerts strong rotational and vibrational forces in the cells of these tissues. This absorbed energy has been found to yield many therapeutic effects on the human body by:
- Increase Vascularity: . By increasing the formation of new capillaries, which are additional blood vessels that replace damaged ones. New capillaries speed up the healing process by carrying more oxygen as well as more nutrients needed for healing and they can also carry more waste products away. (dilating blood vessels and increasing blood flow and oxygen saturation).
- Increase Lymphatic System Activity: Research has shown that the lymph vessel diameter and the flow of the lymph system can be doubled with the use of light therapy. The venous diameter and the arterial diameters can also be increased. This means that both parts of edema (liquid and protein) can be evacuated at a much faster rate to relieve swelling. (enhancing white blood cell function, increasing immune response)
- Stimulate the Release of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP): Increases in ATP allows cells to accept nutrients faster and get rid of waste products faster by increasing the energy level in the cell.
- Increase RNA and DNA Synthesis: This helps damaged cells to be replaced more promptly.
- Stimulate Tissue Granulation and Connective Tissue Projections: These are part of the healing process of wounds, ulcers or inflamed tissue. (accelerating the decomposition of unstable cells)
- Stimulate Endorphins and Enkephalins: These are produced in the brain as well as chemicals from other areas of the body like adrenals which facilitate long term pain relief and stimulating the hypothalamus, which controls the production of neurochemicals, which control sleep, mood, pain, and blood pressure.
Bellabaci Therapeutic Cupping
- Get Rid of Cellulite
- Firms the Skin
- Treats Muscular Pains
- digestive Disorders
- Detoxifying the Body
- Reduces Stretch Marks
Bellabaci Cups - a small massager used to perform vacuum massage,l It causes a rush of fresh blood, oxygen and nutrients to the surface of the skin. It also increases lymphatic circulation and drains away waste products and materials. Bellabaci works great on muscles, colon/digestive related issues as well as adiposity.
The results: Stagnation is eliminated, cellular metabolism and dermal respiration is intensified, skin elasticity and muscular functionality is improved. It stimulates blood and lymphatic circulation, tones the skin , assist in body contouring, removes toxins and generally relaxes and rejuvenates the body.
For the treatment of : Tight and sore muscles , joint pain, sports injuries, tissue and joint inflammation, headaches, migraines, fatigue, cellulite, flab adiposity, general and localized detoxification, digestive disorders, sciatica, stretch marks, spider veins. It works wonders on the back, legs, abdomen and arms as it loosens adhesions, improves joint mobility, range of movement and arthritis – actually almost all areas of the will respond to this unique treatment – bellabaci cupping therapy!
- Face – Bellabaci
- Body Massage – Bellabaci
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Castor Oil Therapy
A castor oil pack is placed on the skin to increase circulation and to promote elimination and healing of the tissues and organs underneath the skin. It is used to stimulate the liver, relieve pain, increase lymphatic circulation, reduce inflammation, and improve digestion.
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