About Massage
With new techniques emerging, and ancient therapies making their way into our society, the language of massage has become more complex. That's why it's so important to be able to rely on the knowledge and skills of a fully-credentialed massage therapist. All back in touch therapists are massage professionals who care about relieving your stress and pain the natural way, through the power of human touch.
Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Therapy, and Energy Work are the tools we use to help bring mind and body back into a state of well-being. Find out what appeals to you most by checking out the summaries below. Click on any link to learn more.
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Swedish massage
is what most people imagine when they picture a massage session: long, soothing strokes designed for relaxation. A Swedish session can help your body create a profound state of relaxation, and give relief from daily pain. Swedish massage requires the use of oils, so that your therapist's hands glide over the skin.
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Deep Tissue Therapies
use little or no oil, to prevent the therapist's hands from gliding. This allows the therapist to access deeper muscles and soft tissue, mostly working in specific muscle groups.
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Energy Work
is based on the belief that an invisible, but palpable life energy exists in everyone. Therapists who practice energy work help restore, refresh, and re-balance your body's own healing energy.
SWEDISH MASSAGE
Life is full of stress. Daily injuries pile on top of already worried minds. Many of us spend hours sitting in office chairs at workstations, looking at computer screens. We work the mouse and keyboard using repetitive motions. We walk in uncomfortable shoes, carry laptops or heavy bags slung over our shoulders, deal with road rage from long commutes or find ourselves stuck in traffic, then we return home to the stressors of modern family life. Even getting out of the car the wrong way can wrench a back. The accumulation of stress puts us on high alert: Heart rate increases, digestion lags, restlessness and exhaustion set in. We fall under the influence of our sympathetic nervous systems, creating the "fight or flight" response, also known as the acute stress response.
Swedish massage is designed to help your body shut down the stress response. Long soothing strokes increase circulation of blood and lymph. Millions of neurons fire in your skin and muscles, encouraging the release of powerful endorphins, washing away daily pain and stress. The result is a profound state of relaxation unlike any other. Many clients who get regular massage report a decreased need for pain and sleep medications, making massage the most natural approach to conquering stress and daily pain.
DEEP TISSUE THERAPY
Deep tissue work describes a cluster of techniques designed especially for pain control. At back in touch, we practice all current modalities of deep tissue work: Classic Deep Tissue Massage, Neuromuscular Therapy ("Trigger points"), Myofascial Release, plus Sports and Chair Massage.
Classic Deep Tissue
massage technique arose out of a need to quiet the injured muscles of athletes. It was discovered that by using very little oil, the therapist was able to work deeper muscles in specific areas. This type of massage is great for sports/workout injury, as well as muscle pain caused by daily workplace/office injury
Neuromuscular Therapy: (NMT)
The definition of NMT is the use of steady pressure on specific points, known as trigger points, to relieve pain. A good example of NMT is the way it works at relieving muscle spasms (knots). NMT works by breaking positive feedback loops known as reflex arcs. A muscle spasm is actually a defense mechanism - a tightening or contracting in anticipation of more pain. Interrupting the reflex arc allows your central nervous system to override the localized signal between muscle and nerve.
Myofascial Release:
All of the muscles in your body are covered by a membrane called fascia, which helps the muscle hold its proper shape and function. When the fascia becomes distorted, so does the muscle beneath it. The most common fascia injury occurs in the soles of the feet - a condition known as plantar fasciitis. Myofascial release is also highly effective on lower back pain, addressing the area of connective tissue called aponeurosis.
Sports Massage
is divided into pre-event and post-event strategies. The pre-event massage is invigorating to body and mind, preparing the athlete's muscles for readiness. The post-event massage is for calming down and relaxing afterwards. Sports massage is performed with the client fully clothed.
Chair Massage
is performed with the client fully clothed in a specially designed chair. Most of the work is done on the back. It's a great experience when you need relief from back pain now, but don't have an hour for table-time. It's usually performed in 10-30 minute sessions, depending on your needs.
ENERGY WORK
Shiatsu is Japanese for "finger pressure." It is based in Chinese medicine and uses the same pressure points as acupressure and acupuncture. Pressure on shiatsu points re-channels the body's life energy, promoting healing and relaxation.
Reiki is not massage in the traditional sense; no oils are used, and there is very little touching. The sessions are quiet and meditative, and the practitioner may lay hands on traditional Reiki points or trouble spots the client may have. Warmth, tingling, or waves of radiant energy are felt as the balancing takes place.
Reflexology: Each part of the body correlates to an area on the feet and hands. Finger pressure and strokes to the feet or hands activate these points, releasing blocked energy in the corresponding area. A relaxing way to energize the whole body.