People often want to know what kind of massage I do (i.e. massage modalities). Is it swedish massage? Is it deep tissue? Is it myofascial release? The answer is that I use a combination of different modalities to suit each client. Most of my clients would probably say that my treatment work most resembles deep tissue massage (and my relaxation work most resembles swedish massage).

Here are brief explanations of some modalities that I use:

• Structural Integration (SI) - SI focuses on realignment of the body for more optimum efficency within the field of gravity. Most all SI work is accomplished by affecting the fascia. Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds the muscles, bones, organs, etc. of the body, and helps to maintain the spatial relationship of these structures. By finding where the fascia is shortened improperly, we can make corrections that will allow you to move more comfortably and with less effort.
• St. John NeuroMuscular Therapy (NMT) - NMT utilizes neurological and physiological laws, to focus on areas of your body that lack proper blood flow (i.e. ischemia) and areas that refer pain (i.e. trigger points). Click here to learn more about NMT and how it works.
• Upledger CranioSacral Therapy (CST) - CST focuses on the cranium (i.e. skull) and the spinal column, tuning both to create a more balanced nervous system.
• Deep Tissue Massage (DT) - DT massage is a combination of pressure and leverage to release muscle contraction and other soft tissue restrictions by direct interaction.
• Soft Tissue Release (STR) - STR is a unique combination of pinning a muscle while using Active Isolated Stretching to facilitate the release of the contracted muscle.
• Muscle Energy Technique (MET) - MET uses the body's own antagonistic muscle releasing feed-back loops to help facilitate the release a tight muscle. It combines opposing muscle contractions at specific lines of stress in the muscle, as well as specific stretching to achieve results.
• Myofascial Release (MFR) - MFR specifically focuses to correct imbalances in the connective tissue that surrounds the muscle tissue (i.e. myofascia). The myofascia can be responsible for restrictions, or even pain, with movement. MFR utilizes gentle pressure with time to achieve its results.
• Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) - MLD is focused on making the lymph system of the body more efficient, and relieves blockages. The lymph system is responsible for uptake of waste fluids from between cells, reducing inflammation, and also plays a key role in the body's immune system.