Treatment modalities
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Massage
My massage treatments are typically a combination of manual massage, the massage gun, dry needling, and cupping.
The elements involved are your choice.
My treatments aim to assist in reducing pain, stress, tension, and increasing mobility, flexibility, and overall performance.
I work with the mind and body connection. There is no separation between the physical, mental, and emotional bodies- they work entirely in unison.
Massage helps with sleep, mood, focus, energy levels, as well as it's physical benefits.
If you're not sure whether massage will help you, please ask.
I also can use the Myotrig massage gun.
Here is a brief description about how it works-
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“The Myo-Trig accelerates and enhances the repair of muscle fibre by providing rapid bursts of pressure in concentrated, short-duration pulses deep into the tissues of the body. This enhances the flow of blood to different critical areas, allowing for pain relief and subsequently improving function and range of motion.
The Myo-Trig relaxes thickened connective tissue, helps to break down adhesion's and internal scar tissue, provides improved circulation in the veins and lymphatic system, enhances flexibility through gentle stretching, and increases range of movement.
How The Myo-Trig or Percussion Therapy differs from traditional massage is by desensitising the surrounding area of a sore muscle by shocking the muscle fiber gradually until the target area is penetrated. This way, with the help of a percussion therapy device, we are able to target specific muscle soreness without noticing a lot of the pain that comes with it. (Look up Gate Control Theory!)”
Myotrig founder, Jon Saks
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Dry Needling
How does Dry Needling work?!
On a biomechanical, chemical, endrocrinological, and vascular level!
“…mechanical disruption of the integrity of dysfunctional endplates, alterations in the length and tension of muscle fibers and stimulation of mechanoreceptors, increased muscle blood flow and oxygenation, and endogenous opioid release affecting peripheral and central sensitization, among others.”
It breaks the skin barrier-
This stimulates the production of histamines, which then brings in bradicynin (a vasodilator, to expand the blood vessels and improve circulation to the area), which means that blood with leucocytes floods the area (leucocytes are white blood cells that work in the body to remove bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. In dry needling they work to “clean up” the damaged tissues in the area of pain).
All of that then creates a small local inflammatory response, and stimulates circulation, which might feel a bit like when you’ve had a pump at a gym session.
It stimulates circulation-
This means that there’s a lot of nutrient blood rushing around the area where the needling was performed. It might get a little bit red, maybe itchy, or you mightn’t feel anything at all. Just because you don’t feel something, doesn’t mean your body isn’t responding.
Circulation is going to be improved, and this can help especially in chronic injuries that your body might have given up on trying to heal.
Local twitch response causes a fast contraction followed by relaxation-
Some studies argue that having a local twitch response at the site where the needle was inserted, especially into a sore trigger point, works to cause a fast contraction followed immediately by significant relaxation, thus releasing tension and relaxing that area.
Other hormonal reactions- If you’re like me, you’ll get a little rush of endorphins when the needles are inserted. Endorphins alter and slow your response to pain, and they increase blood supply. As mentioned earlier, an increased blood supply is useful for healing an area and oxygenating the tissues.
This improved circulation can help with scar tissue reformation (in any soft tissue, this includes, muscles, and also skin- for example facial scarring from acne or sutures).
One more cool little technique-
…is when the needle has been inserted, you can spin it gently. This wraps the fascia and soft tissue around the needle, which is essentially stretching it a little without you having to make any effort at all! This means when I unspin the needle, you’ve had a nice little stretch.
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Cupping
The negative pressure (suction effect) of cupping increases circulation locally.
It stretches the fascia, improving movement capability and reducing pain.
The sensation of tension under the cups and signal to the brain that it is safe to release the muscle's own tension.
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Pregnancy Massage
Massage during pregnancy is specially tailored to each client and can be purely for relaxation, or for more serious pain issues.
Like all my treatments, a combination of massage, needling, cupping, and the massage gun is all your choice.
Manual Lymphatic drainage (MLD)
Manual Lymphatic drainage is a very light, non muscular massage.
The treatment stimulates the nodes and capillaries that make up the lymphatic system, which lay just beneath the skin (with the exception of the deep abdominal node area).
This system is responsible for fluid regulation, transportation and creation of of immune cells, fighting infection, and removal of wastes.
The lymphatic system has no pump of it's own (as the circulatory system does with the heart) and so instead relies up breathing, physical activity, or massage, to circulate lymphatic fluid.
MLD can support
-oedema and swelling from injury, pregnancy or surgery (including dental or liposuction) -headaches - scarring -constipation -dermatological conditions such as eczema -sinusitis - immune improvement-
and many other conditions.
If you're not sure that MLD is right for you, please ask me.
MLD should be avoided during acute infection.